REGENT BOOKS
PLASTICSSCIENTIFICAND TE~HNOLOG~CAL. H. Ronald Fleck.
Chemical Publishing Co., Inc., Brooklyn, New York, 1945.
x 325 pp. 76 figs. 5 appendixes. 14 X 22 cm. $6.50.
Thin book might be taken as a starting point for a person
trained academically in plastic chemistry for getting acquainted
with the technological aspects of the subject. Conversely, it
might also be used by a person practicing the a r t for becoming
familiar with the chemistry of plastics. I t is a critical and com-
prehensive survey of the two aspects of the subject.
The latest information ox the chemistrv and structures of
~~ ~
plasri,,< t i g v r ~ tivithtwt d~lai19of LIIC proofs, but r(.fer~..~cw
to
the urigi1.11 lit~vrltuware give:, rlircctly i:, rhc tern throughour
rhe book l ' h r nurerial o:! the tcchnolc,gical sidr of the field i.;
on a more scholarly level than the reviewer bas seen in any other
book ox the subject.
There is a discussion of molecular weight determinations by the
cryoscopic and osmotic pressure methods and a rather detailed
description of Staudinger's viscosity method. The writer has not
seen this in any other secondary source of comparable scope.
Among the physical properties discussed (with measurements in
most cases) are elasticity, effect of wlcanization, vibration prop-
erties, degree of swelling, flow properties, transition zone, effect
of temperature of polymerization on hardness and tensile strength,
creep- and fatigue-resistance in thermoplastics, water absorption,
use of plasticizers, effect of fillers, electrical properties, and grain
structure.
For those interested purely in technology there are chapters on:
adhesides, plywood, and impregnated wood; manufacture of dies
and moulds; maxufacture of plastic articles; a scheme of qualita-
tive analysis of plastics and estimation of plastic raw materials.
The book is suited for a college course in the science of plastics
after a year of organic chemistry. There are several detailed
procedures given for conducting laboratory experiments.
The text was intended t o be a companion to the monthly British
publication "Plastics."
LEALLYN B. CLAPP
INTRODUCTORY GENERAL CHEMISTRY.S t ~ a r tR . Brinkley, Asso-
ciate Professor of Chemistry, Yale University. 3rd Edition.
The Macmillan Company, New York, 1945. x f 645 pp.
135 figs. 47 tables. 15 X 23 em. $4.00.
I t is apparently the author's modesty that bas impelled him
to use the word "IntroduCtory" in the title of his book, for this
edition contains as much material as almost any of the texts on
the market which are Labeled "College Chemistry" and "General
Chemistry." The order of material is that usually followed with
a few exceptions. The discussion of the atmosphere is placed in
Chapter 111 with oxygen. In the following chapter the author
has placed a brief introduction t o the Periodic System and shows
the correlation of common valences with the system. Many of
us have found this very desirable in teaching but this is one of
the few books to follow the practice. The gas laws are placed
ahead of hydrogen and water.
Under the metallic elements free use is made of flow sheets.
For example, in the chapter on the alkaline earths there are flow
sheets for the production of magnesium from brine, sea water,
and magnesite.
The last two chapters of the book are devoted to organic com-
pounds. Synthetic rubber, nylon, sulfa drugs, and newer resins
are given some mention. A chapter on "Colloids" is placed just
after the section of the book that is devoted to nonmetals.
There aremany desirable features in this text. I t is grmd to see
real preparations of hydrogen bromide and hydrogen iodide in
addition to the usual phosphorus trihalide method. Amphoteric
hydroxides are explained and written as hydroiyl complexes.
Authors have been notoriously slow in adopting this. The ionic
form of writing equations is used where it is i m p r t a n t to show
the ions but where it is desired to emphasize the compound the
molecular form is employed. The discussion of atomic numbers
is far superior to that in many texts. Uilder ionizatim tke rela-
tionship of valence types to apparent degree of ionization is
shown nicely in tabular form. There is also a table of dielectric
constants of water and other solvents. The mathematical forms
for the ionization constant, solubility product, and instability
constant of complex ions are freely u x d . For simpliEcztion in
developing the solubility product principle the idea that the sur-
face of the solid is constant is used. This of course is no! true.
and solubility does vary with the surface expsed. On page 256
the equilibrium relation of hydrogen sulfide and carbonic acid are
shown as 2Hf +S-- HzS. From this the student is likely
to get the impression that the hydrogen ion concentration is
twice that of the sulfide. I t would be better to show both the
primary and secondary ionizations and the corresponding con-
stants.
CHARLES E. WHITE
UNWBX-Em" 0s M*RYL*ND
COLLBDG
PAP., MA.%TL*ND
THE CHEM~CAL PROCESSINDUSTRIES. R. Nowis Shrew, Pro-
fessor of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University. First
Edition. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1945. xiii +
957 pp. 153 tables. 258 figs. 14.5 X 22.5 cm. 96.00.
Although a number of books has been published in r e c n t
years on the subject usually called "Industrial Chemistry,"
there was need, according to the author, f a one which would
moreclosely correlateindustrial processes with theunit operations
and the unit processes-in other words, industrial chemistry from
the chemical engineering point of view. This was the avowed
main objective of the book. It is a rather difficult assignment t o
encompass within t h e covers of one volume but, in the opinion of
this reviewer, the author has succeeded remarkably well. The
book gives an up-to-date, condensed treatment of most of the im-
portant industries in which the common chemical processes com-
bined with the unit physical operations of chemical engineering
-.-, - r. ~.
-...
In each chapter the author follows a general plan which may be
brieRy outlined as follows: After a short introduction t o orientate
the reader and present a little historical background, statistics of
a n economic character are given t o emphasize the importance of
eachparticularindustry and to illustrate its trends in recent years.
Then follows the treatment of manufacturing methods in which
the unit operations and processes are emphasized by flow sheets
and important physicochemical principles are brought to the at-
tention of the reader wherever this is feasible. One of the aims
of the book was to stress the quantitative engineering aspects of
each subject, but obviously in electing to cover such a widevariety
of products and inaustries, the author has necesssrily been obliged
to limit this phase of the treatment severely.
A truly amazing amount of highly condensed information has
been packed into the 39 chapters, which would be very valuable
t o anyone who wishes t o obtain a good rbsumb of any particular
process industry. Since the treatment had to be brief in every
case, theauthorhasprovided attheend of eachchapteranexcellent
list of references for those who wish to delve more deeply into
each field. Another useful feature is a collection of short, rela-
tively simple problems a t the end of a number of the chapters.
The place for such a book as a textbook for beginning students
of chemical engineering is a debatable one and depends on one's
philosophy of chemical engineering education. Some teachers,
including the present reviewer, do not see the value in presenting
the student with such a large amount of descriptive'information,
but prefer t o devotemost of the very limited amount of timeavail- seventeen papers included deal with p i t u i t w hormones, two
able for chemical engineering in the undergraduate curriculum, t o with adrenal, two with pancreatic, one with thyroid, and one
applications which more directly and quantitatively illustrate with gastrointestinal. Steroid hormones are further treated iii
and develop fundamental principles. However, many schools three other articles. Much material is condensed in the well-
believe strongly in a largely descriptive course in the industrial executed figures and tables. Unified spellings and terminologies
processes, and for use in such a course Dr. Shreve's hook is one of are used throughout. Far example, all of the hormone factors
the best the reviewer has seen. often written with the suffix "-tropicM are here consistently
In covering so broad a field, the author has perforce been called "-traphic" hormones because they nourish as they cbange
obliged to treat a good many subjects in which his own experience the tissues which they stimulate. I n a work such as this which
is quitelimited, and small errors are bound t o creep in which would requires many months for its preparation the reader should not
be noticed only by the expert in a given field. On the whole the expect t o find the very latest advances recorded right up t o the
book seems to he quite accurateand free from major errors which month of printing. However, the wisdom and experience of the
could very easily be made in a book covering such a subject. authors have in large measure compensated for this by the intel-
The reviewer believes that the author has made a valuable lectual tone of their contributions, in making clear what yet re-
contribution t o the literature of chemical engineering, and most mains t o be learned about these problems, and what the immedi-
students and practicing engineers will find this book a very useful ate prospects are for acquiring such knowledge. No snap judg-
addition t o their libraries. ments have been given, t o be later reversed. The viewpoints are
B a m s r r F. DODGE firmly based en reliable data in a conservative manner which a t
OAI RIDDB,TBNNBSSXE the same time does not obstruct the forward vision ~ - of
- the
-~ - true
~-~~~
scientist. Reports of laboratory findings are varied by illustra-
tive case histories, and most of the chapters contain brief intro-
THE STORY OF PENICILLIN. Boris Sokoloff. Ziff-Davis Publish- ductions, summaries, and conclusions t o help the reader whose
ing company, New ~ o r k 1945. , ix 4- 167 PP. 13.5 X 20 time is severely limited. The quality, appearance, and read-
cm. $2.00. ability are all the more remarkable because. as stated in the
Dr. Sokoloff has written what might be called an intelligent foreword, :This volume has been printed during a period in
layman's history of antibiotics, including penicillin. He has which many difficulties and delays have been encountered. . . ."
used a method that might be applied profitably in the fields of D a m LYMAN DAVIMON
chemistry and physics. The book has been prepared as a short, Gosmvus J. ESSBLBN. IAC.
fast-paced review of the literature on antibiotics, hyperthyroid BoSrox.
in spots, but always open and Free running. The unbroken
narrative is followed by an appendix in which the keyed footnotes
are developed in considerable technical detail. I n this way the TEXT'00K OF ORGANIC E' Professor of
eganic Chemistwin the University Of Second
formidable features of reviews that distract the general reader
are eliminated and the good retained.
tion. The Blakistou Company, Philadelphia, 1945. xiv +
The author performs a specially valuable service to biology in pp. figs. + "lored plates' 50 l5 23 '4.
emphasizing the role that antihiasis plays in the balance of P ~ Y S ~ O - The 'general Purpose and plan of this text is the same as the
logical processes in the microbial world. dder phenomena first edition reviewed in J. CHEM.EDUC.,17, 99 (1940). It has
and concepts are described and the characteristics and possible been brought UP to date and the order of the chapters changed
uses of many recent produets from bacteria, and algae are slightly. New tables. pictures, two color plates of mo~ecular
given. ~ ~ the~ book his more appropriately,
h less ~striking, models, additional review questions, and literature references
"Penicillin and Other Antibiotic A bibliography including 1943have heen added.
389 sources from the English language literature is given. The hook is obviously written for the instructor who desires
cHARLEs E, R~~~ the student to he supplied with a wealth of material and detail.
MASLIACWSBTTS D B P A R ~ E N01 ~ PUBLIC H B U ~
I n such a text going well beyond what could be covered in a two-
CAYBRIDYB, M A S S * C B U S B ~ S semester course, the choice of what supplemeutaty detail t o in-
clude is largely arbitrary and any criticisms would he primarily
hased upon the reviewer's preferences. In text of this detail
THE CHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF HORMONES.Edited by this reviewer would have included, for example, the Reformatsky
Forzs8 Ray Moulkm. American Association for the Advance- reaction and Clemmensen reduction, the ozonization of benzene
ment of Science, Washington, D. C., 1944. 243 pp. 40 figs. and O-xyleneas throwing light upon the structure of benzene, and
89 tables. 19.5 X 26.5 cm. Members, 8 . 5 0 ; nonmembers, the 1.4 addition to alpha-beta unsaturated ketones. A special
$4.00. chapter is devoted t o the Grignard and Friedel and Crafts reac-
All who are interested in hooks biochemical, problems physio. tions. I n such a chapter itwould seem justifiable toincludea fuller
logical, and matters medical will find much of "due clearly and treatment of side reactions in the former case and mention of the
attractively presented by leading in their respective branching of the chain during alkylation in the latter case. While
specialties in this excellently balanced and integrated symposium theory is by no means neglected, the author tends t o lean t o a fac-
volume which has been developed from a five.day Gibson ~ ~ tual l presentation
~ ~ d the subject. The nature of the above com-
of
summer conference held in 1943. The 18 authors whose careful ments is indicative of the fact that essentially all standard intro-
discourses are here presented are doctors of medicine and chem- ductory included.
istry in the employ of prominent North American medical schools, The style of the author is straightforward and clear. his
~ ~ r p edition.
g o v e r n m e n t d e p a r t m e n t s . a n d p h ~ a ~ e u t i ~ ~ 1T~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . as the first, has a number of excellent features not
of these, Hans Jensen and Abraham white, F, C. ~ ~wereh U~Ually, found in introductory texts. These include a large num-
the publication committeewho worked with ~ o ~R~~ e ~ t ~ ber of~ half-page l portraits
t of ~organic chemists
~ with thumbnail
as editor in setting up an admirable source book of the facts of re. biographical sketches, review questions and bibliography a t the
search progress in this field. The bibliography lists the approxi- a d of each chapter, a chapter upon identification, and an appen-
mately 1200 references from all the chapters together, and re- dix of 39 Pages. The appendix indudes a number of industrial
quires 32 of the large two-column pages in which the whole hook flow sheets, a book list, a glossary, a chronological table, a list
is printed for easy and efficient reading. of organic radicals, and a table of physical constants of approxi-
Impressiveindeed are thelengthy and toilsme procedures here mately 700 compounds. I t is a most useful addition t o the text.
outlined for the extraction, concentration, and The book is well printed and bound and, while similar in make-up
naturally occurring hormone ti^^^ of some to the first edition, it has a somewhat more finished appearance.
syntheses of steroid hormones further build up awe and respect for OSBORNE R. Q U A ~ E
Exon7 U - B R S ~ ~
the work of such specialists in organic chemistry. Five of the ~ a uNlveaslru.
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