LITERARY NOTICES. 



09 



calculi. A colored plate of flame and ab- 

 sorption spectra and a plate illustrating 

 various urinary sediments, are added ; more- 

 over, some illustrations are given in the text. 

 This book is primarily intended to be 

 used as a class-book in the laboratories of 

 medical and pharmaceutical schools, but it 

 is also well adapted for self-instruction in 

 the principles of chemical analysis. 



Watts's " Manual of Chemistry." (Based 

 on Fownes's "Manual)." Vol. II. Or- 

 ganic Chemistry. Second edition. By 

 Professor William A. Tilden. Phila- 

 delphia : P. Blakiston, Son & Co. 1 886. 

 Pp. 662. 



The general favor which is accorded to 

 Mr : Watts's editions of Fownes's " Manual 

 of Chemistry," shows how well adapted is 

 the work to meet the wants of teachers and 

 students. 



Professor Tilden, of Birmingham, the 

 editor of this issue, has closely adhered to 

 the plan of his predecessor, and has mainly 

 endeavored to make the corrections and 

 additions rendered necessary by the progress 

 and development of the science. The no- 

 menclature has been made as uniform as 

 possible, and has been brought into accord- 

 ance with the system adopted by the Lon- 

 don Chemical Society. 



The introduction treats of the synthesis 

 of organic compounds from inorganic mate- 

 rials, of ultimate analysis, the classification 

 of organic compounds, their physical prop- 

 erties, and the decompositions and trans- 

 formations of these bodies. 



The chief division of the carbon com- 

 pounds is, of course, into the fatty and the 

 aromatic groups, or, as they are styled, into 

 methane - derivatives and benzene - deriva- 

 tives. 



In the subdivisions of these groups the 

 organic compounds are classified according 

 to their chemical structure and functions ; 

 the compounds in each group are arranged 

 in homologous series, and the several 

 groups are separately considered. While 

 the editor has tried to avoid swelling the 

 volume to too large a size, he has aimed to 

 give in it an account of, or at least a refer- 

 ence to, all carbon compounds which can 

 fairly be regarded as having any consider- 

 able theoretical interest or practical im- 

 portance. 



The State Control of Medical Education 

 and Practice (in the negative). By 

 Romaine J. Curtiss, M. D. Joiiet, Illi- 

 nois. Pp. 32. 



Dr. Ccjrtiss writes in the spirit of a man 

 who considers himself engaged in a contro- 

 versy. His situation, in fact, invites vigor 

 on the part of a disputant who speaks from 

 his side, for he is a physician in a State 

 where State control is exercised quite fully. 

 Along with many expressions which might 

 be softened without diminishing their argu- 

 mentative strength, we find points presented 

 that apply with much force in favor of the 

 negative side of the question ; among them 

 the one embodied in the opening paragraph : 

 " The modern method of throwing physic to 

 the dogs seems to be to put the matter of 

 medical education and practice under the 

 control of the State ; which means, of course, 

 nothing more or less than making medical 

 education and practice a factor of State 

 politics. This method assumes that politics 

 is a better criterion of the standard of medi- 

 cal education than any educational test, or 

 any life-test, and also assumes that colleges 

 are not qualified, by reason of natural fa- 

 voritism, to judge of the merit of their 

 work." This description may not now ap- 

 ply, as a fact, in any State, but, the political 

 factor once introduced, there is danger, as 

 the political machines have been running, 

 that the ultimate result may be fitted to it. 



On the Development of Viviparous Os- 

 seous Fishes, and of the Atlantic 

 Salmon. By John A. Ryder. Wash- 

 ington : Government Printing - Office. 

 Pp. 36, with Seven Plates. 



The former paper is intended to give a 

 summary of our knowledge respecting the 

 best known of the truly viviparous osseous 

 fishes characterized by an intra-follicular or 

 intra-ovarian development. The second pa- 

 per is based on the investigation of recently 

 hatched embryos of the landlocked salmon. 



PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. 



Wilder, Burt G., M. D. The Paroccipital ; a 

 newly recognized Pissural Integer. Pp. 15. 



Drummond, A. T. (Canada). Our Northwest 

 Prairies. Pp. 8. 



"Journal of the American Chemical Society. " 

 Monthly. May, 186. Pp.24. $5 a year. 



Netto, Dr. Ladislao. Conference faite au Museum 

 National. (Lecture at the National Museum, on 

 Brazilian Archaeology.) Pp. 28. Lettre a M. Er- 



