Book reviews SPOT TESTS IN ORGANIC ANALYSIS. F. Feigl. 7th Edn. Pp. xxiii d- 772 d- Ill. (1966). Elsevier ]ublishing Co., Amsterdam- London-New York. 170s. More than a century has elapsed since Hugo Schiff reported the detection of uric acid in a drop on filter paper by reduction of silver carbonate and the coeval "capillary analysis" studies of Sch6nbein & Goppelsroeder with solutions on filter paper of both inorganic and organic substances. However it is only within the last few decades that there has been an appreciation of the possibilities of separation, fixation, masking and specificity of tests in low concentration on porous surfaces, and porcelain surfaces were introduced for corrosive reagents. The provision of organic reactants for inorganic ions supplied the stimulus, and no doubt the expansion of the chemical industry in the inter-war years gave sufficient incentive. Foremost among the pioneers was Fritz Feigl: a name that in the mind of the analytical chemist of today is synonymous with "spot tests". His first treatise on their use in qualitative analysis appeared in an English edition in 1937 and grew in step with the advance of micro- and semi-micro-analytical procedures. By 1954 it had become necessary to divide the fourth edition into separate volumes for inorganic and organic applications and it is significant that whilst the former (thus far) has only undergone one further edition (1957-8), the cascade of spot procedures in the organic field has necessitated no less than three drastic revisions and enlargements. One feels that Professor Feigl has had a Herculean struggle in seeking to keep the analytical community abreast of novel applications and modifications. However the resources of his own and collaborating laboratories, with their emphasis on the theoretical basis of the three S's- i.e. the specificity, sensitivity and selectivity of reactions- have kept them in the vanguard of this advance. The seventh edition constitutes a critical revision of the whole previous text. The inevitable problem of physical growth of the book has been partially offset by judicious pruning of tables and structural formulae, and by lopping off one complete limb: the chapter on "Spot Test Techniques" is already available in the Inorganic companion volume, which if not in immediate juxtaposition to this one on every chemist's bookshelf, should certainly be found in his library. If it is not stretching the horticultural metaphor too far, it maybe said that Professor Feigl and his collaborators have regrafted much of the substantive material onto more logical stocks and the thriving hybrid has shown remarkable regeneration. The text is now organised in seven chapters. The Introduction has been somewhat enlarged it is concerned with the development, present state and prospects of organic spot test analysis. The second chapter contains 50% more sections, setting out exploratory tests which may supply analytical guide-lines in the absence of the comprehensive separation schemes so familiar in inorganic analysis. There is also a 50% increase in the number of functional groups distinguished in chapter three, 51

52 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS which is sub-divided between a hydrocarbon substituents in various environments, b halogen functions, c 23 varieties of oxygen substituent, d 14 sulphur and selenium radicals, e 55 nitrogenous derivatives and f org.anic compounds containing Group V elements and mercury. The fourth chapter is a novel insertion, comprising 74 sections in which particular functional groups occur in certain characteristic structures. This constitutes a convenient transition to the consideration, in chapter five, of (148) individual substances. Another innovation is a chapter describing spot tests for distinguishing position isomers and alternative structures and rearrangement products. The last chapter applies spot reactions to the testing of a great diversity of natural and synthetic materials, including some relatively sophisticated pharmaceu- ticals, numerous sub-groups of dyestuffs and many other organic species of industrial significance. A comprehensive appendix lists each individual substance that is examined together with. the quoted identification limits, and in addition there are general subject and cited author indexes- appropriately there are 178 references to Professor Feigl's own published work. Throughout the book, each spot test is well documented and interferences and dilution effects are adequately covered. It is probably sufficient comment that already this reviewer's copy is well thumbed and the dust jacket is showing signs of disrepair. G.F. PHILLIPS. LABORATORY HANDBOOK FOR ANALYSTS. L. V. Cocks and C. van Rede. (1966). Academic Press, London and New York. OIL AND FAT Pp. xxiv + 419 -[- Ill. 90s. $15.00. This book consists of seven sections dealing with Oilseeds, Nuts, Cakes, Meals and Animal Feedings Stuffs: Oil Fats, Fatty Acids and Fatty Alcohols: Glycerol: Analyses in Connection with Processing: Fat Products: Specialist Methods and Techniques: and Analytical Characteristics and Composition of the more common Oils and Fats. The principal authors and the fifteen other collaborators who have contributed to the section on "Specialist Methods and Techniques" are, or have been connected with oil and fat analysis within the Unilever organisation: in fact, the book is based on current methods in use in the Unilever laboratories. Since such methods will inevitably have been chosen for their reliability and utility, both the inclusions and the omissions are of special interest. Although this is a practical handbook a little more information on the comparative merits of methods and a fuller discussion of the interpretation of results would have added to its usefulness. Adequate consideration has been given to the very important subjects of sampling and preparation and the arrangement is logical and easy to follow. Section one contains descriptions of the determination o[ nitrogen and protein by the Kjeldahl method and one encounters the statement that the absorption of the ammonia in 4 % boric acid has been found by some users to give unreliable results. Apparently, this criticism does not apply to the semi-micro method, for which the use of boric acid is standard, but it is a little disappointing that this alleged discrepancy has not been further investigated. The chapter on Chemical Characteristics contains descriptions of most of the usual determinations and also some newer material, including paper chromatography of