The hook would be much more useful as a reference book if the
number of references t o the original literature were greatly ex-
panded and an author index included. Even without these
things this is one of the best books in the field and every inor-
ganic chemist should own and use it.
JOHNC. BAILAR,JR.
PATENTLAW. Chester H.Bieslnjdd, Member of the New York
Bar and of the Bar of the District of Columbia. John Wiley
and Sons, Inc., New York, 1943. v + 225 pp. 14 X 21.5
cm. $2.75.
This book was the outgrowth of a number of weekly lectures
in substantive patent law conducted by the author as an ex-
tension course a t the University of Delaware.
The object of the course was t o acquaint chemists, engineers,
and students who had no professional law training, with the basic
principles and rules underlying the obtaining of patents and the
litigation that often arises when patents are involved.
The keynote of this book is that i t deals mainly with funda-
mentals and is frankly not intended as an exhaustive treatment
of any one phase of the patent law. The material is handled very
well for easy understanding by the beginner. Anyone already
well versed in the field, however, while finding thelittle volume
interesting, would also 6nd it too elementaty to have much value
as a reference work.
The material is presented with, iirst. an explanation of each
basic principle or rule, and then illustrations from leading law
cases supporting the mle or contrary t o it, as the case may be.
are given. Most previous books in this field which were de-
signed particularly for chemists have erred either on the side of
being nothing but a compendium of case citations or else they
contained almost no citations.
Some of the subjects treated exceptionally well, even though
briefly, are: Invention and Discovery, Functional Claims (with
a good section on chemical claims), Patentability of Uses, Re-
issues, and Infringement. The chapter on "The Patent Appli-
cation and Prosecution Thereof," although not recommended as
a substitute for hiring a patent attorney, is strongly recom-
mended t o any chemist having patent applications pending be-
fore the Patent Office.
On the other side of the picture it must be regretfully stated
that the chapter headed "Permissible Breadth of Chemical
Claims" has been poorly handled. No mention a t all is made
of the er perte Markush practice which many attorneys follow
in setting up an artificial class of chemical equivalents.
From a mere listing of some of the other chapter titles i t can
be seen that the book has distinct value far a chemist-inventor or
an engineer. Some of the rest of the titles are: "Liability for
Infringement," "Licenses," "Ownership and Shop Rights."
"Trade Secrets," "Patent Litigation," and "Searches."
The book further contains an appendix which quotes Sec-
tions 4886 to 4888,4900,4921, and 4923 of the Revised Statutes
which form part of the basis in statutory law of the legal aspects
of patents.
The bibliography is incomplete, Rossman's excellent book.
"The Law of Patents for Chemists," being one of the standard
references which is omitted.
A book of this type could well form the basis of a course of
patent law which should be included in the education of all
chemists.
WILLIAMS. HILL
RICWOND,V ~ ( I I N I A
THE D m oa CHEMISTRY.Sidney 3. French, Professor of
Chemistry, Colgate University. The University Society, Inc.,
New York. 1944. iv + 176 pp. 111 figs. 15 X 23 cm.
$1.00.
This is an up-to-date edition of a book which was 6rst published
in 1937. No changes have been made in the historical portion.
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OP PHYSICALCHEMISTRY. Carl F.
Prullon, Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering,
Case School of Applied Science, and Samuel H Maron,
Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry, Case School of
Applied Science. The Macmillan Company. New York, 1944.
x + 780 pp. 174 figs. 14 X 21 cm. $4.50.
"The authors' aim in writing this text on elementary physical
chemistry is t o place in the hands of teachers and students a book
which covers the fundamental principles of the subject in a thor-
ough, sound, up-to-date, and clear manner." This aim has been
realized t o a high degree. However the term "elementatyJ'
should be stricken out. The book is entirely adequate for a iirst-
class senior or early graduate course in the subject.
The 23 chapters are arranged in the order now pretty widely
considered t o be best from the teaching standpoint. Thermo-
dynamics is introduced immediately after gases, so that deriva-
tions requiring the first and second laws need not wait t o be con-
sidered halfway through the course. The treatment of entropy
and the third law is mare extensive than is common. The dis-
cussion of activities is good and includes a partial derivation of
the Debye-Hiickel limiting law. Most of the best sources on
thermochemical data are cited in that particular chapter. There
are plenty of problems a t the end of each chapter, some being
accompanied by answers and some not. Several "References for
Further Reading" are also appended t o each chapter. There
are some literature references, but there could be mare. The
numerous illustrations are quite clear, although why authors in
general persist in picturing calomel and other reference electrodes
as larger than all the rest of the apparatus is incomprehensible.
There are 120 tables of useful data, not including the usual table
of atomic weights.
This book is clearly written and shows a "level" treatment-
4. e., the authors do not ride their hobbies. This is the hallmark
of a good text. It ranks with the leading works of its kind. It
is worthy of careful consideration by any teacher.
MALCOLM M. H ~ N G
UNI'IBPSINOF MARYLAND
COLLeoe P A X , MaauL*ND
LEADPOISONING. Abraham Conlarow, Asmiate Professor of
Medicine, Jefierson Medical College, and Biochemist and As-
sistant Physician, Jefferson Hospital. Philadelphia, Pa., and
Max Tumpcr. Lt. Commander, H-V (S), U.S.N.R., Naval
Medical Research Institute. Bethesda, Maryland. The
Williams 8- Wilkins Co., Baltimore. 1944. xiii + 264 pp. 5
figs. 21 tables. 15.5 X 23.5 cm. 83.00.
~ e t i c u l o & l ydocumented, this thorough and complete mono-
graph includes a 17-page bibliography and a 5-page index. The
book appears a t a time when the increasing use of lead and its
compounds in many industries provides a serious threat t o human
..
health. The anneal of the several chanters is directed t o diverse
cla~sesof readers, such ns physiologists, biachemists, physiciaus,
and analytical chemists for theoretrcal and clinical study, and to
twchers, architects, plant foremen. workers, managers, control
chemists, factory physicians, and even housewives for practical
information.
The general reader will find much repetition of facts among the
chapters of the volume, and even within individual chapters.
He may be irked by this, but its intention is evidently to mini-
mize page-turning by specialists when they use this book for
reference. Nevertheless, many of the redundancies in chapter I.
"Absorption, Transportation, Deposition, and Excretion of Lead,"
seem to be superfiuous. They unnecessarily lengthen the text.
The same facts are cited again in later chapters, "Pathology and
Pathological Physiology," "Clinical Manifestations." and "Lead
in Blood. Body Fluids, and Kcretions." The earlier chapters
give one the impression of prolongation also by their incessant
content of names of authorities. Better grouping of data might
have reduced greatly the number of times the same investigators
are given credit for their work, without decreasing the value of
the documentation and excellent bibliography.
I n addition t o those mentioned previously, there are chapters
entitled "Normal Intake." "Occurrence of Chronic Lead Poison-