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Biochemic Drug Assay | Methods | with special reference to the phar- \ maco- 

 dynamic standardization of drugs | by | Paul S. Pittenger, Ph. G., 

 Ph. C, Phar. D. | instructor [etc. 5 lines] | edited by F. E. Stewart, 

 M. D., Ph. G. I professor [etc. 7 lines] | Philadelphia | P. Blakiston's 

 Son & Co. I 1012 Walnut Street | Cloth, pp. i-xiv + 1-158. 89 illustra- 

 tions and diagrams. Price $1.50 net. 



The book is not exactly what the title — ^A Manual of Biochemic 

 Drug Assay Methods — would lead one to believe as the author 

 has included only those methods of drug assaying which are 

 physiological in nature. Although it represents the first attempt 

 at preparing a manual of this sort, it contains very little that is 

 original in material or in the arrangement thereof. 



The contents of the book are grouped into eight chapters; 

 chapter I is headed Preliminary Considerations and deals pri- 

 marily with the factors making drug assaying desirable; chap- 

 ters II to VI, inclusive, are devoted to descriptions of the more 

 important physiological assay methods and their application to 

 the standardization of the cardiac stimulants and depressants, 

 epinephrine and products of the suprarenal gland, ergot, pitui- 

 tary extracts, and cannabis indica ; chapter VII contains descrip- 

 tions of apparatus and technique employed in conducting the 

 assays described in previous chapters; and chapter VIII gives 

 directions for preparing a few of the stock solutions commonly 

 used in work of this nature. 



As stated in the preface, the manual is intended for students 

 of pharmacy, students of medicine, and experts engaged in drug 

 standardization work. With respect to students in pharmacy, 

 the author presupposes such students to have a very considerable 

 knowledge of animal anatomy and practical physiology. Until 

 such studies are made a part of the curriculum of the schools 

 or colleges of pharmacy, the manual will be beyond the ordinary 

 student of pharmacy. To the student of medicine who is accus- 

 tomed to the use of a textbook on pharmacology, such as that of 

 Cushny or of Sollman, the manual will seem elementary indeed 

 and will be found of little value. It should, however, be of some 

 service to experts engaged in the standardization of drugs or to 

 those who desire a general knowledge of the physiological 

 methods employed in the standardization of drugs without the 

 trouble of consulting the larger works on pharmacology or of 

 looking up the original references. 



A. G. DuMez. 



379 



