by newer ones in this country.
For example, the Bn-KCN organic substances, and, therefore, no one is any longer justified
method is used t o separate Nit+ and Co++; CaCb is separated
from SrCIz by extraction with absolute alcohol; Nat is pre-
cipitated as the pyraantimanate. No mention is made of di-
methylglyaxime as a reagent for Ni++, nor aluminon for Alff +,
nor zinc uranyl acetate for Na+. Groups 111 is precipitated as
two major graups, using NHlOH and ( N H M as the group
reagents, without any reference to the disturbing action of the
divalent cations and of phosphate and oxalate. '
The plan of having each student work out for himself, under
the supervision of a "teacher actually present in the laboratory."
..
t h e orocedures of analvtical chemistrv will orobablv not aooeal
t o many teachers On this side of the Atlantic, classes are too
large for such individual instruction, and it is necessary to make
t h e laboratory manual carry a large part of the teaching load.
J. H. REEDY
OF ILLWOZS
UNIVBBSITY
URBAN*, lLLW0.S
Tm Oruow OF LIFB. A. I. Oparin, Assaciate Director, Bio-
chemical Institute, U. S. S. R. Academy of Science. Trans-
lation with annotations by Sergius Morgulis, Professor of
Biochemistry, University of Nebraska. The Macmillan Com-
pany, New York City, 1938. viii +
270 pp. 14 X 21 cm.
$2.75.
Oparin first traces the confusion of thought and reasoningcon-
cerning spontaneouv generation from the time of the Ionian school
(600 B.c.) and of Aristotle (350 B.c.) to the brilliant work of
Pasteur (A.D. 1862). The broad interpretation of Pasteur's
experiments, as expressed by Lord Kelvin (1871) rejected the
possibility of autogeneration of life a t any time, or anywhere,
and the attitude was taken that life can never originate but
must exist eternally. The lack of incompatibility in the theory
of spontaneous generation, and the theory of the continuity of
life is then discussed. Oparin quotes the contention of Engel and
others that a consistent materialistic philosophy demands that
life has neither arisen spontaneously nor has it existed eternally.
He then addresses himself to the task of formulating theories of
the origin of life a t some distant period of the earth's existence.
Mention is made of Jean's conclusion that from the point of
view
-~ ~~ - - ~time.
of soace. ~~ ~- and
--
~~ <ohvsical
- - -,~- ~ conditions.
~--. -.---
~
~ ~ life, is
--- -- cirnnmwrihed
----
by its existence in an insignificantly little nook of the universe.
The theory of cosmozoa, or the transfer of life through inter-
stellar space is definitely rejected, since the time required for
such transfers, together with the lethal effects of ultra-violet
and cosmic rays, would result in killing all living protoplasm
migrating through space.
Haechel's theory of archegony is held by Oparin t o i n v d a~
fundamental -or, namely, the implication that simplest or-
ganisms can actually arise all a t once from inorganic matter.
Haechel saw no difference between the formation of a crystal and
of a living cell. Oparin also cautions against the acceptance of
simple cell "models," such as Leduc's, as an approach to the
solution of the problem of the origin of life.
Beginning with Chapter IV, Oparin sets himself to the task of
arguing a chemical basis for the origin of the organic protoplasma
constituents. That this becomes essentially an argument.
rather than a clean-cut demonstration, is necessitated by the
present lack of chemical or physical means to duplicate nature's
syntheses. The present physical state of the stars and planets,
and the syntheses of C and N compounds in them, is discussed.
Thus i t is concluded that C first appeared on the cooling earth
mass as hydrocarbons derived from primordial carbides. N as
ammonia; both thus being in the reduced state. Primary
carbohydrates and proteins may have been formed "in any part
of the primitive ocean and in every water reservoir, pool, or
.
drying up basin . . in these primitive waters materials were
created out of which living organisms were to be built up sub-
sequently" (page 127). The simple and somewhat naive ap-
proach to this assumption finds its origins in the statement that
"the chemist succeeded in synthesizing i n vifro, in his flasks and
test-tubes under artificial conditions, practically all the known
in questioning the possibility of a primary origin of these sub-
stances" (page 62). This might be regarded as the expression of
a wish, or of a prospect for later accomplishment, but could be
challenged as an actual achievement of the present. Thus the
author concedes "we still lack a definite conception of the struc-
ture of the protein molecule."
In his discussion of the origin of primary colloidal systems.
Oparin is an safer ground, since the very materials which he
employs in his discussion are colloidal and hence possess the prop-
erties characteristic of that physical state. Likewise, his
treatment of the subject of enzymes, particularly as they are in-
volved in energy transfers, is clever and rather convincing. If
proteins can result from a sequence of chance reactions, why not
enzymes as well? Evolving a living cell from these materials is
not so simple, however, and even the structure of the primary cell
is not apparent. I t is significant that Oparin chooses an an-
erobic metabolism as the primitive one, with inorganic sources of
energy as most probable.
In the summarizing chapter, the author virtually acknowledges
the hopelessness of a demonstration of the evolutionary pro-
gression in the natural synthesis of living protoplasm. He as-
sembles facts for a neat hypothesis. albeit replete with wide gaps,
The sequence employed is coherent enough to be plausible as far
as it goes, and a t any rate it serves to stimulate serious thought
along these lines.
Dr. Morgulis' contributions as translator must have been a
substantial one, and the Russian text is transferred to us in very
readable English.
CATALYSIS FROM THE STANDPOINT O F CHEMICALKINETICS.
Gcorg-Maria Sckwab. Professor-Extraordinary of Chemistry
a t the University of Munich. Translated from the first
German edition by Hugh S. Taylor, Princeton University, and
R. Spencer, Leeds University. D. Van Nosaand Company.
Inc.. New York City, 1937. 15 X 23 cm. $4.25.
The German edition of this book appeared in 1931. The ap-
pearance of the English translation has been delayed, as ex-
plained by the translators, by unfavorable economic conditions.
Although the German edition has been well received the ap-
pearance of the translation of this edition after the lapse of so
many years would not create much interest, as the field dealt
with has so many important applications in so many fields that
progress in the meanwhile would require a new edition to bring
it up-to-date.
This book, however, is much more than a mere translation as
the author and the translators have miiperated in bringing the
translation up to date by copious additions from the recent litera-
ture. The added references are noted by letter subscripts.
Much more is accomplished in this translation than mere citations
from recent literature. The translation contains, in fact, more
than one hundred additional pages than the German edition.
Its three hundred fdty pages are almost equally divided he-
tween homogeneous catalysis and heterogeneous catalysis.
It is remarkable how thoroughly the field bas been covered
and for this reason treatment in any great detail is impossible.
To the reviewer the most important feature of the translation
are the copious references to the literature which in great measure
overcome the lack of detail in the text.
The subject of catalysis has not yet reached a stage of develop-
~.. . .
ment where i t can be taueht exolicitlv. No theorv of hetero-
gmeous catalysis dues more than correlate a certain number of
expcrinlcntal facts and sooner or later fails to account for others.
The mechanism of heterogeneous catalysis has not been ex-
plained in spite of the valiant efforts of the author and trans-
lators. This leaves one with some choice as to the mechanism
of catalysis and requires an implicit method of instruction, and