REVIEWS. 349 



stagnant river courses, during the drying process" under an autumnal sun. 

 Cutting down all rank succidant bushes in the immediate vicinity of 

 dwelling houses, and cultivating the spot with flowers, is in accordance with 

 sanitary rules, and esthetic propriety. A musty smell, clinging about a 

 place, resembling that of bats, or cockroaches, indicates malaria, and is a 

 source of fever, especially to infants and children, and should be imme- 

 diately rectified. It is difficult to convince parents that a cause, apparently 

 so trifling, will make fatal inroads upon their lovely flock through the much 

 dreaded infantile fever. The free circulation of fresh air, and a copious 

 supply of pure water for baths and cleansing purposes, and a respect for 

 that maxim which inculcates cleanliness, as next to godliness, are indispen- 

 sable for the preservation of health. 



" These pre-requisites, with a just appreciation of letting our modera- 

 tion be known to all men, being attended to, the smoker may then indulge 

 with comparative confidence in the fragrant compound ; and, although the 

 former may only perform the office of a deodorant, to cover any incidental 

 odours, a very material point shall have been gained in sanitary progress. 



"If smoking pimento with tobacco answered no better purpose to 

 travellers by land and sea, to soldiers and sailors, and the inhabitants of 

 countries abounding in Malaria, than to inspire a degree of confidence in the 

 preventive power of the fragrant exhalations, a great step would- be gained ; 

 for who does not acknowledge the power of mind over matter, and the 

 happy influence of a cheerful disposition in contributing to the preservation 

 of health. The first to fall victims to grave epidemical diseases, are those 

 whose minds succumb to the dread of the evil ; under all circumstances, 

 therefore, it is of the highest importance to prevent alarm, or panic. It is 

 in connection with such consideration, combined with any medicinal effect 

 which smoking pimento with tobacco may possess, that we would feel more 

 confidence, if not security, in passing along the banks of a swamp, or lagoon, 

 with the dews of night falling. The benefits of moderately using tobacco, 

 weakened by an admixture of pimento, so as to produce no noxious effects, is 

 of vital consequence to young men, where the formative principle is busily 

 at work, building up a stout frame. As every paterfamilias knows the im- 

 possibility of preventing smoking habits among bis sons, is it better to 

 ' mitigate the ills we cannot shun,' by acquiescing in the modified, fragrant, 

 and elegant use of this compound, which, while not interfering with the 

 physical development, will tend to educe the mens sana in corpore sano." 



The Pharmaceutical Journal for April contains a Process for Estima- 

 ting Tannic Acid in Galls, in the place of the Gelatine Process, by Mr. J. H. 

 Marriage. He employs a solution of ammonio-sulphate of copper, con- 

 taining in each decern. 634 grains of crystallised sulphate of copper, and 

 just sufficient liquid ammonio to redissolve the precipitate first occasioned. 

 Two septems of this solution indicate one grain of tannic acid. It occasions 

 an olive-green precipitate, and at the same time deepens the colour of the 

 liquid operated on. As the experiment approaches completion, the colour 

 again becomes fainter, and would probably vanish altogether. Mr. Fownes 

 estimates the tannic acid in galls at from thirty to forty per cent., Royle 

 puts sixty per cent, as the maximum, but Mr. Maurice is dissatisfied with less 

 than sixty-five per cent, from blue galls. A sample of Chinese galls gave 

 him fifty-two per cent. 



The Chemist and Druggist for April contains two or three articles 

 deserving special mention. One on Chemistry and Pharmacy at the Inter- 

 national Exhibition, by Mr. Quin, the Superintendent of that class of 

 products ; A Day at the Carrow Works, Norwich (Messrs. Colmans'), 

 describing the Manufacture of Mustard and Starch by Mr. J. C. Brough ; 

 and one on the Night-shade Order of Plants. 



