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one case into 1949 and in another only 1944. As would be ex- pected in a subject that covers ~ a c t i a n kinetics, physics and structure, and electrophysics, there is a considerable amount of mathematics. I t is of intorest in a book on general theory that the first chapter is on "Economic aspects."

The text is full of tables, figures, graphs, mathematical ex- pressions, and organic structural formulas, all of which add much to the understanding of the subject matter. There is a very good index which consists of twenty-seven columns. The typography of this book is very good and yet there are some letters that are only half printed and some not printed at all. The text contains some misspelled words, and the organic nomenclature does not always conform to American Chemical Society standards. An unfortunate statement on page 72 should he comcted-"butyl ruhber" and "Ameripol" are not synonymous.

The book rovers the subject well and contains much good in- formation. When this series of volumes is completed i t will he a small encyclopedia on this general subject.

HARRY L. FISHER

MODERN CHEMISTRY

Charles E. Dull, Late Head of Science Department, West Side High School, Newark, New Jersey; William 0. Brooks, Chair- man, Science Department, Technical High School, Springfield, Massachusetts; and H. Clarke Metcalfe, Science Department, Brentwood High School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Henry Holt & Co., New York, 1950, xi + 564 pp. Illustrated. 16 X 24 Em.

THIS edition of "Modern Chemistry" is a complete revision of the successful text by the late Charles E. Dull. It is a well- organized text. There are sixteen units, each one concluding with "Some things for you to do." The summaries are very good and careful attention hss been given to word study. The materials for superior students are marked thus taking care of individual differences. The latest theories on the structure of matter are presented. I t would be an easy book from which to teach because the pupils themselves could handle the materials so well. Simple language is used throughout, making it easier to read than some high-school chemistry texts. Authors some- times forget that high-school students are a teen-age group studying chemistry. This is a welcome addition to chemistry texts for high-school use.

GRETA OPPE

DIE THEORETISCHEN GRUNDLAGEN DER ANA- LYTISCHEN CHEMIE

Gunnar Hagg, University of Uppsala, Sweden. Translated by H. Baumann, Verlag Virhauser, Basel. 1950. 197 pp. 26 figs. 8 tables. 17.5 X 25 cm. 18 Swiss francs.

IN A smce of lem than 200 Danes the author has succeeded in

should be very useful for that purpose in many European univeni-

page'14.) &apter 11 deals with the mass & o n lew'and equilih- ria: Chanter 111 with the chemical bond (a reference to the

solutions. The following eight chapters deal with an excellent discussion of protolysis reactions and equilibria, including acid- base indicators, all based on the theory of Brbbsted. The style is concise and exact. This is especially true of Chapter XIII, in which the titration error is discussed on the basis of the classical monograph of N. Bjerrum (1914) and the papers by H. Arnfelt (1937) and A. Orlander (1939).

In six chapters s. discussion of solubility, solubility equilibria, properties of precipitates, colloids, precipitation, and complex formation titrations is given. The last two chapters deal with oxidation-reduction reactions and titrations.

The monograph does not seem useful in this country as a text for a beginning course in quantitative analysis, not only beca'we no laboratory directions are given, but also because the subject has not been treated exhaustively. For example, electricsl methods of analysis (like electroanalysis, potentiomet,ric titra- tions), optical methods of analysis, separations in general, use of organic reagents are not discussed.

Aside from these limitations the author has enriched the litera- ture of the science of analvtical chemistrv with an excellent t,ext.

many modern textbooks. The present book is warmly recom- mended to students whose major field of interest is analytical chemistry.

I. M. KOLTHOFF

INTRODUCTION TO SEMIMICRO QUALITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS

Louis 1. Curtman, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, The City College of New York, New York City. The Macmillan Co., New York, 1950. Revised edition. xvi + 391 pp. 39 figs. 24 tables. 14 X 21 cm. $3.50.

THIS revised edition of a widely used text differs very slightly from the 1942 edition. With the exception of the mention of ad- ditional teds for sulfite and fluoride, and the inclusion of a dis- cussion of the basic ferric acetate method far the removal of phos- phate, the first 220 pages are identical with those of the earlier edition. The only change (if it can be called that) in the scheme of analysis for the cations is the instruction to evaporate aqua. regia under the hood. Although the author states that "The en- tire procedure for the systematic detection of the Group 2 anions has been rewritten. . .," my own inspection revealed significant changes only in the section in which the test for chloride is madc, with more attention given to the interference of bromide and iodide. Several notes on the sensitivities of the tests are ap- pended to the procedures in this section. The chapter on semi- micro technique and equipment has heen expanded slightly. These instructions are clear and complete; ample illustriutions of manipulations help to make this chapter really excellent. I liked this book when I used the earlier edition; the following comments are not intended to obscure this fact.

The instructor who values primarily the experimental side of qualitative analysis will find this book entirely sound. On the theoretical side the book is. in mv ooinion. a bit sketohv in soots. . . . . . such as 1116 tl.rorg of rcdor rcxtiorw wl.icl~ ir cowrcd in 9 page?. As i n rturl,y texts in qualif3tive analysi~, this book gives errone(,us

opposing rates of two second-order bimolecular reactions in a homogeneous medium. The trouble is that the student is not told that this is a rather special type of reaction and the serious error comes when this conventiond approach is extended to the zener.4 case that is familiar to us all. No mention is made of the ~ ~

w r y ir!~portaut fort thht 111e r~~r l l i~ ien ts in 1 I w y m e ~ ~ l i z ~ 1 1 equilibriuul rnmtnv.1 have no dcpeudc~cc m rater of rrwtiw.. I think t lwr ma). br some eo~nrwt~orl bets'ceu this Jcrivatiorl nn.1