BOOK REVIEWS 55 Section II, The Biochemistry of Fungi, places special emphasis on metabolism. In an interesting paper on fungal metabolism of certain aromatic compounds related to the lignin-- Moira E. K. Henderson (U.K.) examines the role of soil microfungi and certain wood rotting basidiomycetes in relation to lignin plant decomposition. Carbo- hydrate catabolism by fungi is reviewed by D. Gottlieb (U.S.A.). Here, only the hyphal fungi are commented on, since the yeast fungi have been adequately described else- where. The influence of peat and peat substances on the metabolism of fungi is con- sidered by E. Kuster (Ireland). This author examines the question which components of peat are utilizable and ho•v they influence the microbial gro•vth. In the third and final section, D. ]. D. Hockenhull (U.K.) discusses the changing approaches to antibiotic production. This very experienced contributor gives an inter- esting account of the changing pattern of microbial culture on the industrial scale. Major technical innovations and recent developments such as continuous culture are discussed and a bright future predicted for this process. Time will tell, but in some fields there would still seem to be a useful place for batch culture despite the success of continuous culture. The concluding papers on the biochemistry and chemistry of the yeasts are very comprehensive and form a useful supplement to the earlier standard work of this title by A. H. Cook. This book was published in 1958 and is now somewhat out of date. These papers include protein synthesis in yeast--A. H. Cook (U.K.), Changes in the cell constitution of bakers' yeast in changing growth conditions--H. Suomalainen (Finland), Sulphur utilization by yeast--G. A. Maw (Ireland), The structure and organisation of the polysaccharides of yeast--D. H. Northcote (U.K.), Biochemistry of yeasts--an analysis of some conditions for growth---G. Ehrensv•.rd (Sweden), and Some data on the metabolism of dicarboxylic amino-acids and their amides in yeast- S. R. Mardashez {U.S.S.R.). N. ]. VAN ABBt• APPLICATION OF PHYSICO-CHEMICAL METHODS IN CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. I.U.P.A.C. Pp. v q- 437-581 q- Ill. (1967). Butterworths, London. 50s. This edition contains the ten plenary lectures presented at the Conference on the Application of Physico-Chemical Methods in the Chemical Analysis" held in Budapest, April 1966. Six contributions are in English, two in French and one in German. Most papers are of a highly specialised nature, which will appeal only to those other scientific workers in the same field. However, we noted two exceptions: one article shows the trends in the development of instrumental analysis in Hungary another describes how the students at the Prague Institute of Chemical Technology are being taught both the theory and practice of physical and instrumental methods of analysis. G. CARRIERE NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE FOR ORGANIC CHEMISTS. Editor: D. W. Mathieson. Pp. ix q- 287 q- Ill. (1967). Academic Press, London/New York. 65s. INTRODUCTION TO PRACTICAL HIGH RESOLUTION

56 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY. D. Chapman and P. D. Magnus. Pp. ix + 112 + Ill. (1966). Academic Press, London/New York. 25s. The first of these books is another volume prepared by Professor Mathieson from lectures and coursework given at an RIC special summer school held at the London School of Pharmacy. In 1965 he edited 'The interpretation of organic spectra' [re- viewed J. 17 236 (1966)] in which distinct empirical diagnostic treatments were given for the application of it, nmr and mass spectrometry. As a natural extension--and reflecting the advance in the availability of nmr spectrometers--the 1966 RIC sum- ruer school (designated as a "NATO Advanced Study Institute") was exclusively con- cerned with the interpretation of nmr spectra of organic structures. Although based on the series of lectures given by contributors, the chapters are self-contained and quite readable. Being able to devote a whole book and several authors to the subject has given Professor Mathieson much more scope than the 12 worked examples and 6 unknowns used by J. A. Elvidge as an essentially pragmatic approach to nmr inter- pretation in the previous volume. In the new text Elvidge supplies a relatively detailed general discussion of first order and complex spin-spin coupling this includes a logical exposition of the signi- ficance of negative coupling constants [the lack of which I criticised in Roy Bible's book: J. 17 432 (1966)] even if there is no observable difference in first order spectra. E. O. Bishop offers a general wave mechanical treatment, initially of first order spectra, and proceeding to 3-proton systems showing various stages of transition in the relative magnitude of coupling constants and chemical shifts. C. N. Banwell considers the degraded case of ABX spectra and Bishop resumes with a simplified treatment for 4 or more nuclei. R. J. Abraham examines the stereochemical implications of the observed types of proton-proton coupling (geminal, vicihal and longrange with 3 or more atoms intervening) and provides several very useful tables. J. Feehey contributes a relatively short chapter on the generally more complex subject of magnetic resonance spectra of nuclei other than hydrogen. of which perhaps t9F has the greatest practical importance. The Appendix comprises a valuable and extensive series of proton correlation tables, a set of arithmetical conversions for all integral chemical shift values from 1 to 600 c/s into their decimal tau equivalents, and convenient summary of pragmatic observations including the characteristic complex patterns shown by AB, AX, AMX, ABX, AiX and AIB coupling, and a series of 22 problems that were given in the original seminar sessions together with completely detailed worked solutions. It must be confessed that as a whole, this is not an easy book to read at one session but it undoubtedly repays careful study. For any chemist seeking more than a superficial acquaintance with complex nmr spectra this is the best interpretative manual I have yet seen. Chapman and Magnus, the authors of the second book under review, have a more modest ambition: they supply a simple introductory text with lots of practical hints on technique and commercially available instrumentation (operating at 60 and 100 Mc/s) and back this with a number of examples illustrating some of the principles enunciated. Only the bare essentials of theory are supplied and a substantially empirical treatment is given for the multiplicity found in the high resolution spectra of coupled protons. A limited bibliography is indicated for readers seeking more theoretical detail: this mainly cites the better known textbooks written five or more