640 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS advanced students, but it is hoped also to interest teachers dealing with parts of biochemistry in which they are not expert, and research workers wishing to obtain an up-to-date picture of topics outside their speciality. The first essay, "The role of CO2 fixation in metabolism," (H. G. Wood and M. F. Utter) deals with the nature and significance of enzymes from heterotrophic cells capable of forming a carbon-carbon bond from CO2 and an acceptor molecule. The discussion covers the role of biotin, and evaluates the significance of the fixation reaction in gluconeogenesis, fatty acid synthesis, and the metabolism of propionate. "On the mechanism of muscular contraction" (R. E. Davies) covers a very complex topic firstly with a historical introduction and a description of the micro- anatomy of muscle and activating and relaxing factors, then with energy relation- ships, and finally summarizes a postulated molecular mechanism which accounts for many of the phenomena observed during muscle contraction. "Sequence determination in nutleto acids" (K. Burton) discusses methods currently being used in a field which has lagged behind achievements in sequence analysis of proteins, but which it is hoped will soon yield complete sequences of some of the smaller RNA's. "Oxidative phosphorylation" (D. E. Griffiths) describes the advances that have been made in the last few years in the study of the respiratory chain in mitochondria, and the associated conservation of bond energy in ATP. "The biochemist's green mansions: The photosynthetic electron transport chain in plants" (R. E. Hill) deals with the energy relationships in photosynthesis, and traces the historical development of theories to the present day when the precise linkage between photochemical activation and the reduction of CO• is still a point at issue. These essays do not attempt to be complete reviews of their respective fields, but each carries an extensive list of references. They are well tailored for their declared object of aiming at students and non-specialists, being neither too elementary nor too detailed for this purpose, and stimulating the reader by describing current problems and anticipated advances. The book carries author and subject indexes, and is printed to a high standard. The only sign of economy in this volume stated to be priced for students is the paper back, which in the reviewer's copy became detached rather easily. Otherwise it is very good value, and it is to be hoped that the Biochemical Society will be encouraged to continue the series. B.G. OVERELL. SCHMIDT'S ORGANIC CHEMISTRY. 8th Ecln. Eclitor: N. Campbell. Pp. xi q- 941 + Ill. (1964). Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh and London. 63s. Schmidt's Organic Chemistry has a long and honourable history as an under- graduate primer - and indeed has not been found inappropriate for precocious sixth- formers. Moreover, it has always placed proper emphasis on references to original work. For this new edition, Dr. Campbell has made extensive revisions and intro- duced, inter alia, some treatment of reaction mechanisms, non-benzenoid aromatic hydrocarbons, conformational analysis, biosynthesis, and a few of the newer reactions and intermediates passing reference is also made to some "chemical curiostries" that appeal to the author. He hopes thereby to supply "a standard textbook for advanced

BOOK REVIEWS 641 students and a useful reference book for research workers." Whilst granting that revision and modernization of an existing complex work are not easy- and that no two chemists will agree on what should be retained and what displaced - it must be contended the book is entirely too superficial. There is pitifully little reference to physical organic chemistry and inadequate mechanistic description of reactions. Nomenclature is dismissed in less than one page and it is irritating to find outmoded conventions still employed- such as substituents denoted as 1:3:5-rather than 1,3,5-and use of the downturned phenanthrene skeleton for abietic acid. In a preliminary general section of 103 pages, general principles are enunciated. Reference to details of ultimate analysis are properly omitted but the implication that oxygen is (still) normally determined by difference is unfortunate in a modern textbook. Useful examples are given of the deduction of empirical and molecular formulae. There is a commendable attempt to give a condensed account of electronic concepts of valency and the LCAO approach to molecular orbitals- just enough to whet the appetite but seriously in need of supplementary lectures, not necessarily too mathematical. Stereochemistry and tautomerism are moderately well described. Finally, brief reference is made to a pot-pourri of physical properties and sundry topics - such as top, bp and distillation, colour, solubility, polarity, bond dimensions, mesomerism, optical activity, ORD (dismissed in a paragraph), nucleophilic and electrophilic substitution mechanisms, IR and UV (but not NMR and mass) spectro- scopy, chromatography (column, paper and gas) and ion exchange. The main portion of the book, like Gaul, is divided into three parts. The first part, Aliphatic Compounds, follows the conventional systematization by functional groups, simple and multiple. This catalogue of properties and reactions is enlivened by examples of applications such as fermentation processes, the diversity of petroleum products and the commercial polymerization of olefins vinyl derivatives and esters some might regret that fluorocarbons receive only passing mention. The section on carbohydrates and polysaccharides is particularly effective. Part 2, Carbocyclic Compounds, begins with alicyclics monoterpenes are well covered but only open chain and decalin related sesquiterpenes are considered whilst direrpenes are dis- missed with the appalling statement that "comparatively little is known" of them a passing reference is made to squalene as a triterpene. Aromatic functions are comprehensively, if superficially, covered the interesting topics of cine substitution and benzyne bonds are merely mentioned and there is a brief factual introduction to nonbenzenoid aromatics. This part concludes with a section on steroids that compares favourably with Karrer and provides a suitable undergraduate introduction to tests such as, say, that of the Fiesers'. The final part deals with Heterocyclic Compounds. The simpler systems are treated conventionally but the derived alkaloids are unevenly discussed -thus the vast and important realm of indole alkaloids is dismissed in a few lines whilst morphine and its congeners receive considerably more attention. Superficial cover- age is given to other groups of natural products including vitamins, hormones and antibiotics, although the sections on enzymes, porphyrins and proteins are more balanced. In all three parts occasional references are made to biogeneric origins acetate coupling (in connection with polyphenols) and mevalonic acid intermediates are briefly mentioned. In short, Schmidt has always been a valuable undergraduate primer and Dr. Campbell has struggled manfully to modernize it, but this is too Herculean a task