162 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



Recent Advances in Organic Chemistry. By Alfred W. Stewart, D.Sc, 

 with an Introduction by J. Norman Collie, LL.D., F.R.S. Third 

 Edition. [Pp. xx 4- 350.] (London : Longmans, Green & Co., 1918. 

 Price 14s. net.) 



With the ever-increasing complexity of organic chemistry and the growing 

 tendency towards specialisation it is becoming more and more difficult to keep 

 abreast of the whole field of organic research, and for this reason a book, such as 

 the one under review, must be welcomed by those who wish to acquire some 

 knowledge of branches other than their own, without the labour involved in 

 searching through original papers. 



The book opens with an excellent account of the advances in Organic Chemistry 

 during the twentieth century, which makes most interesting reading, and next 

 follow chapters on the Terpenes and the Alkaloids. By cutting out the subject- 

 matter of some of the chapters of the earlier editions, such as the Grignard 

 Reaction, Asymmetric Syntheses, etc., and increasing the size of the book, room 

 has been found for chapters on " Rubber," " Some Aromatic Derivatives of Arsenic," 

 "Trivalent Carbon," "Elements which Exhibit Abnormal Valency," and other 

 subjects which have not as yet found their way into the ordinary textbooks. The 

 author is to be congratulated upon having correctly gauged the spirit of the times 

 by directing the attention of his readers to the chemistry of vital products, such as 

 Chlorophyll and the Anthocyanins, to each of which important subjects a chapter 

 is devoted. The book also includes a chapter on " Some Theories of the Natural 

 Synthesis of Vital Products," largely from the pen of Prof. Collie, whose views, if 

 not accepted in their entirety, must at any rate command attention. The author 

 has successfully maintained the critical tendencies of the earlier editions, and it 

 will be generally acknowledged that no opportunity has been lost of stimulating 

 the spirit of inquiry and pointing out the lines along which investigations might 

 profitably be pursued in the future. Supplemented as it is by frequent references 

 to original papers, the book will prove invaluable to most serious students of 

 organic chemistry. 



P. H. 



Catalytic Hydrogenation and Reduction. By Edward B. Maxted, Ph.D., 

 B.Sc, F.C.S. [Pp. viii + 104, with 12 illustrations.] (London: J. & A. 

 Churchill, 1919. Price 4s. 6d. net.) 



This little book is one of a series of monographs known as "Textbooks of Chemical 

 Research and Engineering," edited by W. P. Dreaper. It is divided into eight 

 chapters, the first three of which are introductory and deal with the preparation of 

 catalysts and the practical methods of catalytic hydrogenation; the three following 

 chapters give examples of the hydrogenation of unsaturated chains and rings 

 respectively, and of miscellaneous other reductions ; brief accounts of the experi- 

 mental conditions are here given, together with references to original papers. 

 Chapter VII is devoted to the reverse reaction of dehydrogenation notably 

 affected by copper and palladium. The last chapter deals with the technical 

 hydrogenation of oils, and describes the more important methods of the commercial 

 preparation of hydrogen. The book contains a quantity of useful information in a 

 small compass, and forms a handy compendium of the rather scattered literature 

 of the subject it deals with. 



P. H. 



