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Carbon-14 compounds
l ~ d l ~ t t o n U s e s in hadusta-y and Science, L. E. BROWNELL,U.S.A.E.C., 1961. xii + 420 pp., $2.50.
develops the subject logically from a discussion of chemical bonds and reaction processes to chemical reactions of possible industrial interest. Most of the basic organic reactions are illustrated with practical examples, though the omission of graft polymerization is surprising. Effects of radiation on biological materials and simple organisms are next treated, including the important parasite Trichindla Spiralis. Chapter 9 extends the subject to the irradiation of plants and foods with a view to storage and covers the sterilization of pharmaceuticals. The use of radiationi n d u c e d mutation for plant breeding is dismissed very briefly with an account of some results achieved. Toxicity tests on irradiated foods however, receive the attention they deserve, with special reference to the U.S. Army Quartermaster General's Programme. Finally, in Chapter 10, a number of possible practical applications of the biological effects of radiation are discussed, together with some designs of irradiation facilities. Surprisingly in a book covering such a diversity of subjects, there is no index, though the Table of Contents is detailed and informative. Written in a lucid and easily-read style, the book is a mine of information for the general reader and for industrial managers needing an overall appraisal of the potentialities of radioactive materials and their radiations. For the greater part it is too superficial to be recommended to scientists and technicians who wish to make practical use of the methods described. J. L. PVrUAN
THE BOOKis intended to inform industrial management as well as scientific and technical personnel about existing and potential uses of radioisotopes and nuclear radiations in industry and research. In something over 200,000 words, liberally illustrated with line diagrams and half-tones, it ranges over the whole field of radioisotope as well as radiation applications to the physical and biological sciences and to all branches of engineering and industry. Few could be more competent than the author to cover such a wide field authoritatively and in his Preface he acknowledges numerous anonymous colleagues who have contributed to the text as well as the editing of the book. However when the subject matter is spread so widely, it would be unreasonable to expect the treatment to be uniformly deep. I n general, detail has been sacrificed to the presentation of a coherent, bird's-eye picture of the entire subject. Some noteworthy exceptions, such as the curing of rubber by gamma irradiation, the animal feeding trials on irradiated foods and the spectacular eradication of screw-worm in Curagao and Florida perhaps betray personal interests of the author, but are by no means confined to his personal researches and introduce a refreshing realism which may stimulate the reader to enquire further into other applications cited. For this purpose there are copious and well-selected references from world literature. Following a short introduction and a sketchy but well-documented chapter on "Properties ot Ionizing Radiations," Chapter 3 describes the principles of operation of Nuclear Reactors and outlines C,a r b o n - 1 4 C o m p o u n d s , J. R. CATCH, Buttervarious reactor types. This leads naturally to a chapworths, 1961. 128 pp., 30s. ter on "Reactors as Industrial souces of Radiation." The next two chapters cover the application of TH~P.~ can be little doubt that this book will be radioisotopes in industry and research, with sufficient welcomed by all users of C-14 compounds. The information to stimulate interest but not enough to standard work in this field a) appeared some 12 years enable the reader to employ the methods without ago, and it is an indication of the recent progress further study. Chapter 6 especially suffers badly in the uses of C-14 compounds that 629 of the 673 from over-condensation and it is unfortunate that references to the original literature listed in Carbon-14 a completely inadequate account of Geiger-Mtiller Compounds have appeared since the publication of and Scintillation Counting appears here without Professor Calvin's book (1). Moreover, the bibliocross-reference to the much more detailed treatment graphy is not, and was not intended to be comin Chapter 1I. preheusive. Well-chosen references to reviews, Chapters 7 to 10, comprising about a half of the dealing with all aspects of C-14 technology, make book, deal with applications of radiation from large this book an ideal starting point for anyone consources. The first of these, on Radiation Chemistry, templating the use of C-14 compounds. 113
114
Book reviews
A consideration of the production of organic C-14 compounds illustrates that the irradiation of nitrogenous molecules has been abandoned as a practical method, in favour of direct chemical synthesis or biosynthesis from carbon-14 dioxide. A useful account is given of the possibilities and limitadom of the chemical methods available for the production of a wide variety of labeUed organic compounds, although the uninitiated, perhaps, might desire more guidance about commercially available synthetic intermediates. Biological methods of labeUing and the complementary uses of C-14 compounds to investigate biological processes, in recent years have grown into an important, yet unwieldy field for review purposes. For the latter reason alone, the concise and systematic approach to the topic, presented in this book, will be particularly welcome. The success of biological methods for the production of carbon-14-carbohydrates of relatively high specific activities emphasizes their practical value, and they may well prove the most convenient route for labelling complex naturally-occurrlng molecules. Hints about practical methods for manipulation of small quantities of volatile and non-volatile labelled compounds are particularly valuable in veiw of the author's unique experience at the Radiochemical Centre, Amersham. More details of this nature would have contributed appreciably to the sections on measurement of C-14 compounds and their use in analysis, particularly from the point of view of the newcomer, to whom the book is primarily directed. Much of the nebulous expression of quantities and measurement now encountered, of which the author rightly complains, arises, one feels, from inadequate knowledge of the basic methods of calculating and standardizing. Peculiar features of C-14 compounds which might lead to erroneous interpretation of tracer experiments are discussed. In this connexion it is surprising that no reference is made to the most comprehensive study yet published of self-decomposition of labelled compounds ~ , particularly since the investigation was carried out at the Radiochemical Centre. This valuable book could stimulate further applications of C-14 compounds; the precautions necessary for their safe use, described in a final chapter, need not deter any aspiring worker.
R a d l o b i o l o s y - - P r o c e e d ! ~ g s of the Third Australas/an C~onference of RadiobloloBy P. L. T. ILBERY(Ed.) Butterworths, 1961. xi + 314 pp., 63s. CONFEXENCE proceedings, however well presented, can rarely if ever be more than a collection of material which would just as easily be at home in any issue of an appropriate journal. This volume is no exception. However, this does not mean that the book should be disregarded. Anyone who regularly picks up a journal covering radiobiological subjects-as the reader of this review presumably does--must likewise glance through the contents of this book. It is very unlikely that, having looked at the contents, he will not find some paper which leads him to the library table and gives him some interesting reading. The scope is wide, covering most aspects of radiobiology. Some of the papers are mainly reviews of recent work but as they include Furth on carcinogenesis, Ford on chimaeras, Koller on radiomimetic compounds and Alexander on various aspects of chemical mechanisms they make useful reading in the often desperate attempt at keeping up to date in fields adjacent to one's own. About half the papers come from workers in Australia and New Zealand and form what is perhaps the most interesting part of the book. Two are very much Australian, data on Sr9° in New South Wales and a study of radiation and immunity to nematodes in sheep. There is an excellent study of methods of treatment of cancer of the cervix, making full use of the available data and Gunz gives a very interesting report on the first two years of an investigation on the relationship of diagnostic and therapeutic radiation to human leukaemia. And anyone who works with Vicia faba will want to read Read's paper. It is disappointing and inconvenient to find that some 20 of the 29 papers are without either summaries or conclusions. Discussion amongst the participants spreads over 20 pages of small print and in some instances it is very helpful in elucidating interesting points. Also included are remarks about papers read at the conference but not given, even as summaries, in the book. These may make an interesting diversion for those who fancy themselves as occupants of 221B, Baker Street, but can hardly be much use to anyone else. E. V. HULSE
G. O. PHILLIPS
References I. CALVINM. (Ed.) Isotopic Carbon, Wiley, New York (1949). 2. BAYLYR.J. and WEIGELH. Nature, Lond. 188, 384 (1960).
R a d l a t l o n Botany, Vol. 1, No. 1, Pergamon Press, 1961, 100 pp. THIS new journal edited by Dr. A. H. Sparrow and an international editorial board, aims to provide a
develops the subject logically from a discussion of chemical bonds and reaction processes to chemical reactions of possible industrial interest. Most of the basic organic reactions are illustrated with practical examples, though the omission of graft polymerization is surprising. Effects of radiation on biological materials and simple organisms are next treated, including the important parasite Trichindla Spiralis. Chapter 9 extends the subject to the irradiation of plants and foods with a view to storage and covers the sterilization of pharmaceuticals. The use of radiationi n d u c e d mutation for plant breeding is dismissed very briefly with an account of some results achieved. Toxicity tests on irradiated foods however, receive the attention they deserve, with special reference to the U.S. Army Quartermaster General's Programme. Finally, in Chapter 10, a number of possible practical applications of the biological effects of radiation are discussed, together with some designs of irradiation facilities. Surprisingly in a book covering such a diversity of subjects, there is no index, though the Table of Contents is detailed and informative. Written in a lucid and easily-read style, the book is a mine of information for the general reader and for industrial managers needing an overall appraisal of the potentialities of radioactive materials and their radiations. For the greater part it is too superficial to be recommended to scientists and technicians who wish to make practical use of the methods described. J. L. PVrUAN
THE BOOKis intended to inform industrial management as well as scientific and technical personnel about existing and potential uses of radioisotopes and nuclear radiations in industry and research. In something over 200,000 words, liberally illustrated with line diagrams and half-tones, it ranges over the whole field of radioisotope as well as radiation applications to the physical and biological sciences and to all branches of engineering and industry. Few could be more competent than the author to cover such a wide field authoritatively and in his Preface he acknowledges numerous anonymous colleagues who have contributed to the text as well as the editing of the book. However when the subject matter is spread so widely, it would be unreasonable to expect the treatment to be uniformly deep. I n general, detail has been sacrificed to the presentation of a coherent, bird's-eye picture of the entire subject. Some noteworthy exceptions, such as the curing of rubber by gamma irradiation, the animal feeding trials on irradiated foods and the spectacular eradication of screw-worm in Curagao and Florida perhaps betray personal interests of the author, but are by no means confined to his personal researches and introduce a refreshing realism which may stimulate the reader to enquire further into other applications cited. For this purpose there are copious and well-selected references from world literature. Following a short introduction and a sketchy but well-documented chapter on "Properties ot Ionizing Radiations," Chapter 3 describes the principles of operation of Nuclear Reactors and outlines C,a r b o n - 1 4 C o m p o u n d s , J. R. CATCH, Buttervarious reactor types. This leads naturally to a chapworths, 1961. 128 pp., 30s. ter on "Reactors as Industrial souces of Radiation." The next two chapters cover the application of TH~P.~ can be little doubt that this book will be radioisotopes in industry and research, with sufficient welcomed by all users of C-14 compounds. The information to stimulate interest but not enough to standard work in this field a) appeared some 12 years enable the reader to employ the methods without ago, and it is an indication of the recent progress further study. Chapter 6 especially suffers badly in the uses of C-14 compounds that 629 of the 673 from over-condensation and it is unfortunate that references to the original literature listed in Carbon-14 a completely inadequate account of Geiger-Mtiller Compounds have appeared since the publication of and Scintillation Counting appears here without Professor Calvin's book (1). Moreover, the bibliocross-reference to the much more detailed treatment graphy is not, and was not intended to be comin Chapter 1I. preheusive. Well-chosen references to reviews, Chapters 7 to 10, comprising about a half of the dealing with all aspects of C-14 technology, make book, deal with applications of radiation from large this book an ideal starting point for anyone consources. The first of these, on Radiation Chemistry, templating the use of C-14 compounds. 113
114
Book reviews
A consideration of the production of organic C-14 compounds illustrates that the irradiation of nitrogenous molecules has been abandoned as a practical method, in favour of direct chemical synthesis or biosynthesis from carbon-14 dioxide. A useful account is given of the possibilities and limitadom of the chemical methods available for the production of a wide variety of labeUed organic compounds, although the uninitiated, perhaps, might desire more guidance about commercially available synthetic intermediates. Biological methods of labeUing and the complementary uses of C-14 compounds to investigate biological processes, in recent years have grown into an important, yet unwieldy field for review purposes. For the latter reason alone, the concise and systematic approach to the topic, presented in this book, will be particularly welcome. The success of biological methods for the production of carbon-14-carbohydrates of relatively high specific activities emphasizes their practical value, and they may well prove the most convenient route for labelling complex naturally-occurrlng molecules. Hints about practical methods for manipulation of small quantities of volatile and non-volatile labelled compounds are particularly valuable in veiw of the author's unique experience at the Radiochemical Centre, Amersham. More details of this nature would have contributed appreciably to the sections on measurement of C-14 compounds and their use in analysis, particularly from the point of view of the newcomer, to whom the book is primarily directed. Much of the nebulous expression of quantities and measurement now encountered, of which the author rightly complains, arises, one feels, from inadequate knowledge of the basic methods of calculating and standardizing. Peculiar features of C-14 compounds which might lead to erroneous interpretation of tracer experiments are discussed. In this connexion it is surprising that no reference is made to the most comprehensive study yet published of self-decomposition of labelled compounds ~ , particularly since the investigation was carried out at the Radiochemical Centre. This valuable book could stimulate further applications of C-14 compounds; the precautions necessary for their safe use, described in a final chapter, need not deter any aspiring worker.
R a d l o b i o l o s y - - P r o c e e d ! ~ g s of the Third Australas/an C~onference of RadiobloloBy P. L. T. ILBERY(Ed.) Butterworths, 1961. xi + 314 pp., 63s. CONFEXENCE proceedings, however well presented, can rarely if ever be more than a collection of material which would just as easily be at home in any issue of an appropriate journal. This volume is no exception. However, this does not mean that the book should be disregarded. Anyone who regularly picks up a journal covering radiobiological subjects-as the reader of this review presumably does--must likewise glance through the contents of this book. It is very unlikely that, having looked at the contents, he will not find some paper which leads him to the library table and gives him some interesting reading. The scope is wide, covering most aspects of radiobiology. Some of the papers are mainly reviews of recent work but as they include Furth on carcinogenesis, Ford on chimaeras, Koller on radiomimetic compounds and Alexander on various aspects of chemical mechanisms they make useful reading in the often desperate attempt at keeping up to date in fields adjacent to one's own. About half the papers come from workers in Australia and New Zealand and form what is perhaps the most interesting part of the book. Two are very much Australian, data on Sr9° in New South Wales and a study of radiation and immunity to nematodes in sheep. There is an excellent study of methods of treatment of cancer of the cervix, making full use of the available data and Gunz gives a very interesting report on the first two years of an investigation on the relationship of diagnostic and therapeutic radiation to human leukaemia. And anyone who works with Vicia faba will want to read Read's paper. It is disappointing and inconvenient to find that some 20 of the 29 papers are without either summaries or conclusions. Discussion amongst the participants spreads over 20 pages of small print and in some instances it is very helpful in elucidating interesting points. Also included are remarks about papers read at the conference but not given, even as summaries, in the book. These may make an interesting diversion for those who fancy themselves as occupants of 221B, Baker Street, but can hardly be much use to anyone else. E. V. HULSE
G. O. PHILLIPS
References I. CALVINM. (Ed.) Isotopic Carbon, Wiley, New York (1949). 2. BAYLYR.J. and WEIGELH. Nature, Lond. 188, 384 (1960).
R a d l a t l o n Botany, Vol. 1, No. 1, Pergamon Press, 1961, 100 pp. THIS new journal edited by Dr. A. H. Sparrow and an international editorial board, aims to provide a