The Chemistry of the Sterids

The book supplies us with a much-needed monograph on sterols and steroids. The author traces the history of their investigation up to the beginning of the nineteenth century and from that time up to the beginning of 1937 he gives references to all relevant literature. There was much confusion as to nomenclature in the older literature and he has given us the new and more rational names along with the older ones. The earlier chapters deal with the traditional methods of structural research, with the newer ones of selenium dehydration, thermic cyclization, etc. The formation of the reaction product has been explained in the light of the accepted cyclopentenophenanthrene structure. There is a chapter on steric considerations. This portion of sterid chemistry is still incomplete but the problems have been discussed in a clear manner and there are some useful suggestions. The chemical and physical properties of bile-acids and choleic acids, which are of great biological interest, have been treated in two chapters and there is a list of choleic acids known up to date. The sterols, hormones, cardiac glycosides, carcinogens, and sapogenins are treated in a separate chapter with short notes and references to original literature. The last chapter _ deals with the different colour reactions used in biological assays. The synthetic side of sterid chemistry has not, however, been dealt with in this book. There are numerous tables of physical and chemical properties of similar compounds for comparative study and the theoretical chemist will have enough classified data collected and sorted on which to base his theories. A large bulk of the book, from page 176 to page 496. is devoted to a classified catalogue of all sterids and their derivatives, with their structural formulse, systematic designations, physical constants, occurrence, formation, chemical reactions, transformations, etc., from all sources available up to 1st January, 1937. The bibliography comprises most publications of chemical and biochemical interest on bile acids, sterols, and other sterids which have appeared before 1st January, 1937, and the last few pages are devoted to the graphic formulas of many of these compounds. The book is the first of its kind to present a connected and comprehensive account of the work done up to date. It will thus be very useful not only to biochemists and advanced research workers but also to all those interested in the biologically active natural products like sex-hormones, antirachitic vitamins, carcinogenic agents, cardiac glycosides,_ etc.. and will form a valuable addition to all scientific libraries.