Studies in ancient technology. Volume III - Journal of Chemical

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JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION

654 recovery, rare earth and radioisotope separations, organic chemicals purification, and biochemical and pharmaceutical applications. As could be expected, not all chapters are equally lucid nor equally well documented. Some of the data are presented without references, so that more complete explen&ms in the original papers cannot easily be obtained. This Lack is somewhat offset by a twelve-page comprehensive author index, in addition to a thorough subject index and references a t the end of each chapter. The hook contains considerable duplication of material. For instance, Chapter 10, Ion Exchange Technology in Water Treatment, covers much of the ground of Chapter 5, Principles of Deionization with Ion Exchange Resins. Several chapters begin with nearly identical brief histories of ion exchange. The duplications, together with some awkward phraseology, particularly in a c h a p ter by a German contributor, suggest that the hook did not receive the careful editorial attention which it deserves. However, these shortcomings esnnat detract from the usefulness of the work as a. reference to present and potential applications of ion exchangers. STEPHEN S. WINTER NOBT~IEABTERN UNIYERBITY Bos~on.M*ss*cxnse~~s

DETERMINATION OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

K. G. Stone, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Michigan State University. McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., New York, 233 pp. Figs. and tables. 1956. v 16 X 23.5 om. $5.

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any college or university Library as well as a. distinct asset to the personal library of any chemist who deals with analysis of organic materials. Complete and specific directions are given for the determination of all common types of organic oampounds as well as a thorough documenting of all procedures. The limitation of sample size to the macro and semimicro range is a boon to the laboratory that does not have micro equipment or experience uith micro techniques. I n addition, Stone has included a number of problems which are thought-provoking and based on reality. The student will find them most helpful in checking his own knowledge of the field. This volume should find its greatest usefulness as a manual and secondary reference work on organic analysis and as a graduate text. I have examined it carefully with its use in undergraduate courses in mind. Although the theory of each determination is indicated, there is, in many cases, insufficient depth and detail:

For eumylr.. p r o w d u r ~5 3, page 91, outt i owits n of orgxnh. linrs I he d e ~ c ~ m i n < ~ of acids. A typical undergraduate with the information given could run the determination without difficulty, but he probably would not understand what he had done unless the instructor explained the theory a t length or assigned additional readings. It seems appropriate that a text for juniors and seniors should include sufficient theory so t h a t out-of-class study is facilitated. Aside from this objection, the mination of Organic Compoundsn strikes me an excellent and I found one glaring (p. 144, problem 6-20) and no evidence of printing. The weakness in binding is samewhat change from the ill standard, but +h,e usual change seems reflected in a very modest price on the hook. LEWIS N. P I N 0

COLORADO COLLE~E C o ~ o n m oSmwaa, C o ~ o n ~ o o

IN VOLUME III

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Forbes, of Brill, Leiden, 1955, 268 pp, 56 figs. 24 tahles. 1 6 X 2 5 cm.

PROFESSOR Forbes, in his latest book, has made a welcome addition to the growing literature on the history of ancient and classical ohemistry. I n this work, the author has concentrated largely on Egyptian, Greek, and Roman technology with minor attention paid to ancient Mesopotamian chemical technology. The volume may be considered to be divided into five major sections; (1) cosmetics and perfumes, including their preparation, recipes, and uses; (2) food, alcoholic heverages and vinegar, fermentation and preparation of beer and wine; (3) salts, preservation processes and mummification with discussions of early sodium chloride, natron, soap, saltpetre, sal ammoniac, alum and other preservatives; (4) paints, pigments, inks, and varnishes with a history of media, grounds and their uses; (5) techniques of crushing and grinding with elaboration of the various types of querns, the donkey, ratmy and roller mills and the kinds of ancient presses in use as well sa their evolution. Each chapter is well provided with documentation and bibliography for the interested historian of chemistry. The final index to the volume is fairly full. Attention should he drawn to the author's excellent collection of figures and tables which aid materially in making the hook a very read%hleand satisfying one. MARTIN LEYEY TEYPLB UN~YERBTTY P " , L * ~ ~ L P ~P,B* N , X~T~"*N~*

LUDWIG BOLTZMANN: MENSCH. PHYSIKER. PHILOSOPH Engelbert Brad-, Professor at the Chemi. cal Laboratory, University of Wien. Introduction by Hans Thirring. Published by Frane Deuticke, Vienna, 1955. 152 pp. Figs. 15.5 X 21.5 em. viii About $2.30. paper bound; $2.75, cloth bound.

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TEE biography of Ludwig Boltzmann, by Engelbert Broda, starts with the sentence, "The Life of Ludwig Boltzmann, obviously the most outstanding thinker Austria has produced. . . ."; and in t,he introduction, Hans Thirring calls Boltamann, "not only an outstanding physicist, but also one of the most eminent thinkers of his country, Austria." These two Statements are given to the very high reputation that Boltzmann had in his own country. Boltzmann born in Vienna. 1844 grew up in a well-to-do family and had the mast careful education. The reviewer noted with interest that he had pisno lessons from one of the most famous composers of the time, A. Bruckner. H e made a brilliant ~cientificcareer and became the Professor of Mathematical Physics in Graa a t the age of twenty-five. He was visiting in Heidelberg as a guest of Bunsen and in Berlin with Kirchhaff and Helmholtz from 1869 to 1871. From 1873 to 1876 he was Professor of Mathematics a t Vienna. and then returned to Graz. H e was sb famous a t this time, though only in his early thirties, that the young Wdther Nernst and Svante Arrhenius went to G r a ~ to study under him. I t is interesting to notice that Boltzmann did not accept the Professorship in 1888 to Berlin on the chair of the late Kirehhoff, but preferred to stay in Austria. Boltemann may have regretted this decision because this chair afterward was occupied by Max Planck and became the most outstanding chair a theoretical physicist of the German language could obtain. H e went to Munich in 1890 as Professor of Theoretical Physics, and in 1894 followed Stefan on the chair for Theoretical Physics a t Vienna with a short intermission t o Leipaig till his death on the fifth of September, 1906. Boltzmann was very gifted, not only in physics and mathematics but also in music, and philosophy. Nevertheless, in personal relations he was very kind and congenial. H e liked society and was very outspoken; sometimes humorous, sometimes sarcastic. I t illustrates the very high cultural level of Vienna of those days, since the names of not only Boltzmann and his oallesgues, but also most of his friends, are still remembered today in Austria and elsewhere. His immortal works, to mention only entropy and probability, Boltzmann distribution, and statistical mechanics, place him with the most outstanding men of (Continued on page A660)