450 Analyses of Books. [June, 



As an atom of carbonic acid is represented by 22, and one of 

 protoxide of iron by 36, the 43*26 of protoxide which the ore 

 contains must be combined with nearly 26*4 of the 29*3 of car- 

 bonic acid, leaving 2-9 to combine with 3 - 74 of lime, a quan- 

 tity of carbonic acid which exceeds but little the requisite propor- 

 tion, and which will not account for the excess in the analysis. 

 Although in this ore from Yorkshire the quantity of oxide of 

 manganese is extremely small, there are some of the ores in 

 Wales which contain nearly 10 per cent, of it. 



Article XI. 



Analyses of Books. 



Pharmacopoeia Coltegii Regalis Medicorum Londinensis, 1824. 



I have been more than once called upon by what I conceived 

 to be the imperfect attempts of the College of Physicians 

 towards improving the Pharmacopoeia, to speak in terms of 

 almost unqualified disapprobation of their proceedings; and 

 although it is impossible to deny that many of the errors com- 

 mitted in the edition of 1809 have been rectified on the present 

 occasion ; yet it appears to me that the performance is of a much 

 less perfect description than the public have a right to demand ; 

 and I shall now briefly state the cases in which I think errors 

 have been committed or suffered to remain uncorrected, premis- 

 ing, however, that the College appear to have exercised a sound 

 discretion in refusing to admit many of the novelties of the day 

 into their Pharmacopoeia. 



No alteration has been made by the College with respect to 

 the arrangement of the Pharmacopoeia, and if that which is 

 adopted be not the most scientific or perfect that might have 

 been selected, it does not, that I am aware of, include any very 

 marked inconsistence, and it was, therefore, most prudent to 

 suffer it to remain without any alteration. 



The College have introduced into the Materia Medica, 

 Acidum Aceticum fortius, which is explained to be Acidum 

 Aceticum e ligno destillatum; its specific gravity is stated to be 

 P046, and 100 grains of it are said to decompose 87 grains of 

 crystallized subcarbonate of soda. The introduction of a pure 

 acid is an improvement. I have not examined any of exactly 

 this strength, but admitting that 100 grs. decompose 87 of crys- 

 tallized subcarbonate of soda, it must be very nearly six times as 

 strong as good distilled vinegar, now called acidum aceticum dilu- 

 tum. When properly prepared by the manufacturer, the stronger 

 acetic acid procured by the decomposition of wood is much 

 pleasanter than that derived from the mere distillation of vinegar ; 



