THE CHEMISTRYOP POWDERAND EXPLOSIVES. Volume I. Tenney L. Davis, Ph.D., Professor of Organic Chemistry. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York City. 1941. xi 216 pp. 50 figs. 13.5 X 21.5 cm. $2.75. The author, a well-known authority in the field of powder and explosives, says in the preface t o this book: "The book has been written for the purpose of informing chemists, already well trained, concerning the modes of behavior of explosive substances and concerning the phenomena, both chemical and physical, which they exhibit. No effort has been made to describe the use of explosives in ammunition and in blasting beyond the minimum of description which is needed t o make clear the modes of their behavior, and no account has been included of the chemical-engineering aspects of their manufacture." The chapter headings are: I. Properties of Explosives, 11. Black Powder. 111. Pyrotechnics, IV. Aromatic Nitro Compounds. The national emergency and the e5orts on the part of the United States Government to train qualified chemists in explosives make this book a very welcome addition t o the small family of texts on the subject. Workers in the field wait impatiently for Volume I1 which is rapidly nearing completion. I n Chapter I the author defines and classifies explosives, discusses the events occurring during the firing of a round of ammunition, and briefly describes some tests of explosive force (brisance), velocity of detonation, and sensitivity. Chapter I1 contains much valuable material on black powder. I n modern ammunition the use of black powder is confined to fuses and igniters and seldom has the subject been treated as completely as it is here. The long chapter on pyrotechnics, while interesting, complete, and undoubtedly valuable, seems to break the continuity of the text by injecting toys into the very center of an otherwise serious topic-military explosives. I t would seem that this chapter might best be segregated and abbreviated. The last chapter is excellent and probably the most complete treatment of the subject of explosive aromatic nitro compounds to be found anywhere. I n the interest of national defense and t o help those men being trained as inspectors of explosives, the reviewer would like to see included a chapter describing some of the practical uses of explosives in ammunition and a more detailed discussion of the tests of the powders, finished rounds, and components. The t o ~ i c sto be oresented hv the author in Volume I1 are: nitrir e.;ter-, smokelrv puwder. dynamite am1 olhcr high explosive;, ammonium nilrntc and nilro amirws, primary cxplosives. detonators and primers. A. T. BURTSELL
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THE PAARMAMLOGY OP ANESTKETIC DRUGS. I.~ d r i a M.D., d Instructor in Anesthesia, New York University College of Medicine; Assistant Visiting Anesthetist, Bellevue Hospital, New York. Second Edition. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, Ill., and Baltimore, Md., 1941. ix 86 pp. 21.3 X 26.9 em. $3.50. Condensed t o the essentials, this volume is illustrated with outline diagrams favsing attention an physiological and pathological changes that occur in various organs and systems under the influence of anesthetic drugs. The style is that of brief notes rather than a connected narrative. The contents include: effects of physical and chemical properties on pharmacological activity; absorption and elimination; general systemic effects; disturbances of respiration; a consideration of the various types of anesthetics (gaseous agents, volatile agents, aliphatic nonvolatile agents, barbiturates, local anesthetics, opiates); nonanesthetic drugs and inorganic gases used in conjunction with anesthesia; some clinical considerations. Following the main portion of the text are a table of atomic weights and conversion factors. a table of usual doses. and oualitative tests. The biblioeraphy is useful for furtherreferences.
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HANDBOOK FOR C H E ~ C APATENTS. L Edward Thomas. A.B., Chemical Patent Attorney. Chemical Publishmg Co., Inc.. New York City, 1940. x 270 pp. 14 X 21 cm. $4.00. This second book on patent law, by the author of "The Law of Chemical Patents" (1938), reviews the fundamentals of patent law and explains them in the light of the changes that have taken place since the middle of 1937. It is written so that an interested reader may appreciate the underlying philosophy of patent law, while a t the same time i t is a ready reference book for the attorney or for the research chemist. Chapters on specification writing, anticipation, infringements, and patent evidence are exceptionally thorough and clear. Over 1200 citations t o cases in the patent literature are given and these cases and citations are conveniently cross-referenced. This book is valuable alone but i t is still more so when used with "The Law of Chemical Patents." WILLIAMF. O'CONNOR
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FORENSICCHEMISTRY. H. T. F. Rhodcs, Dip.1nst.C. (Lyon). Correspondent of the International Academy of Criminology; Honorary Research Assistant in the "Conan Doyle" Laboratory of Chemical Research, Department of Technical Police, Prefecture of the Rhone, France. Chemical Publishing Co.. Inc.. New York City, 1940. viii 214 pp. 13.5 X 21.5 cm. $5.00. According t o the author, "the subject of forensic chemistry is one which does not figure largely in the chemical literature so that there would seem to he room for a text book on the subject. The special characteristic of this one is that the subject matter is strictly confined t o formally chemical theory and technique." The author has had the two objectives of collecting together the information scattered throughout the criminological literature and of outlining procedure in a forensic chemical laboratory. The hook first takes up the application of chemical methods to the identification of the person, such as the study of skin prints, occu~ationaldust (both inorranic and oreanic). .. blood ..erauos. .. and seninn1 stains. The alrplic3tian of chcmicsl methods to the proof of corpus Jrlirt, includes analysis of stains, sludy of firenrms and explusirrr, chemical examination of que*tionrd documents, of counterfeit money, and of toxic agents. The book contains a suggested list of references, largely to foreign publications. It is systematically and logically organized with bold-face headings marking the divisions of subject matter. I t should be of interest t o those who wish t o know more about the practical application of laboratory procedures t o this particular type of work.
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UNIVERSITY PHYSICS. F. C. Chumpion, M.A., Ph.D. (Cantab.), Lecturer in Physics. University of London. Blackie and Son, Ltd., London and Glasgaw, 1940. (Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York City.) Part I. General Physics-157 pp. 108 figs. 14.5 X 21.8 cm. 51.50. Part 11. Heat-148 pp. 83 figs. 14.5 X 21.8 cm. $1.50. Primarily intended far students taking a first- and secondyear course in physics a t a university, this book deals in the first volume with general physics, including kinematics, dynamics of a particle, statics and dynamics of a rigid body, units and dimensions, the acceleration due to gravity and the gravitational constant, gyroscopic motion, elasticity. hydrostatics, properties of gases and vapors, properties of liquids a t rest and in motion. The treatment is fairly mathematical, and problems and answers are given a t the end. The second volume, on heat, includes discussions of temperature and thermometry, thermal expansion of solids and liquids, quantity of heat, heat transference and convection, thermal conductivity, heat, energy, and Joule's Law, thermal properties of rases. isothermal and adiabatic expansions, elementary thermodynamics, and radiation.
