494 
Reviews,  etc. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t       Sept.,  1884.. 
REVIEWS  AND  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 
Grundzilge  der  Organischen  Chemie.  Von  Dr.  Aug.  Laubenheimer,  Pro- 
fessor. Heidelberg:  Carl  Winter's  Universitatsbuchhandlung,  1884.  12mo, 
pp.  876. 
Fundamental  Trait*  of  Organic  Chemistry. 
In  the  introductory  portion  the  author  defines  the  field  of  the  so-called 
organic  chemistry,  or  more  properly  of  the  chemistry  of  the  carbon  com- 
pounds, and  describes  the  methods  of  ultimate  analysis,  of  ascertaining  the 
molecular  formula  and  of  determining  vapor  densities.  The  difference 
between  empirical,  rational  and  structural  formulas  is  next  explained, 
acetic  acid  being  used  as  an  example,  and  the  reasons  given  for  writing  the 
empirical  formula  C2H402,  the  rational  formulas  C2H302.H,  or  C2H3O.OH, 
or  CH3.C02H,  and  the  structural  formulas 
H 
|         or  CH3— CO— OH. 
H— C— H 
I 
c=o 
I 
O— H 
After  discussing  the  theory  of  the  structure  of  the  carbon  compounds, 
isomerism,  polymerism,  and  homologues,  a  chapter  on  terminology  and 
classification  gives  us  an  insight  into  the  general  arrangement  of  the  work. 
The  carbon  compounds  may  be  viewed  in  regard  to  their  chemical  func- 
tions or  with  reference  to  their  genetic  relations ;  the  latter  would  necessi- 
tate an  arrangement  by  which  the  simplest  compounds,  hydrocarbons,  are 
gradually  converted,  by  substitution  or  addition,  into  the  more  complicated 
compounds.  But  whatever  system  be  adopted  the  position  of  any  one  com- 
pound is  determined  by  the  two  factors  mentioned,  its  chemical  function 
and  its  genetic  relation.  As  an  introduction  into  organic  chemistry  the 
author  prefers  a  system  in  which  the  first  consideration  predominates,  and 
whereby  groups  of  the  carbon  compounds  are  characterized  in  their  various 
general  relations. 
The  hydrocarbons  form  two  natural  classes,  the  so-called  fatty  group  and 
the  benzol  group  with  their  derivatives,  containing  halogens,  oxygen, 
nitrogen,  phosphorus,  arsenic,  boron  and  other  elements.  The  oxygen 
compounds  are  again  classified  as  alcohols,  ethers,  aldehyds,  ketones,  car- 
bonacids,  esters  or  compound  ethers  and  anhydrides;  and  the  nitrogen 
compounds  form  the  nitro  group,  nitroso-group,  amines  and  amides. 
To  show  the  advantage  of  such  a  system  for  the  beginner  we  may  refer  to 
the  hydroxyl-derivatives  of  the  methane  series  which  are  grouped  as  mono-, 
di-,  tri-,  tetra-  and  hexa-hydric  alcohols,  the  first  one  comprising  those,  to 
which  the  ordinary  alcohol  belongs.  In  this  group  is  first  explained  the 
difference  in  constitution  between  the  primary,  secondary  and  tertiary 
alcohols  ;  next  the  production  of  the  alcohols  and  their  isomers  ;  the  trans- 
formation of  primary  into  secondary  and  tertiary  alcohols,  and  of  polyhy- 
dric  into  monohydric  alcohols  ;  the  general  properties  and  the  behavior  to 
