Hints for using the Literature of Organic Chemistry

The multitudinous compounds of carbon, over 200,000 in number, are so well arranged in chemical reference books that it is a simple matter to obtain particulars about any one of them. Students should know their way about the library quite early in their course, at the latest when they begin to prepare substances described in original papers. In order to supply this knowledge some directions are given here. 

Since the known compounds in the group C8III are arranged according to the number of atoms of the additional elements (H and O), it is easy to find the compound required. 

The Lexicon of the carbon compounds corresponds to the great reference work of Beilstein, which will be discussed later. Accordingly, for our compound the Lexicon gives, in addition to a brief 

The five-volume work of Stelzner forms the continuation of Richter s formula lexicon. It covers the literature up to the year 1921 and is arranged on the same plan as Richter s, but gives in addition a brief description of the individual substances, their constants and reactions, after the fashion of Beilstein. 

The indexing of organic compounds described since 1922 has been taken over by the Chemisches Zentralblatt, which follows the system hitherto discussed. The collective indexes of this journal for 1922 to 1924,1925 to 1929, and 1930 to 1934 continue the classifying work of M. M. Richter. In these indexes the references are to the Zentralblatt itself. Each year of the Zentralblatt, from 1925 onwards, contains a formula index covering the annual increment of literature abstracted in this comprehensively planned journal. These formula indexes are amalgamated every few years into a collective index and individually they constitute the reference works for the period which has elapsed since the appearance of the last collective index. Consequently, when it is desired to have complete information from the whole literature about an organic substance, the following works must be consulted at the present day  

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