THE SEPAKATION 01. GASES. M. Ruhemnnn. Oxford Univer- parts. These are: I. Introduction (12 pp.); ' 11. Theoretical sity Press, New York City, 1940. xiii 283 pp. 148 figs. Principles (200 pp.); 111. Apparatus and General Technique 16.5 X 24 cm. $5.75. (42 pp.); IV. and V. Inorganic and Organic Polarographic AnThe liquefaction of the permanent gases began with the ob- alysis (86 and 62 pp.); VI. Biological Applications of Polarogservation by Cailletet of a transient mist in a cooled capillary raphy (24 pp.); VII. Voltammetry with Platinum Microelecglass tube containing oxygen under pressure and subjected t o trodes (18 pp.); and VIII. Amperometric Titrations (34 pp.). (11 .. . DD.) .. . contains a list of reference electrode Dotensudden pressure release. This was in December. 1877, and al- An aDDendix ~~~.~ "-.... most a t the same time the same phenomenon on a larger scale tials and a table and chart of half-wave ootentials of inorcanir was observed by Pictet in Geneva. The application of the porous subrtnnec~. This appendix may 1.e bought separately for $0 7.5, plug expansion cooling combined with the regenerative principle but is best used in conjunction with the main t a t &re it includes no Literature references. of Siemens by Hampson in England and Tripler in the United The theoretical part of the book is undoubtedly the mostoutStates was.. however.~the means ~ bv which. liouid air was first pruduced in quantit y. The present volume prr%rt~tsconsiderable standing. It not only contains an all-inclusive discussion of the detail about the theory underlying the three standard processes various factors which may iAuence the polarographic currentfor producing oxygen that have grown t o maturity since the voltage curves, but also treats related topics, such as diffusion in general and the electrocapillary c w e of mercury. This exposiariginal development of Carl Linde nearly fifty years ago. Low temperature refrigeration, in spite of the relatively long tion of polsrographic theory is beautiful and logical throughout, existence of the means of producing liquid air, is in a somewhat although it does not take into account the historical development primitive stage. For this reason, and also because of the already of the science. This material will be much appreciated by a stndent of theoretical chemistry. However, one who wishes t o evident industrial importance of low temperature refrigeration. the author has collected and put into readable form a generous make an occasional application of the polarographic method will amount of information on the properties of mixtures of very have difficulty in picking out the essentials from the wealth of devolatile substances and the methods for their separation. The tail. The remainder of the book is devoted t o the practical aspects ever expanding role of oxygen in industry accounts in part for an~~~~the author's four chapten on the methods and devices evolved of nolaropranhv. Onlv a sketchv descri~tionof available for separating the constituents of air. For the rest, these plants paratus is given. This is followed by a compilation of the many serve as models t o be followed in solving other problems of gas inorganic and organic analyses which have been srudicd. Since separation: for example, the constituents of coke-oven gas. most of thcse arc not yet practical and have only bccn tcsted in From the point of view of general interest. the volume is very pure solutions, numerous references are given to aid the investiwelcome. The engineer and scientific worker will 6nd a very gator in the develdpment of suitable technics. The need for these acceptable collection of material which has not previously been is apparent, since less than two dozen tested practkcal procedures are described and i t is pointed out thateven these might be imassembled. The introductory chapter reviews the composition of coal gas, proved and simplified. The last two parts of the book deal with more recent technics coke-oven gas, cracker gases, and natural gases from various world sources. One shudders to &d that in addition t o the which were developed on the basis of experience gained in polarowiderange of rigors t o be endured in the U.S.S.R.. liquid methane graphic studies with the dropping mercury electrode. They can be dispensed from tanks. The critical temperature of meth- show g w d promise but as yet have only limited applicability. I n these chapters, the authors confine themselves mainly t o their rne -..- is.- -R1- - "C - .1. Thesubject and data prrtaining to binary mixturer,and higher own extensive work in which voltammetry stands for polarorders, are presented in candiderable derail, although in a some- ography and amperometric stands for the more widely used what disjointed mnnnw rhroughuut the bwk. Also, the subject term polarometric. The book is well written and amply illustrated; i t will be inof dephl&mation and rectification is developed in a simple way sufficientfar the liquid mixtures following Raoult's law. A well- dispensable to anyone specializing in polarography. Orro H. M ~ ~ L L E R drawn set of about three dozen (T, z ) and (#, x) curves is given C O ~ B LULN ~ B R S I MEDICAL TY COLLBOB for important binary and ternary mixtures. The authbr does New Yoax C I N not fail t o emphasize the great need for systematic measurements and general scientific research in this field. REVIEWOX BIOCB~I.~I~Y. 'volume X. James MurThe final chapters deal b r i d y with the problems of coke-oven ANNUAL ray Luck, Editor, Stanford University; James H. C. Smith, gas separation, the industrial importance of methane, and the Associate Editor, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Diviproblem of helium recovery. The final chapter is a brief sketch sion of Plant Biology, Stanford University. Annual Reviews, of the progress made in separating olefins in pure state from Inc., Stanford University, California, 1941. xi 692 pp. cracker gas. 15 X 23 cm. $5.00. The volume is the first of its kind in linglish and it should assist This volume is the u m d competent, authoritative review of greatly in promoting interest in the indmtrial simificance and biochemistry, though the work this year has been hampered value of applications of low temperature refrigeration. somewhat by the discontinuance and delay in transit of foreign journals. The topics treated are: Biological Oxidations and Reductions; Proteolytic Enzymes; Nonproteolytic Enzymes; Chemistry of the Carbohydrates and Glycosides; Chemistry of Amino Acids and Proteins; The Chemistry and Metabolism of I. M. Kolthoff, Professor and Head of Division the Compounds of Sulfur; Carbohydrate Metabolism; Fat POLAROGRAPHY. of Analytical Chemistry, University of Minnesota, and J. J . Metabolism; The Metabolism of Proteins and Amino Acids; Lingane, Instructor in Chemistry. University of California. The Biochemistry of the Nucleic Acids, Purines, and PyrimiFirst Edition. Interscience Publishers. Inc., New York City. dines; The Biochemistry of Creatine and Creatinine; Detoxica1941. xvi 510 pp. 141 figs. 15 X 23 cm. $6.00. tion Mechanisms; Hormones; The Water-Soluble Vitamins; This first English book on the polarographic method of analy- Fat-Soluble Vitamins; Nutrition; Relation of Soil and Plant sis will be welcomed by many who have been obliged t o con- Deficiencies and of Toxic Constituents in Soils to Animal Nutrisult monographs in foreign languages or the more than 700 tion; Mineral Nutrition of Plants; Plant Growth Substances; journal articles dealing with this subject. The authors have Spectrometric Studies in Relation to Biology; Review of Bioexamined critically the majority of these and combined them into luminescence; The Chemistry and Metabolism of Bacteria; an cvcellent account of the present status of [hi$ new method. Biochemical Nitrogen Fixation; Properties of Protein MonoThe hook isdedicnted toProfessor JaroslavHeyrovskp, the"0rigilayers. nator of Polnrographic Analysis." and is divided into eight The volume is also provided with author and subject indexes
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