BOOK REVIEWS 149 logical procedures in brief. The microtechnique so often used for quick results is not mentioned. The coagulase test so important in food work is not included. Many well-known tests and differ- ential media are discussed but the authors fail to indicate what one can and should expect in a positive test. Thus under "Bile Salt Lactose (MacConkey) Broth," on page 55 states that it is used "for indicating the presence of Bact. coli" (authors abb.), but nothing is said about just how this media indicates the pres- ence of the organism. Such data are very vital to the people for whom the book is intended, because bacte- riologists know what to look for. It is a difficult task to condense so large a subject into so small a book. The most superficial treatment must be given and that is exactly what has happened. The idea behind the writing is good, needed, and desir- able. But the result ha• a nebulous usefulness. Adding to the problem is the practical discussion which takes up about half of the book. Either the theory or the practical applications should be eliminated and the remaining subject should be expanded.--M. G. DENAVARRE. QUANTiTATiVE PHARMACEUTICAL CI•.M•STRV, by Glen L. Jenkins, John E. Christian, and George P. Hager. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York 36, N.Y., 1953. 534 pages, 51/2 X 8 inches, illustrated and indexed. Price $6.50. To begin with, the book is well priced. The choice of authors is the best. Obviously intended as a text, it is of good school size. The selec- tion of text is ideal for pharmacy students and commercial drug ana- lysts. The material is intended to include latest products covered by the U.S.P. XIV and N.F. IX. Under general remarks there are useful descriptions of logarithms and their uses. A little unusual in a "quant" text is the description of gasometric methods--very useful. Among newer procedures de- scribed are the potentiometric Karl Fischer method for water, spectro- photometry, fluorophotometry and electroanalysis. Polarographic meth- ods, which are not official, are not included. One can find little fault with the material presented. As an analyst, immediately after graduation this reviewer found one common failing in most school texts, namely, the lack of methods for mixtures of offi- cial materials. The present text is no exception. Simple mixtures like those of aspirin, caffeine, and phen- acetin are enough to stop a fledgling. Resolutions of mixtures of lanolin, beeswax, and petrolatum require considerable skill. A few such as these, included with the simple pro- cedures, would be of inestimable help to student and commercial ana- lyst alike. The descriptions under the var- ious methods are clear and valuable. As a supplement to official compen- dia, this text will continue to fill the void it has in previous editions. This reviewer recommends'it as a must for all analysts in the drug and cosmetic industries.--M. G. DENA- VARRE. INSTRUMENTAL ANALVS•S, by John H. Harley and Stephen E. Wiber- ley. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York. 1954. 440 pages, in- dexed and illustrated, 6 by 91/4 inches. Price $6.50. This book is intended as a text for use in a course in instrumental anal- ysis. It is a very good work for this purpose, and for other purposes also.

150 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS The material is well organized and presented. Theoretical con- cepts are clearly and concisely set forth. The theoretical discussions are not extended beyond strictly pertinent material. Brief descrip- tions of commercially available in- struments are included. The au- thors have properly resisted any temptation to quote extensively from instruction sheets or manuals supplied with the instruments. This reviewer found little with which to disagree. The chapter on ultraviolet absorption spectropho- tometry does, however, seem to mini- mize the value of this very useful technique for identification of or- ganic compounds that absorb radia- tion in that region. The principal use of the book to chemists in the cosmetic and allied industries will be that of a ready reference work. It is not, and is not intended to be, an advanced trea- tise directed to the specialist in any of the particular fields of instru- mental analysis. The references to the literature are extensive and will be of value even to the experts. This book can be recommended not only to the laboratory person- nel, but also to the technical execu- tive who wishes to acquire some background in a relatively painless manner.--G. ROU•.RT CLARKe, Food and Drug Administration. ToxicITY OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIC SOLVENTS, by Ethel Browning. Chemical Publishing Co., Inc., 212 5th Avenue, New York, N.Y. 1953. 411 pages, size 61/2 X 91/2 inches. Price $8.00. This book is the American edition of the second and revised English edition. It is not a textbook in the usual sense, but rather a compen- dium of information gathered from the literature. The statements are documented and an extensive bibli- ography covering the years up to 1948 is included at the end of each chapter. It contains ten chapters which are devoted to classes of solvents these are (I) Hydrocarbons, (II) Chlori- nated Hydrocarbons, (III) Alcohols, (IV) Ethers, (V) Esters, (VI) Ke- tones, (VII) Glycols and Their Derivatives, (VIII) Amines and and Coal Tar Bases, (IX) Nitro- compounds, and (X) Miscellaneous Compounds. A total of 126 sol- vents (not all are pure compounds) are included. The 126 solvents are discussed, in general, in the following form: (1) Physical Properties, (2) Uses, (3) Toxicity, (4) Toxic Effects in Ani- mals, and (5) Toxic Effects in Man. Of course, additional or less in- formation will be presented under any one particular solvent, depend- ing on what is available from the literature. Compounds on which considerable information is given include benzene, benzine, carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene, and methyl alcohol. This book should prove a valu- able addition to any library. It should be especially useful as (1) a starting point in a review of the literature on these solvents since it covers the literature up to 1948, (2) a reference text for the industrial physician since it includes the toxic effects on man, and (3) a valuable reference to the research worker in this field since it also includes animal experimentation.--Hr. NRY J. HORN, M.D., Hazleton Laborato- ries, Falls Church, Va.