The hook would be much more useful as a reference book if the number of references t o the original literature were greatly expanded and an author index included. Even without these things this is one of the best books in the field and every inorganic chemist should own and use it. JOHNC. BAILAR,JR.
PATENTLAW. Chester H.Bieslnjdd, Member of the New York Bar and of the Bar of the District of Columbia. John Wiley 225 pp. 14 X 21.5 and Sons, Inc., New York, 1943. v cm. $2.75. This book was the outgrowth of a number of weekly lectures in substantive patent law conducted by the author as an extension course a t the University of Delaware. The object of the course was t o acquaint chemists, engineers, and students who had no professional law training, with the basic principles and rules underlying the obtaining of patents and the litigation that often arises when patents are involved. The keynote of this book is that i t deals mainly with fundamentals and is frankly not intended as an exhaustive treatment of any one phase of the patent law. The material is handled very well for easy understanding by the beginner. Anyone already well versed in the field, however, while finding thelittle volume interesting, would also 6nd it too elementaty to have much value as a reference work. The material is presented with, iirst. an explanation of each basic principle or rule, and then illustrations from leading law cases supporting the mle or contrary t o it, as the case may be. are given. Most previous books in this field which were designed particularly for chemists have erred either on the side of being nothing but a compendium of case citations or else they contained almost no citations. Some of the subjects treated exceptionally well, even though briefly, are: Invention and Discovery, Functional Claims (with a good section on chemical claims), Patentability of Uses, Reissues, and Infringement. The chapter on "The Patent Application and Prosecution Thereof," although not recommended as a substitute for hiring a patent attorney, is strongly recommended t o any chemist having patent applications pending before the Patent Office. On the other side of the picture it must be regretfully stated that the chapter headed "Permissible Breadth of Chemical Claims" has been poorly handled. No mention a t all is made of the er perte Markush practice which many attorneys follow in setting up an artificial class of chemical equivalents. From a mere listing of some of the other chapter titles i t can be seen that the book has distinct value far a chemist-inventor or an engineer. Some of the rest of the titles are: "Liability for Infringement," "Licenses," "Ownership and Shop Rights." "Trade Secrets," "Patent Litigation," and "Searches." The book further contains an appendix which quotes Sections 4886 to 4888,4900,4921, and 4923 of the Revised Statutes which form part of the basis in statutory law of the legal aspects of patents. The bibliography is incomplete, Rossman's excellent book. "The Law of Patents for Chemists," being one of the standard references which is omitted. A book of this type could well form the basis of a course of patent law which should be included in the education of all chemists. WILLIAMS. HILL
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RICWOND,V ~ ( I I N I A
THE D m oa CHEMISTRY.Sidney 3. French, Professor of Chemistry, Colgate University. The University Society, Inc., New York. 1944. iv 176 pp. 111 figs. 15 X 23 cm. $1.00. This is an up-to-date edition of a book which was 6rst published in 1937. No changes have been made in the historical portion.
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FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OP PHYSICALCHEMISTRY. Carl F. Prullon, Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Case School of Applied Science, and Samuel H Maron, Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry, Case School of Applied Science. The Macmillan Company. New York, 1944. x 780 pp. 174 figs. 14 X 21 cm. $4.50. "The authors' aim in writing this text on elementary physical chemistry is t o place in the hands of teachers and students a book which covers the fundamental principles of the subject in a thorough, sound, up-to-date, and clear manner." This aim has been realized t o a high degree. However the term "elementatyJ' should be stricken out. The book is entirely adequate for a iirstclass senior or early graduate course in the subject. The 23 chapters are arranged in the order now pretty widely considered t o be best from the teaching standpoint. Thermodynamics is introduced immediately after gases, so that derivations requiring the first and second laws need not wait t o be considered halfway through the course. The treatment of entropy and the third law is mare extensive than is common. The discussion of activities is good and includes a partial derivation of the Debye-Hiickel limiting law. Most of the best sources on thermochemical data are cited in that particular chapter. There are plenty of problems a t the end of each chapter, some being accompanied by answers and some not. Several "References for Further Reading" are also appended t o each chapter. There are some literature references, but there could be mare. The numerous illustrations are quite clear, although why authors in general persist in picturing calomel and other reference electrodes as larger than all the rest of the apparatus is incomprehensible. There are 120 tables of useful data, not including the usual table of atomic weights. This book is clearly written and shows a "level" treatment4. e., the authors do not ride their hobbies. This is the hallmark of a good text. It ranks with the leading works of its kind. It is worthy of careful consideration by any teacher. MALCOLM M. H ~ N G
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UNI'IBPSINOF MARYLAND COLLeoe P A X , MaauL*ND
LEADPOISONING. Abraham Conlarow, Asmiate Professor of Medicine, Jefierson Medical College, and Biochemist and Assistant Physician, Jefferson Hospital. Philadelphia, Pa., and Max Tumpcr. Lt. Commander, H-V (S), U.S.N.R., Naval Medical Research Institute. Bethesda, Maryland. The Williams 8- Wilkins Co., Baltimore. 1944. xiii 264 pp. 5 figs. 21 tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. 83.00. ~ e t i c u l o & l ydocumented, this thorough and complete monograph includes a 17-page bibliography and a 5-page index. The book appears a t a time when the increasing use of lead and its compounds in many industries provides a serious threat t o human health. The anneal of the several chanters is directed t o diverse cla~sesof readers, such ns physiologists, biachemists, physiciaus, and analytical chemists for theoretrcal and clinical study, and to twchers, architects, plant foremen. workers, managers, control chemists, factory physicians, and even housewives for practical information. The general reader will find much repetition of facts among the chapters of the volume, and even within individual chapters. He may be irked by this, but its intention is evidently to minimize page-turning by specialists when they use this book for reference. Nevertheless, many of the redundancies in chapter I. "Absorption, Transportation, Deposition, and Excretion of Lead," seem to be superfiuous. They unnecessarily lengthen the text. The same facts are cited again in later chapters, "Pathology and Pathological Physiology," "Clinical Manifestations." and "Lead in Blood. Body Fluids, and Kcretions." The earlier chapters give one the impression of prolongation also by their incessant content of names of authorities. Better grouping of data might have reduced greatly the number of times the same investigators are given credit for their work, without decreasing the value of the documentation and excellent bibliography. I n addition t o those mentioned previously, there are chapters entitled "Normal Intake." "Occurrence of Chronic Lead Poison-
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