December 21,1S72.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
497 
p. 101 we are told with, a note of exclamation that in 1857 
we imported of reeds, canes, and rattans together 
12,000,000. The promise to bring down the statistical 
and general information to the present time is performed 
in a manner that adds to the confusion. The fresh 
matter is sometimes placed in the text without a mark, 
or between brackets, or sometimes as a foot-note. One 
consequence is, that after meeting with dates as late as 
1869, preceding and following 1858, spoken of as “now,” 
the reader is puzzled as to what time the “ last eighteen 
years” “a quarter of a century ago,” or “the present 
moment ” represent. Another consequence is that alumi¬ 
nium is spoken of as a new metal which might do for 
plating purposes. The improvements which in manufacture 
have so reduced the price of sodium, are referred to as 
matter of hearsay; potash, we are told, is collected on a 
large scale only in those countries where wood is the 
principal fuel; in a lecture on the scientific discoveries 
of the nineteenth century, we are gravely told that 
England is within ten days of America, and can speak to 
Continental Europe across the Channel (not a hint of the 
Atlantic telegraph) ; and in an article on dyes and 
colouring stuffs, the aniline dyes and the artificially- 
prepared alizarin are not mentioned. 
In treatises ■which owe their principal value to sta¬ 
tistics, a little padding as a relief might be expected and 
nllowed. It would not be fair, therefore, to criticize too 
severely such passages, although we had marked one or 
two specimens of “ high falutin ” for quotation. But when 
the padding of various treatises is pitched together without 
sufficient supervision, there is danger of a disagreement. 
Thus, although not prepared to concur altogether in the 
remark, that without colonies and commerce (if such a 
state of things could now be) England would sink to a 
petty fourth-rate state—for England made her mark in 
Europe before she had one or the other—we are disarmed 
■when we find that England’s greatness is afterwards 
attributed in different places to Christianity and the gold 
discoveries !! In one place the year 2000 is fixed as the 
probable era "when manual labour will cease through 
the extension of machinery; although in another it is 
stated that machinery has not in any way diminished 
the demand for labour. 
Again, on p. 89, we read, “ There has been obtained 
from the earth in England in the last quarter of a century 
more rude stone than, when converted into railway bars, 
would form an iron girdle round the earth itself.” Con¬ 
sidering England’s share in the iron trade, this statement 
remains pretty safe, but becomes rather obsolete in the 
presence of another on p. 137, that the railways in 
existence measure .642,006 miles (450,000 miles of which 
are in Europe) and are increasing at the rate of 100,000 
miles a year. 
To •wind up our catalogue of criticisms, we may 
remark that it is scarcely correct science to say 
that “ carbon exists more abundantly in charcoal than 
nny other fusible substance, and the smoke that goes up 
from the charcoal.forge is carbon in a fluid state ;” this is 
a definition not likely to suffer from plagiarism. 
Notwithstanding these serious blemishes, the book is 
in many respects a useful one, some of the essays con¬ 
taining a quantity of curious information which "Mr. P. 
L. Simmonds is peculiarly well-fitted to deal with. 
.Such are his lectures on “ Shells and their Uses,” the 
woolleiq silk, iron, and other industries; also that on 
Nuts, which has already been printed in this Journal, 
and for which the silver medal of the Society of Arts has 
been awarded to the author. But had he waited until 
he had leisure to weed out all repetitions and obsolete 
matter, and to reduce antiquated statistics to their proper 
proportions, the book would not have numbered so many 
pages, but more readers beginning to read it would have 
persevered to the end, and those who did so would have 
been spared the vexation of seeing good materials ingeni¬ 
ously spoilt. a 
Units anir f writs. 
*** In order to facilitate reference , correspondents are 
requested to mark their answers in each case with the title 
and number of the query referred to. 
No notice can be taken of anonymous communications. 
All queries or answers should be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer. 
[323.]—GLASS LABELLING.—One part of Nelson’s 
gelatine, two parts of acetic acid, digest 24 hours, then 
boil ten minutes in an enamelled saucepan, kept stirred 
with a glass rod, answers admirably.—H. J. Lutwyciie. 
Mr. R. AY. Watson, of Sheffield, states that glaziers’ 
putty answers the purpose admirably. 
[324.]—SYRUPUS CALOIS LACTO-PHOSPHA- 
TIS. — A. IF. having made several unsuccessful attempts 
to obtain Syrupus Calcis Lacto-Phosphatis, wishes for a 
good formula and instructions for preparing the same. 
[325.]—STEARINS IN BUTTER.—A correspondent 
wishes for information respecting the detection of stearine 
when present in butter. 
* - 
[325]—LYCOPERDIUM GIGANTEUM. — Profes¬ 
sor J. Leon Soubeiran has kindly forwarded the follow¬ 
ing answer to “A.,” taken from Dr. de Beauvoys:— 
“ The Ly coper don (jig ant earn and some other species are 
eaten while young. In order to prepare this fungus for 
use in stupif'ying bees, it should be compressed while it 
is yet spongy and before it has become brown and soft, 
in order that it may be better preserved, but it is not 
necessary to steep it in solution of nitre or of starch. A 
small piece is cut off and put into the fumigating vessel 
and burnt with some well dried chips. A piece the size 
of a five-franc piece is sufficient to stupify for nearly half 
an hour.” 
APPOINTMENT. 
Mr. Frederick F. L. Robertson, pharmaceutical chemist 
has been appointed by the Camberwell Board of Guardians 
dispenser to the Infirmary in Havil Street, Camberwell. 
BOOKS RECEIVED. 
Jahresbericht uber die Fortschrittb der Che.wie 
UXD VERWANDTER ThEILE AXDERER WISSEXSCIIAFTEX. 
Fur 1870. Erstcs Heft. Giessen. 1872. 
Medizixische Jahrbucher. Herausgegeben von der K. 
K. Gossellschaft der Arzte ; redigirt von S. Stricter. 
Jahrgang 1872, IV. Heft. Vienna. 1872. 
Lessoxs ix Elemextary Physiology. By Thomas II. 
Huxley, LL.D., F.R.S. Sixth Edition. London: 
Macmillan and Co. 1872. 
A Table givixg the Relative Values of Differext 
Articles of Food ix Commox Use. Compiled by 
Charles Ekix, F.C.S. 
The following journals have been received :—The ‘ British 
Medical Journal,’ December 14; the ‘Medical Times and 
Gazette,’ December 14; the ‘Lancet,’ December 14; the 
‘Medical Press and Circular,’ December 14 ; ‘Nature,’De¬ 
cember 14; the ‘Chemical News,’December If; ‘English 
Mechanic,’ December 14; ‘ Gardeners’ Chronicle,’ December 
14; the ‘ Grocer,’December 14; the ‘ Journal of the Society 
of Arts,’ December 14; ‘Grocery News,’ December 14; 
‘ Zeitschrift des allgemeinen osterreichischen Apotheker- 
Vereines’ for December 10; ‘Druggists’ Circular’ for De- 
cernber; the ‘Eastern Morning News,’ from a correspondent; 
‘ Canadian Pharmaceutical Journal ’ for December; ‘ Brewers’ 
Guardian,’ December 15; ‘American Journal of Pharmacy’ 
for December. 
