Toxicology of uranium

In general, each subject encompasses the fundamental prinei- plea involved, the principal kinds of analytical applicrttions' (if any), and, in some ca...
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JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION

400 Bed (26 pages). The accompanying hihliographies range in number of entries from a minimum of 13 t o a maximum of 227. Since the reviewer is neither in B position, nor is there space, t o consider earh topir rritically, only rather general comments seem appropriate. In general, each subject encompasses the fundamental prineiplea involved, the principal kinds of analytical applicrttions' (if any), and, in some cases, fairly specific details on methods. Thus, rnt,her concise perspectives arc provided for the nanmslytical major. The first three, the ninth, and the h a 1 sections especially fit this category. Others, such as electrography and radioact,ivit>-, ar? dofinitely something more. The analytical s s p ~ c t sof elert~ographyand radioactivity srr so neu7 that most analyst,~ will u-t+ome thew summsries. One's iraction to a work of t,his kind is conditioned by his concept of the- placr and the w o ~ kof analysts and of the subject matter properly belonging to rhemicd analysis. Probably no two individuds could agree on the answer to the quest,ion of what. shoulrl he treated where. Far example, should the theory and method of use of the equal-m.m balance be presented in the mechanics section of a treati~eon experimental physics, in a monograph on physico-chemical measurements, or in a textbook on gravimetrie methods of chemical analysis? Perhaps the answer is, in all of them. I n stst,ing the following questions. then, the reviewer is really only expressing personal uncwtaintiea. Do surface area 01. sur-

were studied. The major portion of the work involved uranyl nitrate injected subcutaneously or fed to mice. The subcutaneous route of sdministratian complicated unnecessarily the retention, excretion, and distribution studies because of residual material a t the injection site. This difficulty could have been removed simply by injecting the material intravenously. The editor points out that this is not a textbook of the toxicology and pharmacology of uranium and that i t is not s. cornpilation of all the Manhattan Project studies on uranium. However, it is a valuable contribution t o our knowledge of the biological effects of uranium 238. The research was initiated because of the need to protect the health of those workers in the Project who were actively engaged in uranium operations. Since the information was required a t once, no excuse need be made for the small numbers of animals employed and the lack of completeness of some of the work. Sufficient data were rapidly secumulated t o indicate that uranium 238 is lem of a hazard to personnel exposed to it than mercury or lead.

PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS-AND BIOPHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. VOLUME I Edited by J. T. R a n d a l l and 1. A. V. Butler. Academic Press, Inc., New York. 1950. viii 279 pp. 119 figs. 17 tables. 16 X 25.5 cm. $6.80.

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