868 
investigation at Chicago, naturally come in 
for full consideration, but the past history and 
the important anatomical features of the 
Coniferales have not been overlooked. The 
great influence of modern anatomical and 
paleobotanical work is nowhere more clearly 
shown than in the systematic grouping of the 
Conifers along evolutionary lines. One illus- 
tration will serve to make this clear. In the 
first edition of the present work, which ap- 
peared ten years ago, the pine was considered 
to represent the highest member of the Coni- 
fers on account of the complexity of its vege- 
tative and reproductive structures. In the 
present edition, it is put near the bottom, if 
not at the very bottom, of the coniferous series, 
since recent investigations, paleobotanical and 
anatomical, have demonstrated its great an- 
tiquity and at the same time the truth of the 
general proposition that the Conifers are a 
reduction series in which the simplest mem- 
bers are most modern and not an ascending 
one, in which the most complex representatives 
are the highest. 
The Gnetales, which on account of their 
supposed affinities with the angiosperms are of 
great botanical interest, are adequately treated. 
The riddle of their existence is discussed in 
an entirely unpartisan manner. Following 
this chapter is one on evolutionary tendencies 
among the Gymnosperms. This part of the 
volume is naturally the one about which there 
is the greatest room for difference of opinion, 
and it is precisely here that the authors de- 
serve the highest praise. At the present mo- 
ment the older morphology is in process of 
resolution under the influence of experimental 
and paleobotanical activities. For that reason 
a clear expression of evolutionary sequence, 
even of groups concerning the past history of 
which we are well informed, as is relatively 
true of the Gymnosperms, is extremely diffi- 
cult. Notwithstanding, in the present volume, 
we find a remarkably clear position taken, al- 
though not entirely unaffected by the back 
eddies resulting from the partial persistence 
of the older standpoints. 
E. C. JEFFREY 
HARVARD UNIVERSITY 
SCIENCE 
[N.S. Vou. XXXV. No. 909 
Pharmaceutical Bacteria, with Special Ref- 
erence to Disinfection and Sterilization. By 
ALBERT SCHNEDER, M.D., Ph.D. Published 
by P. Blakiston’s Son & Co., Philadelphia, 
Pa. Price $2.00. 
The rapid development of bacteriology in 
various directions has led to the publication 
of books in considerable number, showing the 
application of bacteriology to different phases 
of modern life. Medical bacteriology, agri- 
cultural bacteriology, industrial bacteriology 
and various other aspects of this new science 
have been fairly well exploited. The present 
book is in a new line, and is designed simply 
to cover the relations of bacteriology to 
pharmacy—being intended primarily for stu- 
dents in college of pharmacy and incidentally 
to pharmacists in general. The subjects that 
are treated in the work are only those which 
have some practical relation to this business. 
After a general introduction there is a brief 
but comprehensive historical survey of the 
development of bacteriology, divided into 
periods and bringing the subject up to date. 
This is followed by a general description and 
classification of bacteria, with the method of 
bacteriological technique, and then brief con- 
siderations of the relation of the bacteria to a 
few industries, like agriculture in general, 
dairying, the extermination of pests, can- 
ning, cider-making, ete. A somewhat ex- 
tended discussion of the problems of immu- 
nity and the activities of bacterial products, 
together with a discussion of the manufacture 
of sera and vaccines, is naturally given in a 
book of this nature, the subject being treated 
from both a theoretical and a practical stand- 
point. Disinfection and the use of various 
disinfectants are discussed quite extensively, 
the subject being considered from the stand- 
point of the disinfection of water, of food, of 
dwelling houses, of surgeons’ supplies, of vari- 
ous chemicals that are liable to be handled in 
the pharmacy; in short, all relations of disin- 
fection which have a bearing upon the prob- 
lems of the pharmacy, are carefully considered. 
A chapter upon communicable diseases and 
their prevention treats very briefly of the 
