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Natural and synthetic high polymers
488
BOOK REVIEWS Volume II
Preparations: Adenylic acid, Dr.-aspartic acid, desoxycorticosterone, DL-lysine, DL-methionine, progesterone, L-threonine, L-thyroxine. Methods: Oppenauer reaction, separation of carbonyl compounds. Practical Notes: Carbonyl reagents, carbonyl reactions. The format of these volumes is excellent and there are very few typographical errors. The material is arranged in an interesting manner and, to quote again from Dufraisse, there is a “very apparent desire to make the material so attractive as to induce one to read beyond the passage to which the book was opened.” The two volumes certainly do furnish good casual reading. However their usefulness as a daily reference work suffers from two drawbacks. In the first place the synthetic procedures are taken directly from the literature and are not checked. The disadvantages of this approach are familiar to anyone who has contact with synthetic work. These volumes will be helpful to a student seeking information about synthetic methods but will be much less valuable to a laboratory worker faced with the problem of preparing a natural product in quantity. The second drawback is inherent in the diversity of the material presented. A large number of topics is covered in each volume, some only briefly others more completely. Furthermore the same topic may appear in more than one section. Thus, foi example threoerythro isomerism is discussed in a note following the chloramphenicol preparation and again in connection with L-threonine. The result,ing lack of organization will certainly make it difficult to use these volumes for reference purposes. A factual error appears on p. 27 of Vol. II where the statement is made that the action of diozomethane on “hippuryl chloride” causes cyclization to phenyloxazolone. Recent work has shown that the so-called “hippuryl chloride” is actually phenyloxazolone hydrochloride. Whatever its shortcomings as a reference series, S&stances Natwelles de SynthLe makes interesting reading for those interested in the “natural product” field. H. E. CARTER, Urbana, Illinois Natural and Synthetic High Polymers. By ICURT H. MEYER, Professor of Organic Chemistry, University of Geneva, Switzerland. Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York, N. Y.; London, England, 1950. xx + 891 pp. Price $15.00. The first edition of this volume, published in 1940, has proved to be of great value to workers in the field of high polymers because of its lucid and accurate treatment of high-polymer behavior. The present volume is a complete revision of the original work in order to take into account the tremendous advances in this field during the ensuing decade. To attempt to give a thorough and complete coverage of such a broad field within the scope of a single volume is practically impossible. For this reason it is necessary to be arbitrary in the choice of emphasis given to either the natural or to the synthetic polymers. In the present volume the author has chosen the natural polymers for major consideration and has devoted lengthy discussions to rubber, cellulose, starch, gums, proteins, and enzymes. The presentat,ion of this material is of the same high caliber as was exemplified in the first edition of this work. The subjects dis-
BOOK
REVIEWS
489
cussed were well documented by references to original publications, although preference is given to European workers over cotitemporaries in this country. The treatment given to the synthetic polymers is good insofar as it goes. This is particularly true of the discussion of inorganic polymers. However, it is unfortunate that practically no consideration has been given to the important field of polymer degradation reactions. For example, there is no discussion of the very considerable volume of research which has been devoted to oxidative and thermal degradation of vinyl compounds such as polystyrene and rubber. And as a result, the concept of weak linkages in such material, and t,heir effect on polymer properties, has been ignored. It is unusual to find a book by an eminent organic chemist in which the physicochemical aspects of the subject are given more weight than are the organic concepts. The author is to be commended for his excellent presentation of this aspect of high polymer behavior. In those phases of polymer technology in which he apparently did not feel sufficiently well versed to handle personally, collaborators were used who are recognized authorities in their fields. For example, A. I. A. Van der Wyck and C. Weissenberger aided in the preparation of t.he chapter on mechanical properties, and Van der Wyck on solutions. The volume appears to be reasonably free of error although in one or two places some misconceptions are to be observed. For example in the discussion of oxidation-reduction (redox) systems on p. 148 the statement is made, “A ver\ effective initiator is formed by cymene hydroperoxide in the presence of . . . .” Actually the hydroperoxide which has been utilized commercially is cumene and not cpmene. Similarly, on p. 219 in reference to GR-S 10 rubber, theemulsifier is referred to as “resin soap.” This is a misnomer; the emulsifier should be referred to as a “modified rosin soap.” However, such instances are few and relative15 minor in nature. The book should be of great value to workers in the biochemical field because of its natural-polymer emphasis as well as the very considerable discussion of the morphology of high polymers. It should provide an excellent background for workers in this field. L. F. MCBURNEY, Wilmington, Delaware The Genetics of Microorganisms. By D. G. CATCHEYIDE. Pitman Publishing Corporation, New York, Toronto, London. 1951, viii + 223 pp. Price $4.50. The past decade has witnessed an almost explosive development in microbial genetics. The widespread interest in this field has stemmed in large part. from the fact t.hat microorganisms provided the opportunity for an extensive study of the inheritance of characters which were precisely defined in biochemical terms. It seemed reasonable to hope that the information thus obtained could lead to a more adequate understanding of t,he mechanisms of gene function than was immediately possible from the kind of data obtainable with the classical objects of genebic research. The present book summarizes the work in the genetics of microorganisms covering results obtained with Neurospora, yeast, protozoa, bacteria, and the viruses. As might be expected from the relative wealth of information available, data with Newospora form the major portion of the material discussed.
BOOK REVIEWS Volume II
Preparations: Adenylic acid, Dr.-aspartic acid, desoxycorticosterone, DL-lysine, DL-methionine, progesterone, L-threonine, L-thyroxine. Methods: Oppenauer reaction, separation of carbonyl compounds. Practical Notes: Carbonyl reagents, carbonyl reactions. The format of these volumes is excellent and there are very few typographical errors. The material is arranged in an interesting manner and, to quote again from Dufraisse, there is a “very apparent desire to make the material so attractive as to induce one to read beyond the passage to which the book was opened.” The two volumes certainly do furnish good casual reading. However their usefulness as a daily reference work suffers from two drawbacks. In the first place the synthetic procedures are taken directly from the literature and are not checked. The disadvantages of this approach are familiar to anyone who has contact with synthetic work. These volumes will be helpful to a student seeking information about synthetic methods but will be much less valuable to a laboratory worker faced with the problem of preparing a natural product in quantity. The second drawback is inherent in the diversity of the material presented. A large number of topics is covered in each volume, some only briefly others more completely. Furthermore the same topic may appear in more than one section. Thus, foi example threoerythro isomerism is discussed in a note following the chloramphenicol preparation and again in connection with L-threonine. The result,ing lack of organization will certainly make it difficult to use these volumes for reference purposes. A factual error appears on p. 27 of Vol. II where the statement is made that the action of diozomethane on “hippuryl chloride” causes cyclization to phenyloxazolone. Recent work has shown that the so-called “hippuryl chloride” is actually phenyloxazolone hydrochloride. Whatever its shortcomings as a reference series, S&stances Natwelles de SynthLe makes interesting reading for those interested in the “natural product” field. H. E. CARTER, Urbana, Illinois Natural and Synthetic High Polymers. By ICURT H. MEYER, Professor of Organic Chemistry, University of Geneva, Switzerland. Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York, N. Y.; London, England, 1950. xx + 891 pp. Price $15.00. The first edition of this volume, published in 1940, has proved to be of great value to workers in the field of high polymers because of its lucid and accurate treatment of high-polymer behavior. The present volume is a complete revision of the original work in order to take into account the tremendous advances in this field during the ensuing decade. To attempt to give a thorough and complete coverage of such a broad field within the scope of a single volume is practically impossible. For this reason it is necessary to be arbitrary in the choice of emphasis given to either the natural or to the synthetic polymers. In the present volume the author has chosen the natural polymers for major consideration and has devoted lengthy discussions to rubber, cellulose, starch, gums, proteins, and enzymes. The presentat,ion of this material is of the same high caliber as was exemplified in the first edition of this work. The subjects dis-
BOOK
REVIEWS
489
cussed were well documented by references to original publications, although preference is given to European workers over cotitemporaries in this country. The treatment given to the synthetic polymers is good insofar as it goes. This is particularly true of the discussion of inorganic polymers. However, it is unfortunate that practically no consideration has been given to the important field of polymer degradation reactions. For example, there is no discussion of the very considerable volume of research which has been devoted to oxidative and thermal degradation of vinyl compounds such as polystyrene and rubber. And as a result, the concept of weak linkages in such material, and t,heir effect on polymer properties, has been ignored. It is unusual to find a book by an eminent organic chemist in which the physicochemical aspects of the subject are given more weight than are the organic concepts. The author is to be commended for his excellent presentation of this aspect of high polymer behavior. In those phases of polymer technology in which he apparently did not feel sufficiently well versed to handle personally, collaborators were used who are recognized authorities in their fields. For example, A. I. A. Van der Wyck and C. Weissenberger aided in the preparation of t.he chapter on mechanical properties, and Van der Wyck on solutions. The volume appears to be reasonably free of error although in one or two places some misconceptions are to be observed. For example in the discussion of oxidation-reduction (redox) systems on p. 148 the statement is made, “A ver\ effective initiator is formed by cymene hydroperoxide in the presence of . . . .” Actually the hydroperoxide which has been utilized commercially is cumene and not cpmene. Similarly, on p. 219 in reference to GR-S 10 rubber, theemulsifier is referred to as “resin soap.” This is a misnomer; the emulsifier should be referred to as a “modified rosin soap.” However, such instances are few and relative15 minor in nature. The book should be of great value to workers in the biochemical field because of its natural-polymer emphasis as well as the very considerable discussion of the morphology of high polymers. It should provide an excellent background for workers in this field. L. F. MCBURNEY, Wilmington, Delaware The Genetics of Microorganisms. By D. G. CATCHEYIDE. Pitman Publishing Corporation, New York, Toronto, London. 1951, viii + 223 pp. Price $4.50. The past decade has witnessed an almost explosive development in microbial genetics. The widespread interest in this field has stemmed in large part. from the fact t.hat microorganisms provided the opportunity for an extensive study of the inheritance of characters which were precisely defined in biochemical terms. It seemed reasonable to hope that the information thus obtained could lead to a more adequate understanding of t,he mechanisms of gene function than was immediately possible from the kind of data obtainable with the classical objects of genebic research. The present book summarizes the work in the genetics of microorganisms covering results obtained with Neurospora, yeast, protozoa, bacteria, and the viruses. As might be expected from the relative wealth of information available, data with Newospora form the major portion of the material discussed.