Book reviews ANNUAL REPORTS ON THE PROGRESS OF CHEMISTRY FOR 1963. Vol. LX. Pp. 681 (1964). Chemical Society, London. 40s. The Chemical Society's "Annual Reports" must be familiar reading to most chemists. This annual publication presents a superb, very concise review of the world's literature on chemistry compiled by a panel of distinguished contributors. Inevitably the latest edition is a little larger than its predecessors. This volume follows the general pattern of earlier editions in being divided into six main sections: General and Physical, Inorganic, Organic, Biological, and Analytical Chemistry, and Crystallo- graphy. The first two reports are concerned with ionic solutions: Firstly the equilibrium properties of electrolyte solutions, and secondly, kinetic process, in solution particularly electron and proton transfers. The third report deals with photochemical and photosensitized reactions and is the first since 1950 in this field where exciting new developments are taking place. Reports follow on homogeneous liquid phase polymerization, infra-red and raman spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and microwave spectroscopy of gases. The section on Inorganic Chemistry gives an overall coverage of the typical elements, the transition elements and complexes. The usual chemical groups and synthetic methods are surveyed in the section on Organic Chemistry and, in addition, reports deal with reaction mechanisms, studies of equilibria, physical properties and structure, alka- loids, steroids, carbohydrates, amino-acids and peptides. Steroids are dealt with rather more thoroughly than they have been in recent years, and notable developments include those in allene chemistry, synthesis in the terpene field and recent work on pituitary hormones. Four reports are presented under Biological Chemistry which now- includes proteins and peptides, formerly dealt with in the organic section. Other reports are on heteromeric saccharides, action of thyroid hormones, and the structure and function of ribosomes in protein biosynthesis. 39

40 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS Analytical Chemistry is reviewed under the classical inorganic/organic headings. In this field the most notable features are the expanding use of instrumental techniques and of automation, particularly in the control of industrial products, and the prominence of the several forms of chromato- graphy. Finally two reports deal respectively with the crystallography of in- organic and organometallic structures and of organic structures. Comprehensive author and subject indexes conclude this excellent little volume which is an essential reference book for every chemist who wishes to keep abreast of new developments. R.P. REEVES. SCIENCE AND THE SKIN. A. Jarrett. Pp. xv + 167 + Ill. (1964.) The English Universities Press, London. Paperback: 12s. 6d. boards: 21s. It is a special pleasure to review a book written by a fellow-member of the Society and the more so when the author is a British dermatologist who is also a keen research investigator. This is not a treatise, but a fairly simple exposition aimed at those who work on the fringes of the skin field. Part One presents the elementary facts of morphology and physiology, which are developed in Part Two as an excursion through present-day research this is naturally concerned to a large extent with frankly pathological conditions but nevertheless sheds a good deal of light on the problems encountered in cosmetic science. Jarrett does not draw a hard and fast distinction between the proper sphere of cosmetics and the realm of the dermatologist, though one acquires the feeling that he might not like to see too much transgression into clinical problems. His plea for the evaluation of protective creams and the like by dermatologists in collaboration with cosmetic chemists, is thoroughly commendable. An injunction might well have been added to stress the need for a rigidly critical approach to the setting-up, conduct and analysis of such clinical trials. The text, by avoiding obscure terminology, is unusually readable however, the scientific reader may encounter the difficulty of subsequently meeting the conventional terms without recognizing their significance. For example, Jarrett distinguishes between the sweat glands and the apocrine gland. He does not generally employ the customary designation of the eccrine gland as the source of sweat, and rather confuses the issue by occasional reference to "apocrine sweat glands." In a small volume like this, abbreviation to the point of serious inaccuracy might have been