REVIEWS 711 



Part I. is devoted in its first section to a general account of the protein 

 molecule and its chemical composition as indicated by the amino-acids obtained 

 from it on disintegration, and in Section II. to the chemical constitution and 

 synthesis of these various amino-acids. 



Although of necessity the most incomplete part of the work, Part II. is, 

 perhaps, of the greatest importance, as it is given over entirely to an account of 

 the " Synthesis of the Proteins." Here, again, the title claims more for the 

 contents than it is actually possible to give, but the methods of condensing and 

 linking together amino-acids are gone into fully, and one is treated to an excellent 

 description of the polypeptide synthesis, and a masterly resume of our present 

 knowledge of the chemistry of these and the other important bodies, which it 

 would be difficult to obtain in any other way. 



Both parts are supplied with excellent bibliographies which make it possible 

 to refer to the whole of the original work on any one sub-section, but which are 

 not directly correlated with references in the text. 



The book is well printed, but the exterior of all the monographs of this series 

 leaves a good deal to be desired, as the light cardboard covers quickly become 

 discoloured, and show a distinct tendency to peel and tear. A cheap cloth cover 

 would have been much more serviceable. 



S. J. M. AULD. 



American Chemical Journal. Edited by Ira Ramsen. [Vol. xl. No. 6 ; 

 vol. xli. Nos. 1 and 2. Baltimore, U.S.A.] 



The publication of this number of Science Progress almost synchronises with 

 the thirtieth birthday of this well-known American publication, the first number 

 of which was issued by its present editor in April 1879. The value of a 

 scientific journal may perhaps best be gauged by the number of times one has 

 occasion to refer to its past issues, and judged in this way the American 

 Chemical Journal has a high claim to the kindly regard of chemists. To English 

 workers it has not infrequently afforded hospitality as a medium of publication 

 in the United States. A useful feature of the journal, from its commencement, has 

 been the section of reports written by recognised authorities, and dealing with 

 recent developments in various branches of pure and applied chemistry. In the 

 first number mentioned above such a report on the " Origin of Petroleum," by 

 Dr. Engler, is reprinted in English from the Zeitschrift fiir angewandte Chemie. 

 The reviews of chemical books are also a good feature of the journal. The 

 original work published in the current number includes "The Action of Chlorine 

 upon Urea," by Dr. Chattaway, " The Regulation of Temperature in the Measure- 

 ment of Osmotic Pressure," by Messrs. Morse and Holland," " An Electrically- 

 controlled Gas Regulator," by Mr. E. E. Reid, " An Apparatus for the Purification 

 of Mercury," by L. J. Desha, and a paper " On the Relative Ease of Addition in 

 the Alkene Group," by Prof. Michael and Mr. Brunei. The last-mentioned 

 paper will be of special interest to chemists, since it contains a fairly full discussion 

 of recent developments in Michael's " rule of addition," first formulated in 1887. 



The Science Year Book, 1909. [Pp. 148 and the Diary portion.] (King, Sell & 

 Olding, London. ^s. net.) 



This now well-known annual volume — Diary, Directory, and Scientific Summary — 

 is perhaps the most useful book of its kind for the writing-tables of scientific 

 workers. The Diary portion gives a page to each day, and, in addition to notes 



