JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
614 informal discussion of a variety of topics of current interest in biochemical genetie~e.g., position pseudoallelism, the possible origin of the vitamins as direct gone products, and biochemical evolution. Haldane returns to develop a point made earlienamely, that "The genes may . . . be regarded as intraecllular organs.. . That is to say, the conceptions, and t o some extent the technique, of largo-scale physiology may be applied t o them. We can, of course, d m regard them from a more biochemical point of view, as catalysts with many of the properties of ordinary eneymes." Although the reviewer would not deny the possibility that some useful insights may be obtained by regarding the genes as intracellular organs or as ordinary enzymes, it seems that in doing so one is in danger of losing sight of the main point of genetics-that is, its quasi-atomic nature, to use Hddane's phrase. The genes are individual molecules, present in a concentration of only one or two per cell. Their behavior is not describable by the statisticd laws of physiology or chemistry, but by the laws of single particles. It is an important fact that the cell is a chemical system in which large changes in reaction rates can be induced by the alteration or destruction of a single eenetics thus shows e e n e i . e.. a sinele molecule. The studv " of " that the c& is u k k e any ordinary chemical system, and this, for the chemist, is one of the most fascinating aspects of genetics.
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SPOT TESTS. VOLUME I: INORGANIC APPLICATIONS. VOLUME 11: ORGANIC APPLICATIONS
Fritz Feigl, Professor, the University of Braail. Translated by Elsevier Publishing Ralph E. Oesper. Fourth English editio.. 518 pp. Company, Houston, Texas, 1954. Volume I: di 436 pp. 32 figs. 37 figs. 8 tables. $6.50. Volume 11: xv 37 tables. $6.25. 15.5 X 23.5 cm.
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THIS two-volume txatise on spot tests originally appeared in 1931 as one volume. Since then i t has grown extensively in size. and the fourth Endish edition has now been ~ u b l i ~ h easd r \ w erpnrute nmnuitlr, 1,111. or) ir.orpnir applivnthm. ord 11worhrr on or~nnic:q~plivhliww,wvh ~ u t n p l e liu ~ :lwlf w d prewttinfi nu v~tt.nciw,critical, 311d ul,-tdnrt eurw) of proredurr 3 1 ~ nyr 1 plication of spot tests t o both research and routine work. An important feature of the fourth edition is the wealth of new material, including many new tests developed by the author and his collaborators, most of which itre described for the first time in these volumes. The arrangement of the material and the description of tests is the same as in previous editions, except for typographical changes to save spsce, and omission of the bibliography of papers dealing with technical applications of spot testing. "Spat Tests" is a companion text to the author's book on the "Chemistry of Specific, Selective and Sensitive Reactions" published in 1949, in which is assembled and arranged the criticallv selected material that is related to the specificity, selectivity, and sensitivity of anzlyt,ioal procedures. In Volume I "tests v-hich have been thoroughly tested by the author have been described in detail." These were selected not only from t,he standpoint of practical usefulness but also to possibilities of improvementand to important detnila in the chemical basis of the particular test. The descriptions of the tests have been made so that they may easily he translated into the macro scale, and a h applied to inargmic chromatography, though no effort was made to include the latter technique, since excellent texts in this new and rapidly grow-ing field are available. The introductory chapter, Development, Present State and prospect.^ of Inorganic Spot Tests Analysis, has been completely rewritten in cooperation with Philip W. West (Louisiana State University); the latter also contributed Chapter 11, Spot Test Technique. Volume I1 is an outgrowth of the previous edition of "Spot Tests, Inorganic and Organic Applications," which included
slightly aver 120 pages devoted to organic spot test analysis. It now becomes a n independent mznual. I n order to make it truly a self-contained monograph, the chapter on Spot Test Technique in Volume I hss been included in Volume 11. "Furthermore, a11 tests for inorganic materials which are left in the residue after organic samples m decomposed, have been described in sufficient detail, so that reference to Volume I in such cases mill not be necessary, except for amplification of background information." The author emphasizes, however, that this monograph is not intended to replace the well tested manuals dealing a i t h qualitative organic analysis but merely t o supplement such arorks. The chapter on preliminary tests has been entirely rewritten and many new tests for functional groups and individual compounds have been added. The book contains the complete or orienting description of more than 200 teats. The underlying chemical reactions have been stressed when possible, many structural formulas are given, and the pertinent data regarding sensitivity and reliability have been included far most of the testa. Both volumes list many references (about 1500) to the original literature; these will be found a t the end of eschchapter. The last rhapter in each volume consists of a tabular summary of the limits of identification attained by spot testa (Volume I, cations, anions, and several free elements; Volume 11, certain elements that are most frequently present in organic compounds, cha~acteristicgroups, and many individual compounds). Earh volume is well indexed (both author and subject). R. E. Oesper, v d l known translator of Feigl's hooks, is to be congratulated for making "Spot Tests" available in clear and concise English. Printing and paper sre good and the books have attractive flexible cloth bindines. "Spot Tests" will be a useful source of information not only to analytical chemists but also to organic chemists, pharmaceutical chemists, and biologists, as well as to advanced chemical students. Research workers in analyticd chemistry will find these volumes stimulating and helpful.
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JOHN H. YOE
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY. VOLUME XII: SABADINE TO STILBESTROL
Edited by Raymond E. Kirk and Donald F. Othmer, Professors and Heads, Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, respectively, Polytechnic Institute of BrooHyn. Assistant editors, J a n e t D. Scott and Anthony Standen. The Interscience Ecyclopdia, Inc., New York, 1954. xvi 9 5 s pp. 19 X 27 cm. Single copy price, $30. Subscription price. $25.
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THEinorganic chemist and industrial chemist are the large n-inners in Volume XI1 of E.C.T., which runs mainly to subjects in these two fields. Selenium, silicon, silver, and sodium are the elements appearing in this volume, along with a discussion of alloys and ~&mpounds, including special sections on salt (sodium chloride) and salts in general. Silica and its ramifications cover considerable space, with silicate minezals, synthetic insoluble silicates, soluble silicstes, vitreous silica, nnd sllrca gel. Of theoretical interest is the section on the stereochemistry of inorganic compounds. The analytical chemist will be interested in the section on sampling. The organic chemist will turn t o the large section on the stereochemistry of organic compounds. The sections on saponins and sapogenins, sterols and steroids, starch, serums, and serology will interest bath the biochemist and organic chemist. The chemical engineer finds a number of unit operations d i s cussed: sedimentation, size reduction, and size separation. Other useful topics are size measurement of pasticles, solvent recovery, sprays, and steam. Industries discussed include steel, soap, salad dressing, shortenings, shale oil, silk, silicones, soybeans, and sewage treatment.
