354 Analysis of Scientific Books. 
upon the subject, states, that it is composed of equal volumes of 
hydrogen and chlorine, we think that he exceedingly perplexes his 
subject, as far as medical readers are concerned ; it is just as if he 
were to say that the calcination of a metal may be explained upon 
two theories, and then cite the phlogistic and antiphlogistic hypothe- 
sis. SirH. Davy’s chloridic theory alone furnishes a consistent ex- 
planation of the phenomena above alluded to, and we are sorry to 
see the blunders of the oxymuriatic school perpetuated by such a 
writer as Mr. Phillips, when even Berzelius has ceded. In other 
respects the chemical remarks of the translator are very pertinent 
and useful, but we could have wished for information somewhat 
more extended in respect to the medicinal uses of the different articles, 
and think that the list of ‘‘incompatibles” had better, in most cases, 
have been omitted. 
Our author’s remarks upon the other acids are very much to the 
purpose, and are studded with several originalities useful to the phar= 
maceutical chemist. He has made much use of diagrams, and has 
given wood-cuts of the usual crystalline forms ; we, however, rather 
doubt their use, and are certain that neither the apprentice nor his 
master will ever refer to the relations of the several plane surfaces to 
each other, which are given with an elaborate minuteness incompa- 
tible with the general tenor of the work. 
The officinal acids of the present Pharmacopaia are seven, viz., the 
acetic, benzoic, citric, muriatic, nitric, sulphuric, and tartaric. Might 
not the hydro-cyanic have been properly added ?  Alkalies and their 
salts are treated of in the second division of this part of the Pharma- 
copwia. Mr. Phillips has unnecessarily embarrassed his observations 
on the subcarbonate of ammonia, by giving the wrong as well as the 
right theory of its formation, but in other respects his remarks upon 
the carbonates of ammonia are original and important. Under its 
medicinal uses he says that thirty grains of carbonate of ammonia 
are emetic, which is far from being always the case. 
The College continue to apply the erroneous terms Subcarbonate 
and Carbonate of potass to the carbonate and bi-carbonate, but the 
process for obtaining the latter is materially improved by deriving the 
carbonic acid from carbonate of lime, instead of (as formerly) car- 
bonate of ammonia. But, as if some fatality attended the intro- 
duction of an innovation, they direct the gas to be passed into their 
own liquor potasse, instead of a much more dilute solution, which 
ought to have been employed. Mr. P. objects, we think without 
reason, to the use of dilute sulphuric acid for the decomposition of 
the powdered marble, and recommends muriatic acid as a substitute, 
suggesting that, for sake of economy, the muriate of lime may 
be decomposed by sulphuric acid, and thus dilute muriatic acid 
regained; but we have not found his objections to sulphuric acid 
hold good in practice. 
The remaining salts of potash require little notice ; the super- 
