The nature of the questions in the tests is shown by samples, chosen a t random. The following group is t o be answered as true or false. "Aromatic sulfonic acids find little use in organic chemistry." "Sulfanilic acid is a derivative of methyl orange.'' "Organic acids contain a carboxyl group." "Industry criticizes the college graduate because he cannot write a good intelligible report." "Valeric and pentanoic acids are homologs." "A collegiate laboratory notebook is merely a means to an end." The proper answer is t o be indicated in the following. "Ally1 sulfide is a constituent of (1) garlands, (2) gardenias, (3) garlic, (4) onions. (5) no source indicated." "Bird-shot sodium is used (1) in air rifles, (2) shot-gun shells, (3) Wurtz-Fittig condensations, (4) Williamson condensation, (5) Grignard synthesis." "Amines and amides resemble each other in properties because (1) both contain carbon, (2) both contain the -N& group, (3) both contain a carhonyl group, (4) bath are soluble in water. (5) both contain nitrogen." "Specialization (1) is absolutely essential. (2) is not to be encouraged, (3) has its inherent dangers, (4) is not worth the time and money. (5) always yields satisfactory results." Other questions consist of formulas of products or reagents which are to be matched with the proper reactions. Since these are designed primarily t o let the student know about his progress, his answers are corrected hut not graded. Laboratory quizzes may he given on the subject matter of these questions. It also seems likely that in courses where the teaching staff is not large enough to give comprehensive oral quizzes the instructor may prefer to grade the tests. The fourth service-the theoretical approach t o laboratory organic chemistryapparently does not refer t o the theory of laboratory operations, since there are no discussions of some common operations, such as fractional distillation, extraction and steam distillation. (These operations are carried out by the student, however.) The "theoretical approach" apparently refers to the chemistry of the series of compounds considered. Far example, the experiment on aldehydes and ketones is prez ceded a discussion com~ounds. "The aldehvdes and - bv ~ ~ ~ of these ~ ~ ketones may he considered as 0x0 derivatives of the corresponding hydrocarbons in which two hydrogen atoms bound electronically to the same carbon atom have been replaced by an oxygen atom." The natural occurrence of aldehydes and ketones, their nomenclature, methods of preparation, reactions, and important applications occupy the remainder of the page. The experiments cover the conventional subjects, and their scope is comparable to that of many other standard laboratory manuals. One novelty is a division devoted to emulsification, soaps, and lotions. Another is a very brief treatment of qualitative organic analysis. The experimental procedures are usually followed by several references to related preparations in other laboratory manuals and an estimate of their cost. These cover a wide range of experiments and might be made even more useful by reference to "Organic Syntheses." A feature worthy of consideration by other authors is a discussion of the preparation of laboratory records and reports and an attempt t o convince the student that, "These findings, if they are t o justify the endeavor. must be accurately recorded, organized, correlated, and interpreted." The type of report encouraged in this manual seeks to give the chemist needed experience of this kind during his academic training. "Thus the student finds himself in the capacity of an inexperienced research worker, and learns t o do by doing a t a time that his mistakes will not be, in all probability, very costly with respect t o his training or professional standing." There is also a section on "Why Chemists Get Fired." Even without the statement that the material in the manual has been in use eight years, it is obvious that much time and effort have gone into its preparation. The errors are probably fewer than in most first editions. References to butynes and pentynes as hutylenes and amylenes, the "muroxide" test, the direction to "dissolve 27 g. of Na%Cr.Oiin 5 ml. of water" and the statement that in the preparation of ethyl bromide hy the hromination of ethane all the possible isomers are produced, are erron that have probably been already noticed. There are a few places where it seems that more information might be giyen. Unquali~
fied statements that aldehydes reduce Fehling's solution, that primary halides are less reactive than tertiary, that alcohols are formed by the reaction of primary amines with nitrous acid, and an equation showing an aldehyde and alcohol as products of ester hydrogenation, are points which, if not amplified, might give a student incorrect ideas. The name "memaptan" is commonly enough used t o justify its mention under the thioalcohols and the discussion of the coupling reaction of diazonium salts might include the statement that an alkaline solution is necessary for phenols. The page devoted to catalytic hydrogenation has space enough to give mare types of important hydrogenations and t o mention that heat and pressure may be necessary. Although repeated reference is made to the danger from peroxides in ethcr, nu warning is given in the erperimen~s on ethyl iiocysnide and phmylhydrarine. \Iforking on the small scale describrd in this book the Skraup synthesii is doubtless safe without a moderating agent but i t might be well to warn that these directions should not be adapted to a larger scale. Such statements as "distil off," "distil over," "filter the crystallized product," "crystallize out," "connect up." "working the precipitate up," "filter off;' "the charge is drowned in water" and "250 ml. three-neck round-bottom flask" csnnot he misinterpreted hut do not represent the good style to which the student is encowaged in the first part of the manual. The book is written in an enthusiastic style which may he intended t o make the material more impressive to the students: "Formaldehyde. the black sheep of its family," "carbohydrates, actually or potentially, poly-hydroxy derivatives of the hydrocarbons," "an original, permanent, complete and indubitable account," "opportunity for the student to enhance his knowledge relative to." Research records are "a fountain head for new ideas," "a storehouse of factual findings" and "the gem of the laboratory rontine." The apparatus for almost every experiment is shown by good line drawings. While in a closely supervised course an instructor might prefer t o have apparatus assemblies depend more on the initiative of the student, this will be an excellent feature for large classes where supervision cannot be as close as the instructor would desire. I t also appears that the experiments require a minimum of apparatus. While all the usual types of apparatus are employed, the same equipment assembled in different ways serves a variety of purposes; this feature should also be appreciated. The book has a bristol cover with the popular ring binding; therefore the book will lie flat on the desk. The pages are also perforated so that it appears that the manual might be inserted in a loose-leaf notebook. I t is pertinent t o state that in additionto the author there are eighty-eight associate editors from almost as many institutions. Of these associate editors, three are industrial chemists, a few are from large universities, and a large majority are from small colleges, widely distributed geographically. The influence of this last group of associate editors is probably a t least partially responsible for the fact that the manual does seem well suited, by a proper selection of material, for the needs of organic courses in the smaller institutions. From the number of collaborators it is obvious that this hook will meet the requirements of a large group and will find wide adoptions.
INTRO~UC~ION TO PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY.Meyer Bodansky, Ph.D., M.D., Director of Laboratories, John Sealy Hospital, Galveston, and Professor of Pathological Chemistry. University of Texas. Fourth Edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New Yark City. 1938. viii 686 pp. 40 figs. 15 X 23 cm. $400.
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The author has aimed to present in a moderately sized book the animal phase of biochemistry in a su5ciently detailed manner
for medical and heginning students in biochemistry. The previous editions of this b w k always have stood among the best texts of biochemistry, and the present enlarged and revised edition remains one of the best of its type. The more important changes from previous editions are the treatments of enzymes and oxidation-reduction in more detail and in separate chapters. The author has presented a very broad and difficult subject in a loeical. - . dear. and sufficientlv fundamental manner from the modern point of view to drrerve the thanks of the beginning and more advanced students of medicine anrl bioloyy. The presentation of the nlamerour specific and rapidly changing problems of mammalian biochemistry as related to medicine is a tremendous undertaking, but i t is well done in this text. The author has a happy faculty of presenting sufficient of the controversial material to satisfy the critical specialist and yet to organize the biochemical knowledge in a clear-cut style t o enable the student to learn the more fundamental facts. F. C. KOCH
OF PHYSIOLOGICAL CEEMISTRY.Meye" LABORATORY MANUAL Bodansky, Director of Laboratories, John Sealy Hospital, Galveston, and Professor of Pathological Chemistry, University of Texas, and Marion Fay, Professor of Physiological Chemistry, Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania. Fourth Edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York City, 1938. v 295 pp. 9 figs. 15 X 23 an.,$2.00.
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This text covers the usual material oresented in manuals of hiochemi.itry for medical students. Thcrc is nothing unusuallg originnl in the hook; in fact, much of the material i. prrimred in experiments taken wholly or in part from other texts. Some of the instructions are not given in sufficient detail or with proper precision. The principles involved in the quantitative methods are not given and the shortcomings of the various methods are not discussed. The newer and more reliable methods for blood glucose and calcium are not given and the student is not given sufficient warning as to which is the better or the best method when a number of methods are described. F. C. KOCH ~
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solete or of doubtful value, for example, the separation of the copper and arsenic division by means of a mixture of ammonium sulfide and disulfide, the separation of antimony from tin by precipitating antimony sulfide with hydrogen sulfide in a hot acid solution, the confirmation of zinc sulfide precipitate by ignition with cobalt nitrate. Even though the reference is given there is doubt as to the existence of AsCls and as mentioned on page 45. The precipitation of some magnesium with the alkaline earth group is not mentioned, nor are large amounts of ammonium salts removed before the precipitation of this group. I n the test for ammonium ion i t is generally considered unsafe for students to heat the mixture, especially in a test-tube. Before taking up the analysis of the anions preliminary experiments showing the characteristic reactions of each and their grouping are carried out by the student. A large number of acids are considered, more than are usually studied in an elementary course. Again, an excellent list of questions and exercises follow each group analysis. While the procedures are ample for the analysis of a simple substance and certain combinations are provided for, i t is problematical if a mixture of several anions could be successfully analyzed. With the coming of age of organic reagents in inorganic analvsis it is matifvin~ . .. to see a oart of the book devoted to this sulvect. n'hilc the nuthor mly sogycsrr organtc rcagmt.; as * u p plrmentary tests for the catimi, thc rzwtions >re given and fully discussed. The part on the analysis by dry methods, though brief, is useful whether or not one is interested in field work. The appendix has useful tables and information though i t is strange to see percentage ionization of strong electrolytes less than 100. The book is printed well and is quite free of typographical MOTS.
LEOLEAIUIULN TBB C ~ T Y COLLBOB OP NBW Y O R ~ N E W Y O R K crrv
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY FOR PHARMACY STUDENTS.Book I. Non-metals. Filemon Tanchoco, A.B., Ph.C., LL.B., Professor of Chemistry, Manila College of Pharmacy. Magsimpan TABUNIYBRSITYOF CHZCAGO Press, Manila, P. I., 1938. 318 pp. 14 X 20 em. $2.00. CHICAGO. ILLINO~S The book seems to be intended for use as a tent following an elementary course in chemistry. Page references are given to a A LABORATORY MANUALOF QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS.John H. PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY, apparently that written by the author and Yoc, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, University of Virginia. reviewed in Tnrs JOURNAL, 14, 349 (1937), although i t is not so John Wiley & Sons. Inc.. New York City, 1938. ix f 219 pp. stated. The subjects considered include Hydrogen and Oxygen. 7 figs. 14.5 X 23 cm. $2.50. Water, Ozone and Hydrogen Peroxide, The Halogens, Halogen The hook is, as the author states in his preface, strictly a Acids. Sulfur, Oxides and Oxyacids of Sulfur, Nitrogen and the Laboratory manual intended to accompany his CBMICALPRINCI- Atmosphere, Ammonia and Similar Compounds, Oxides and Oxyacids of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Its Compounds, Arsenic, PLES. However, as there are no page references to the latter, Antimony and Bismuth, Oxides and Oxyacids of Arsenic, Antitheory may be presented through other texts. The analysis of cations in the presence of phosphates as well as the treatment mony and Bismuth, Boron and Its Compounds, Carbon and I t s Compounds, and Silicon and Its Compounds. of insoluble silicates are included. Also a rather large number of Purely descriptive, the book gives synonyms (Latin. English. anions are considered in their analysis. The book thus lends itself to easy adaptation for short or long courses in qualitative and Spanish), properties, preparations, and uses of the elements analysis. From the modern point of view it would be much better and compounds, together with their history and occurrence, in some cases. The advantage of the text t o students of pharmacy if all the eouations for ionic reactions aooeared in ionic form. .. Thc proctdurcs for the analysis of the cations arc of the usual lies in the medicinal uses given for some of the compounds. As type, up-to-datr in must rases a n d supplemented by rxcellent an inorganic text it is unusual in that very little theory and no problems are included; in fact, it does not contain a table of notes. A good frature of the book is the list of questions and exercises following each group procedure. Not only does this require atomic weights. There are no figures or sketches. "The author does not pretend that his work is up to date in the student to know the methods of analysis, but also an understanding of the reactions involved. Before presenting the pro- presentation: on the contrary, there are reasons to believe i t cedures for the analysis of the cations some preliminary experi- antiquated on this score." Spelling is bad in many instances; ments are given to illustrate the grouping of the metals. How- sentence structure and word usage are not always acceptable. ever, there are no experiments t o show the characteristic proper- Printing and binding are very poor. Some corrections and adties and reactions of the cations and their compounds which are ditions have apparently been made by hand with India ink, deutilized in the methods of analysis. This is a serious objection, tracting from the appearance of the book. A number of inas the student must turn to a book for this knowledge instead of accuracies are present. learning it in the laboratory. Some of the reactions used in the schemes of analysis are open to objection as being somewhat ob-
