RECENT BOOKS O~GANIC CHEMISTRY FOR MEDICALSTUDENTS. Genrge Burger, M.A., DSc., F.R.S., Hon. D.Sc. (Liverpool), Hon. M.D. (Heidelberg), Hon. Mem. Nederl. Chem. Vereen.; Corr. Mem. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. Munich, Soc. de B i d , Paris, Gesell. d. Aente. 15enna; Professor of Chemistry in Relation t o Medicine in the University of Edinburgh. Gurney and Jackson, London: 33 Paternoster Row, E. C. 4; Edinburgh: Tweed249 pp. 15 Figs. 22 X 14 5 cm. dale Court, 1932. xi 12s. 6d.. net.
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"This textbook was originally intended to be a revised edition of 'Organic Chemistry for Students of Medicine' by Sir James Walker . . . . actuallv i t has been written de nouo." It is an attempt "to meet thespecial requirements of the medical student" since "the ever-increasing burden of the curriculum makes i t desirable t h a t the student should he taught what is really useful for his further studies: much that is included in the oreliminary training of organic =hemists is quite unnecessary." It appears to the reviewer t h a t the selection of material is excellent. No one who has heard Professor Barger lecture could doubt t h a t t h e material in a textbook written by him would he clearly and interestingly presented. The student is introduced to organic chemishy by a chapter on alcoholic fermentation and takes his leave of the subject, as far as this book is concerned, b y way of a discussion of ergosterol, carotene, and vitamins D a i d A: In between there i r ,m,ugh orgnnic chemistry to krep a student busy in a rlasi carrying four stmcstur credits and nwcting two or three timcs for thirtr-ax wecks. Panicularlv interestine paragraphs are given a n -inhalatian anesthetics {p. 46) an; explosives (p. 72). The vividness of the presentation is illustrated by the following paragraph (p. 96). The orinciole of this"reso1ution" of 1 raeemie substance mav be illustrated hv an inalodv. A left hnod. gmwing n tennis racket, conrurircs a romt 1cr rhirh i % .t#ll rhr minor imrzr uf n i h r hlml T r.avk6.t. \roc. .iryntmc"i'..sl, 1 lrfl baud h ~ l d i ~811 w (~.ynlmetric iolf rluh IX 1101 Lbe mirror imd-e of a nchr hnod I- the same club TI!? h m d i rcprrrcnt the two constnt.cnfr of r..t.crnlr *rid the gulf club the 0, ttrilly v t i v c . bra?
There are certain statements which in the opinion of the reviewer are incorrect. For example, a n p. 33 it is stated that formaldehyde is produced commercially by oxidation or dehvdroeenation of methanol over "feeblv elowine charcoal." o n p.-40 it is stated that petrol (gas~li&)~consis?slargely of
MODERNALCHEMY. W. A. Noyes. University of Illinois, and
At the prcwnt time, when, in svcry branch of science, new developmentc are proceeding a t an accrler:ttcd paw, the averaye intelligerlt rrsdcr. and e v e n the specialist in any one ficld. finds it morr and more difiwlt to k:ep infurmcd regarding these new advancri. The purpw,. of thc lmuk under consideration is to Drcsent to the rvader a survrv of the Droercss which ha- been ichieved, mainly in the past three decade; in our views on the constitution of matter and on the nature of the interaction between matter and radiation (using the latter term in its broadest sense). The work makes no claim t h a t it is either erudite or comprehensive. It is written in a simple, readable style, and presents the salient facts in a n interesting manner, without having any recourse whatever t o mathematical terminology. I n the first chapter, the various branches of science are surveyed very briefly, with the object of discovering their "common characteristics." These are summarized excellently in the closing section. The remarks on the rble of hypotheses in science are specially noteworthy. Chapter two, entitled "Atomic Structure," deals in the 6rst part with the work of J. J. Tbamson, Rutherford, and Planck and the utilization of the conclusions deduced by these investigators in the Bohr theory of the origin of spectral lines. The second part of the chapter deals with the essential features of the new quantum mechanics with which are associated the names of de Broglie, Schradinger, and Heisenberg. The third chapter presents the phenomena of atomic disintegration and synthesis by means of alpha particles and discusses briefly the application of the new mechanics t o an interpretation of radioactive disintegration. The dosing section mentions the most recent work on cosmic rays and the neutron. Whereas the first half of the book deals with problems which are, in general, regarded as belongina to physics, the second half prcsentj some o f the recent dwLlopw&tr in chmnistry. I n chapter four, thv d i w l s i o n ol the octct thcury of r:drrlcr of G. N. I.ewi-. and I . 1.anumur is followed h r a d~iruiiionuf ralrncr in organic compound;, a problem toward the solution of which the
" ~ e wElements and N& Uses far Old Ones" is the title of chaptcr sir, in. whiclt arc mcntioncd thc invcstigntions on hafis rwmtially cirl,un, whrn of cuurrc it is a mixture o i hydro- nium, masllriunl, rhmlum, illinium, and ekscesium, a* well as c a r h n i . Prohibition has been held rtrponstbl: ior many t h m ~ r . rrccrlt r d r k un new alloys. such a q prnuolloy and pcrrninrar and Innt it is hardly imsible to justify the folloriny on p. 51;. carbolay. The last chapter, on "The Elixir of Life," deals with umtribuOwing to the introduction of prohibition into the United States, amyl tions of chemistry toward advance- in medical fields, such os the alcohol from fuscl oil is no longer sv*ilsble there, and hence butyl aleohol is work of l ' a s t ~ u ron itnntunity, the synthrsis of new ancsthetics. used instead for the manufacture of varnishes, nitrocellulose lacquers, etc. and the work on thc nature of hormonr; and vitamins. At the end of each chapter is appended a number of references, As a matter of fact, butyl ncetatc possesses unique solvcrrt proptrwhich the reader who is interested in following up the subject tics not shared hy amyl acetate. Amyl acrtatr (synthetic) is farther, will find very useful^ availahle in thp lnitcd States in excess of t h r drnund. The binding and printing of the volume are to be commended. AInrc unfortunate are certain .;tatrmcnta and irnplirstions in The reviewer helieves t h a t the hook should be welcomed by all the chapter on stt:rroisome"%rn, fur example: "The difirrmcr teachers in high schools and junior colleges who wish to keep hrtwren d - and /-lactic w i d . . .only shows itself in their r h v i i u l abreast of contemporary advances in physics and chemistry and properties. . It seems t o the reviewer of the highest impo&ance are anxious to stimulate their students with the ideals and tlvat the dilferencc in chemical bchlvior toward opttcal IWIISTS, achievements of science. Irtwcen o m enantiomorph and the othtr should bu cmphxrirrd r;ithcr t h m dcnicd. Indctd thc author ha5 ~ o i n t v dout thi5 difference between d- and Gadrenalines (p. ~ o o ) . The term "st~rcoisorncrism" is used throughout the hook nllrrc rcfcrence is mndu to the subdivision of that aubjcct ordi~arilymfrrrcd tr, as AND DESCRIPTIVE MATERIALON SUI.FUR.-T~~ a ~ t i c disomcriarn. The other suhdivisiun of rfrrcuiwn,erism. PAMPALETS Texas Gulf Sulphur Company, 75 East Forty-Fifth Street, New Gometrical isomerism, is not mentioned by name although York City, has availahle for distribution the following material: this type of isomerism is discussed. The errors referred to are relatively unimportant and in the Agrieult-1 aspect. of sulphur and sulphur compounds. opinion of the reviewer should deter no one from using Professor Sulphur in world trade. Modan sulohur minine. Barger's eminently worth-while textbook. Some agronbmic consid&ationr in fertilizer manufacture. Chart-Frasch praee~s of mining sulphur. HOMEIZADKINS
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THEUNIYBBS~TY OP W~VISCONSIN MADISON, WISCONSIN
Sulphur, an industrial necessity. Guli coast sulphur deposite. Chart showing uses of sulphur.
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