658 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[February 15, 1873. 
hare recently appeared. Abstaining from either censure 
or approval, it puts the reader in full possession of me¬ 
morabilia—such as Condurango, Xylol, Guaiacol (Mr. 
Williams’ preparation) ; the applications of Oleic Acid ; 
the therapeutic uses of Sulphovinate of Sodium; Chlora. 
and its modification; Crotonic Chloral; Glycerine anc. 
Aconitia. In our humble opinion the Introduction is the 
most scholarly portion of the book. The chief points 
treated of throughout are Materia Medica, Pharmaceu¬ 
tical Chemistry, and Pharmacy, concluding with Sun¬ 
dry Rotes and Formulae. The Materia Medica is ar¬ 
ranged in sections under the various Natural Orders with¬ 
out reference to alphabetical system. A strong feature of 
the volume is the portion allotted to Pharmaceutical. 
Chemistry—but our warmest commendation must be 
bestowed on the translations from foreign authors anc 
on the numerous abstracts of their investigations. 
.In the department of Pharmacy we are overwhelmed 
with American suggestions—good probably, but we can 
hold our own ; though there is a feeling of distress, that 
we ourselves seem to have contributed so little to advance 
the trade-science by which we get a living. 
‘ The New York Year Book of Therapeutics and Phar- 
macy is a totally different publication. It is devoted 
to Therapeutics, Materia Medica, Toxicology, Prescrip¬ 
tions and Formulas, and General Receipts, and is mainly 
a collected reprint of such articles appearing in various 
Medical and fecientific Journals that have been deemed 
worthy of notice and preservation. As already sug¬ 
gested to some extent in refei’ence to the Conference 
Year Book, w e are in doubt as to tt e usefulness of 
this class of literature. Those who are really interested, 
have the documents here republished in their posses¬ 
sion—those who read simply for trade purposes are not 
thankful for treatises in extenso. 
As regards ourselves and our own particular Year 
Book, wo cannot but think that a short well-written 
epitome of things and doings Pharmaceutical, would 
be infinitely more acceptable than the products of the 
modern mania for presenting a big book as a sort of tan¬ 
gible equivalent for the money paid by subscribers and 
the benefits derived by association. Meanwhile on one 
point we shall all be unanimous. Mr. Wood has ad¬ 
mirably succeeded in his Editorial capacity, while to 
Professor Attfield there is due no small credit for the 
accurate manner in which he has presented the Trans¬ 
actions of the British Pharmaceutical Conference. 
Healthy Houses : A Handbook to the History, Defects 
and Remedies of Drainage, Ventilation, Warming and 
Kindred Subjects. By William Eassie, C.E., F.L.S., 
F.G.S. London : Simpkin, Marshall and Co. 
The question of constructing houses on more correct 
sanitary principles has long commanded the attention of 
medical and scientific men. It is, however, deplorable 
to. find that the public and the individual householder are 
still but ill informed on all that pertains to healthy 
houses and healthy towns. The avowed object of the 
little book now under our notice, is to provide a 
record of facts, to give the result of acquired experience, 
and a resume of published inventions relating to house 
construction. Our homes are too frequently badly built, 
and situated on unwholesome soil. The drains are often 
ill-constructed, and the rooms are either insufficiently 
ventilated or continually swept by uncomfortable 
draughts of cold air, while poisons lurk underneath the 
basement and flow around the drawing-room and library. 
The consequence is that a man’s house is too often his 
greatest enemy, and not until fever runs riot within the 
walls do many persons become aware of the dangers to 
which they have possibly for years been exposed. 
As a manual for householders and a text-book for 
builders we know of no work equal to this of Mr. Eassie, 
whose wide experience at home and abroad has peculiarly 
fitted him for writing it. In it are described and illus¬ 
trated all the various forms of tile used in drainage ; the 
latest improvements in ventilation are intelligibly dis¬ 
cussed ; the modern systems of warming are commented 
upon; in fact everything from basement to roof that 
relates to sanitation or the comfort of the inmates of a 
house in town or country is treated in a popular and at 
the same time scientific manner. The book exhibits 
much research; every page contains either valuable in¬ 
formation or some novel suggestion. The numerous 
patent devices in filters, and the use and abuse of disin¬ 
fectants, also, come within the writer’s'range ; and a use¬ 
ful novelty in works of this class is the introduction ofr 
the names of vendors of sanitary articles of all descrip¬ 
tion, and the prices at which they can be bought. We 
cannot enter into any detailed criticism of a book em¬ 
bracing. such a vast variety of subjects. The author in 
concluding his work says, “ I have endeavoured on all 
questions pertaining to my subject to give the best infor¬ 
mation. and the results of the most recent inquiries. 
My object has been to write a popular treatise which 
shall embrace all the sanitary requirements of a modem 
habitation, and to offer the result of my labours in this- 
direction in a work at a price within the reach of every 
one.” We congratulate Mr. Eassie on his labours, and 
confidently recommend his book to our readers. As far 
as the price of the book is concerned, we certainly may 
be allowed to say that it is marvellously cheap, and 
within the reach of every one. It is a volume of 224 
pages, with upwards of 300 illustrations, and the cost 
only one shilling! 
fte inti) faeries. 
[330.]—-“ CURIOSITIES IN DISPENSING.”—A 
correspondent forwards the following copy of a prescrip¬ 
tion which he thinks deserves a place among the curiosi¬ 
ties :— 
9 = 
-LlIlLlo. TjI^UIcu dU 
'j • 
gr. xv. 
5j- 
3 viij 
t r 
Quinse Sulph. 
Acid. Sulph. Dil. 
Tr. Cinchon. Co. 
Syrup. Aurant. aa 
Aq. ad. . . . 
Mft. mist. 
He says it bears the stamp, of a respectable chemist.. 
He would esteem it a favour if some of our pharmaceu¬ 
tical savants would say how they would dispense it.. 
The . sign for 6 oz. of Tr. Cinchon. and Syr. Aurant. is 
unmistakable. 
[329.] — LIQ. AMMONIAT. VALERIANAE. — A 
prescription has been presented containing Liq. Ammo- 
niat. Valerianae ^ ij. May I ask if such a preparation 
is recognised by any authority ? A caution was enjoined 
'hat it was not to be the brown but a white milky kind 
of mixture, to be produced by the ammonia. Never- 
:heless we dispensed tinct. valer. am., and trusted it 
would produce the desired effect.—J. W. 
STYPTIC COTTON.—Dr. Rohland describes (New 
lorlc Medical Record ) a styptic cotton for arresting pas¬ 
sive haemorrhage from extensive surfaces. It is pre¬ 
pared by boiling the cotton in a solution of alum and. 
gum benzoin ; the cotton is then dried and picked, and 
afterwards saturated with solution of perch!oride of iron. 
APPOINTMENT. 
Mr. W. T. Crew has been appointed dispenser to the- 
Chorlton-upon-Medlock Dispensary, Manchester, vice Orton* 
A.P.S. etc., resigned. 
VACANCY. 
A Resident Dispenser and Secretary is required for the 
Horton Infirmary, Banbury, to enter on his duties the first 
week in April. For particulars see Advertising Sheet, p. 18. 
