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SEPTEMBER, 1951 indexed, so that the reader can easily locate and utiliee the information desired. This reviewer would have liked a little more attention given t o nomenclature, hut otherwise no adverse criticism should he made. The hook will be of interest to workers in several fields. Specialists in one branch of hydrocarbon chemistrywill heable to keep up with developments in other branches. Organic chemists and chemical engineers in other fields will find this a vduahle source of information concerning hydrocarbons and their simple derivatives. Students and teachers will find themselves turning to this book on many occasions far information concerning nonbenzenoid hydroertrbons. ERNEST M. HODNETT OHJABOM*A.
AND
M. COLLEOB
STILL^*^^^, oa,.*nou*
0
THE ANALYTICAL BALANCE: ITS CARE AND USE
William M. MacNevin, Profemor of Analytical Chemistry, The Ohio State Universitv. Handbook Publishers. Inc., Sanduskv, 60 pp. 12 tables. 13.5 ~ 2 0 . cm. 5 $1.50. Ohio, 1951.
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Tms little hook, which does not discuss the theory of the halance and contains neither drawings nor diagrams, is written ta provide the practical information needed t o care for and use the analytical balance. It is stated that the book "is designed to acquaint the average scientific worker with the problems of selecting, mounting, cleaning, adjusting, testing, and repairing a. balance." However, i t is recommended that major balance repairs be done by a specialist. To this end a list of about twenty Balance Repair Specialists and their addresses is given. I n the introduction, tables of analytical balances in use in American lahoratories, and of manufacturers of analytical balances are given. The text first inventories the parts of a balance; then gives the details of mounting, cleaning, and assembling; then provides elementary instructions in using the balance; then follows with tests far ascertaining the condition of the balance. The various classes of analytical weights are next considered and detailed instructions given for the calibration of weights, hesm notches, and chain. The systematic application of weight calibration corrections is considered and also methods for actually adjusting the masses of the weights to the required tolerances. In considering the buoyancy correction in weighing it appears that the .author might well have taken occasion to point out the relative merits of true mass as compared to apparent mass versus brass in assigning absolute weight calibrationrr, as this question arises in the use of a Bureau of Standards certificate. This pmvtival littlr manusl rnqy scll find n useful plaw in many ro~nrncrcisland tedlnirill Inbomlorie~. W. W. RUSSELL
0
PROGRESS IN CHROMATOGRAPHY 1938-1947
L. Zechmeisfer, Professor of Chemistry, California Institute of Technology. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1951. xviii 368 pp. 23 figs. 21 tables. 14 X 22 cm. 58.
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IN1906 the Russian botanist Miehel Tswett separated a mixture of leaf pigments by adsorption of an extract of green leaves in a, deep, porous bed or column of powdered absorptive chalk. To effect this separation, be filtered a small quantity of the pigment mixture into the uppermost portion of the column. He then washed the absorbed mixture with fresh solvent so that the pigments migrated through the column a t different rates and formed s. series of colored zones each of whieh contained a single comoonent of the mixture. This formation or develonment of t l w ~ ' ~ O T O ~ ~ H ~1)s ~ ~ wT l Hi l It iI tIq with i r 4 ~olventi~ ttw uniqw ft.:t~uwor llw c I ~ r t , ~ t ~ a t ~ ~ r. .t ~ d ~ o, lql ,i tli:onwtllod, ~~ 1 1 0 ~sidvly utiliml for tloc wmlurim olall kitiJ~oi~olu1,lc
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Professor Zechmeister was among the first to recognize the high resolving power and the wide applicability of Tswett's analytical method. His first book in this field, written with L. Chalnoky in 1937, revised in 1938, and translated into English by A. L. Bxhamch and F. A. Robinson in 1941, has contributed enormously to the utilization of chromatography as a common analytical tool. The current book, which k devoted to a review of the literature for the years 1938 to 1947, is, essentially, a supplement to the eadier publications. I t surveys virtually all the new techniques, principles, and applications of chromrttography during this period. By far the greater portion oi the hook (pages 60-285) describes the chromatographic examination of various substances ranging from chlorophylls to nitrogen isotopes. A bibliography of 40 pages and comprehensive author and subject indexes complete the volume. The value of this book to students and teachers will depend upon their interest and experience. As most of the basic chromatographic principles were included in the first publication, thia new volume will be of greatest aid to workers with some experience and to those ahead], familiar with the first volume. I t rill he especially useful as a b i d e to workers seeking specialized information about the separation of mixtures of particular substances.
0
BIOCHEMISTRY OF GLUCURONIC ACID
Neal E. Artz and Elizabeth M. Osman, Corn Products Refining Co., Argo, Illinois. Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1950. vii + 103 pp. 15.5 X 22.5 cm. 52.50. TEE purpme of this book, as. stated by the authors in the preface, is to bring together the widely scattered ohservrttions hearing on the metabdie significance of glucuronic acid. This acid is available now in adequate quantities. I t is the hope of the authors that this compilation may he of service to investigators who wish to do work invalvingglucuranic acid. The extent to whieh the literature of the last hundred years, since the discovery of glucuronio acid, has heen examined is indicated by a bibliography of 456 references. The book has been divided into four parts, reviewing the literature of analytical methods, occurrence, origin of glueuronic acid in the hody, and detoxification. By far the largest portion of the book is devoted to the role of glucuronic acid in detoxification. In this part are listed the large number of substances that are conjugated with glueuronic acid after administration to animals and excreted as glucuronosides. Presumably the coverage of the literature is fairly complete. However, with the exception of the chapter an analytical methods, this review offers little in the way of critical evaluation of the experimental work involving glueuronic acid. The reader rill look in vain for an adequate discussion of the literature of glucuronie acid metabolism from the point of view of indicating the problems that future research on this interesting biological compound might pursue with profit. P. A . CAJORI
COT,ORADO SCXODLOP MEDICXYE D n n v r ~C , o~onmo
UNlVsnslTY OX
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A SYSTEMATIC LABORATORY COURSE IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY
Harry H.Sisler, and Jay I. Stewart, The Ohio State University. The Macmillan Co., Inc., New York, 1950. xi 396 pp. 57 figs. 21 X 27.5 cm. $3.
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THEintention, stated by the authors, of creating a. laboratory manual that could he used by students having different backgrounds and would provide factual chemistry, enlargement of the
