the student. There is s section devoted to organic chemistry that requires specialized equipment that may not he wailable to schools with limited budgets. The use of this manual should increase the caliber of work performed by the first year student in freshman chemistry.
R. WILLIAMS, THEODORE College of Wooster Wooster, Ohio
Continuous Analysis of Chemical Process Systems
Sidney Siggia, OIin Mathieson Chemical Corp. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1959. xiii f 381 pp. 113 figs., 11 tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. $8.50.
such as the time-of-flight mass and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers have found several applications in industry. The CEC Model 620 mass spectrometer was not mentioned. The reader must bear in mind, therefore, that improved or new instruments might well he available when the need ari~eises. This volume presents a description of commercial instruments, together with operating characteristics, in a convenient, compact form. It will be a handy reference book for those desiring information an types of tools mailable for continuous analysis.
J. MITCHELL, JR. E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. Wilrnington, Delaware
Thermodynamics and Statistical Thermodynamics
of process streams. With few exceptions, as the author points out, the material presented was taken from technical bulletins of instrument companies. After two very brief introductory chapters, the remaining chapters are titled according to a physical constant, a technique, or the substance being measured. Inolnded in the first category are refractive index, density, viscosity, and electrical constants. Techniques include infrared, ultraviolet and visible absorption, eoulometry, x-ray fluorescence, vapor chromatography (the term "gas chromatography" is now recommended), mam spectrometry, m d automatic chemical analysis. Separate chapters discuss gas analysis and the determination of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and combustibles. A very short final chapter is included on "Instruments in the Research or Development Stage" a t the time the manuscript was prepared. Only brief mention is made of waste streem ttnalysis, a. part of chemical process systems; waste gas analysis is of particular importance relative to air pollution. Several companiea, e.g., Harold Kruger Co. in California, manufacture analyzers for this purpose. The title of the hook and some of the publisher's advertising materials sre somewhat misleading. Little is given on principles and desirable background information. A most critical and often difficult problem in continuous analysis is that of sampling. Discussion of this subject would heve been of considerable value to the reader. The book will he helpful to chemists and engineers desiring information on currently available instruments. Students will be appraised of techniques on which most continuous analyzers are based. Items are arranged conveniently and diagrams often help in illustrt~tingdesign problems in moving from batch to continuous analysis. In most cases examples are given of applications. These portions could well heve been expanded to provide the reader with more insight on how the instruments have been used. Unfortunately, in a book of this type much information already is outdated because of rapid developmenta in manufacturer's equipment. Thus, instruments
John Geldart Aston and James John Fritz, bath of the Pennsylvania State University. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 556 pp. TaNew York, 1959. ix bles. 16 X 23.5 cm. $8.25.
+
This boak can be considered in two parts. The first part, comprising about one-half of the boak, devotes fifteen chapters to the subject matter of classical thcrmodynamies. Conventional topics such as First Law, Second Law, equilibria, fugacity, partial molal quantities, solutions of electrolytes and non-electrolytes, eleetromotive force of cells, systematic calculation of thermodynamic properties in chemical reactions (including use of Third Law data) are covered. In addition, such topics as the generalized thermodynamics of Gibbs; variables other than pressure, temperature, and concentration; and oonstruotion and the use of entropy diagrams of gases are presented. The second part, which contains tbe nmaining eight chapters, is a presentation of statistical thermodynamics. Introductory chapters deal thoroughly with energy levels of particles, atoms, and molecules, and the distribution laws. Molecular distribution functions are then developed and applied to the calculation of the thermodynamic properties of diatomic gases, palyatomic gases, and crystals. The subject is completed with a chapter on the magnetic contribution to tbermodynamic properties and a final chapter concerned with the more elegant procedures as represented in canonieel and grand canonical ensembles. The book has s. rather extensive group of appendixes which contain, for the most part, supplementary information useful for the statisticd calculation of the thermodynamic properties of gases. The results far a number of simple gases are also included. The presentation and discussion of subject matter is excellent. The authors have tacitly accepted the fact that no text on thermodynamics can be effective without practice with suitable exercises on the part of the student. Consequently, some 400 problems (about anethird derivations and the remainder nnmerioal) appear, not
the problems serve the purpose of simultaneously developing and crystallizing the ideas in the text. For those interested in the use of the book as a course textbook in classical thermodynamics, the nice balance in the first part between an excellent presentation of subject matter and worthwhile problems results in as fine a treatment as is to he found anywhere. The level and quantity of material would probably require a semester for caverage by graduate or superior senior undergraduate studenk? in chemistry. The second part of the book is largely devoted to the statistical thermodynamics relating to nou-interacting moleoules of diatomic and polyatomio gases. The text and problems dealing with this phase of statistical thermodynamics are excellent. However, because the scope of the subject matter is somewhat restricted, some may find it necessary to supplement the material with other topics not covered in the text. E. L. PACE Western Reserve University Cleueland, Ohio
The Evaluation of Drug Toxicity
Edited by A . L. Walpole and A. Spinks. Published in London by J. &A. Churchill, Ltd. Little, Brown and Company, 138 pp. 58 figs. Boston, 1958. xi 16 X 24 cm. $5.50.
+
This is an interesting book dealing with a very complex subject-drug toxicity. It consists of a series of presentations a t the symposium on "The Evaluation of Drug Toxicity'' by persons interested in a particular aspect of the over-nll picture. The book is relatively short, 128 pages, including references and a brief discussion following each presentation. I n addition, a 10-page index is also included, yielding a total of 138 pages. The text material is freely illustrated with photographs, figures, tables and formulae. Each contributor adds to the over-all picture of dmg development, from its synthesis or isolation to the determination of "prediotable" toxicity and attempts to uncover "unpredictable" toxicities. The articles and discussions repeatedly emphasize the need for much more knowledge than we presently possess, so that some day we may be able to predict the currently "unpredictable" reactions. It is pointed out that we do have certain pieces of the puzzle, and that current and future research may add to this knowledge so that some day, maybe, the picture will be completed. The articles are not presented on a level that would be suitable for the heainninpr student. However, for the more ad: vanced student in the medical sciences and for the physician or researcher interested in drug action and toxicology, the principles set forth or re-emphasized should yield some basis for understanding why Volume 37, Number
4, April 1960
/
217
