The Iriefness of each ex:miple espertly inc~xporatingthe vital data and reitcation conditions together with editorial notes where necessary, en:ibles the reader t o rii:rke selections :tc,c,ordingto Iris needs at a glance. The separate bibliography for c:ic:h swtion is also very helpful for tracing the origin:il p:cpers, A literature search for less known re:tc*t,ionscauses Ircv!uerit 1). iiiore difficulties and frustration when long hours of work in t hi, 1ihr:tr.v :ire rewarded by only :I 1i:indful of inforni:itive tenccs. The present book offers :in up-to-d:itc enc,yc*lopctli sttlected reactions 1%-vhichhave been widely eiiipl,)>~.tlin steroiil c:honiistry. IIowever, esaniples of those reartions 1i:lvc tiwn omitted which have not received wide :ittention, such :E re:tc+ons i5c:itions of ring jiinction r rings to the steroid n ~ i ( ~ L i ~ i i ~ , is f:iniilitrr wit11 steroid < ~ I i r i i i i s t r y will m i s s suvli c~x:irriplesnliic~li c~oultl1i:ive I)wn r:isily i r i r~irpor:tttd in :in additional section cir:iling wit11 ~ i i i s ( ~ ~ ~ l l : ~ n ~ ~ i i i i ~ re:irtions, without esc,eeding the liniits of this Iiuoli. Inc~lrision( i t siirh :iddition:rl sections would h : i \ ~ni:ic.ic~this I)iil)lic,:Lt ion i nioro v:dii:il)le and comprehensivc.
Spectrophotometric Analysis of Drugs Including Atlas of Spectra. By IRVISGPUSSHIXEand S.R. GERBER,Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office. Cleveland, Ohio. Charles C Thomas, Springfield, Ill., 1963. svii 235 pp. $10.50.
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‘The introduction of spectroscopic- techniques for (1u:tlitative :inti qiuntitative analyses in clinical and forensic toxicology will
he greatly :misted by t h e :tppear:mee of this book. A detailed csperiniental procedure for t h e preparation of samples for ultraviolet) and infrared spectra deterniination from blood, urine, and strJni:tch-content specinlens should prove useable even by thosr previously untrained in spectroscopic techniques. hs the :iuthors indicate, a catalog of reference spectra must he kept by c:wh analyst since the appearance of new drugs is too rapid to d l o w for publication of atlases of spectra. .2 very csc~ellentstitrt 11:ts been provided in this book, however, for ultraviolet. disorption spectr:i of 143 common drugs in acidic and basic solvent :ire presentrtl, along with 2GS infrared spectra. In most rases spectr:i of the therapeutic agent :is a KRr pellet a,nd in chloroforni solution :trc given. I n :ill cases the spectr:t are easily read and :ircl siillic*iently large for eatah cornpnrison wit,h esperiinent:illy 01 It:iincd rurves. For no apparent reason, tlie :iutliors indicate specific:tlly t1i:il a “l’erkin-Elmer Model 221 recording infrared spectrophotonicttc!r” is necessary equipment for the infr:tred andyses whilr tllo facat that the ultraviolet ahsorption spectra were determined using :t “Reckman DK2 recording ultraviolet spectrophotometer” \v:rs iiient,ionrd only on the dust cover. This niay prove niis1e:idirig 1 0 t li(, toric*ologistwishing t o initintc these techniques, for :inunilwr of infrared spectrophotometers :ire :tvail:tble with “sc:ile espansion,” the special feature required by this analysis. .% t:ihle beginning on page s i lists the ultraviolet spectra in orticti. of incre:tsing wive length of niajor absorption hands. This provides a rapid niet.hod for finding the curves for coinp:~risori with t h e unknown. 7’nfortun:~tely,the authors made no ~ t t r i n p t to provide some siniiliir procedure for espediting the caornp:irison of infr:ired spectra. .?. modification of the “P~tdtler”procediirc riiiglrt prove v:ilu:iblr. ’Tlrc presentation of the infr:ired c i i r v ( ~is esc-ellt:nt ; IIIJ\V t were not replotted from the inslruirient (‘iirv(1 :inti thus Iirc not lincvar in w:ivc lengt,h, providing soiiiv ililiii~iilly in determining t h es:ic+ ~ wavr length of long wave length iii:isini:i I~iirtherniore,tlie cnrvw :Ire plotted in optic>:ildrnsity wliivli liinits their usefulnoss to tlie clie~iiic,:ilspectroscopist. r . IIIPintlt~sinili(*:itt~s tlie generic, ~i:tniesof all agents by preseiit:il ion in a11 c,:ipit:ils, hiit, synonynious nalnes :ire included. like ni:my indexw this one intiic:it,es tlie page number ui’ t hi: i’iirv(’sby hot ti the generic and synonymous names providing thv rtwlor :I r:ipitl referenco to the :Ltlirs of sptv.t,r:i. 111 sliitc of 111(~frxv 11is:ulv:int:ig:tts nic~ntioned:tI)ov(1, t t w I ~ o i i l i
Pharmaceutical Firms U. S. A. & Canada, 1964. 7 2 1)1~.,p:yierl):t(,l 27 X 21 cni. 612.00. European Pharmaceutical Firms, 1964. 84 111). SlS.00. N o y e s Development Corp., Pearl River, S. Y. These publioations list m t j o r and minor ~ ~ 1 i a r r r i : i c ~ e firiiis u t i ~ ~i ln t ti? 1.. S.A%. :ind C‘:rn:tti:t, 4000 firms in 15 European count>ries,:inti iiiajor :inti n h o r ones in India and Japan, Kith their :iddresscs. \ I m y , tliougli not t l i c . iii:i,jority of -2riic,ric:in listings, :ilso c.oiit:iin of the ofiiwrs of the companies, their subsidi:iric,s, :inti :rnnu:il s:ilcs. ‘Thosc not t m i t e d :is cstensivrtl>- 11i:iy IIC suspec*tcd t o ronsist of :i president, :L telephone, and :m oflii.cl ~ : i l e ~ r o o i i i - i ~ i : i ~ i i wing i ~ : i ~ ~plant, t combination. This desc,ription vcrtainly holds for n w i y of the European listings. This 1:tttm stst :dso presents short ni:irkct rcsewc’li surveys, vnluitble for oversexs 1r:rdr.
