December 24, 1870 .] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
515 
that crude and superficial air, the appearance of which 
lets the cat out of the hag-. Added to this, there are 
oven quite early in its pages several very serious mis¬ 
statements. Not to cavil, we pass over the Introduction, 
and in Chapter II. we find, succeeding a table of the 
elements, the following passage:—“ The numbers in the 
third column are the combining weights , or, as they 
.are sometimes called, the equivalent numbers or atomic 
weights .” And then a little further on:—“ It is to be re¬ 
membered then, that the equivalent number of any element 
signifies the relation in weight which the atom of that 
element bears to an atom of hydrogen; and since chemi¬ 
cal compounds are formed by the imion of atoms, the 
atomic weight will also represent the weight in which 
the element will enter into combination. Sometimes 
one, two or many atoms enter into the compound, so that 
whatever may be the quantity of the element, it must 
always be a multiple of the atomic weight; hence the 
name combining weight. And it very frequently happens 
that one element in a compound is replaced by another, 
one atom taking the place of another, the weight of one 
atom being equivalent to the weight of the other; hence 
the name equivalent number.” Only a few linos lower 
down we are told that “ a salt is a compound of an acid 
.and a base.” An acid is a body possessing a sour taste, 
and “ is now defined to be a salt of hydrogen.” “ A base 
is a body which will combine with an acid to form a salt. 
The alkalies are the strongest bases. A base is generally 
the oxide of a metal.” What a curious state of confu¬ 
sion must the author’s mind have been in when he penned 
these sentences! We are only certain of this, that if a 
boy of sixteen presented himself at the London University 
Matriculation examination in such a condition of mental 
fog, he would inevitably be “spun” without mercy. 
Now that the teaching of science to boys and girls is 
becoming more and more the fashion, it behoves us to 
condemn uncompromisingly all that is not of the soundest 
and clearest. Let those schoolmasters who must needs 
be their own professors bear ever in mind that in pro¬ 
portion as the possession of practical and lucid scientific 
ideas is of greater importance than ever so critical an 
•acquaintance with dead languages, so the slightest hazi¬ 
ness in this department of mental culture is more per¬ 
nicious than any number of imperfections in such an art 
as Latin versification. 
BOOKS RECEIVED. 
Note-Book op Materia Medica, Pharmacology and 
Therapeutics. By R. E. Scoresby-Jackson, M.D., 
F.R.S.E., etc. Second Edition, Revised, Enlarged and 
brought down to the Present time, by Angus Mac¬ 
donald, M.A., formerly Lecturer on Mat. Med. and 
Therapeutics at Surgeons’ Hall. Edinburgh: Maclachlan 
and Stewart, 64, South Bridge. London: Simpkin, Mar¬ 
shall and Co. 
Die Pflanzenstopfe in Chemischer, Physiologischer, 
Pharmacologischer und Toxicologischer Hinsicht. 
Fur Aerzte, Apotheker, Chemiker und Pharmakologen 
bcarbeitet von Dr. Aug. Husemann und Dr. Theod. Huse- 
mann. Dritte Lieferung (Bogen 34-51). Berlin. 1870. 
From the Editors, through Mr. Nutt. 
Introduction to the Study of Inorganic Chemistry. 
By William Allen Miller, M.D., D.C.L., LL.D. 
London: Longmans, Green and Co. 1871. From the 
Publishers. 
The following journals have been received:—The ‘British 
Medical Journal,’ Dec. 17; the ‘Medical Times and Gazette,’ 
Dec. 17; the ‘Lancet,’ Dec. 17; the ‘Medical Press and Cir¬ 
cular,’ Dec. 21; ‘Nature,’ Dec. 16; the ‘Chemical News,’ Dec. 
16; ‘Journal of the Society of Arts,’ Dec. 15; ‘Gardeners’ Chro¬ 
nicle,’Dec. 17; the ‘Grocer,’ Dec. 17 ; the ‘English Mecha¬ 
nic,’ Dec. 16; the ‘ Produce Markets Review,’ Dec. 17 ; the 
‘ New York Druggists’ Circular’ for December; the ‘ Chicago 
Pharmacist’ for December; ‘Chesterfield and North Derby¬ 
shire Almanack,’ 1871; the ‘Galway Vindicator,’ Dec. 14. 
ftotw itnir frats. 
*** 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. 
NOTICE.— To prevent delay , correspo)idents are re¬ 
quested to send their communications to the Journal Depecrt- 
ment , 17, Bloomsbury Square , JF.C., and not to the Pub¬ 
lishers. 
[63.]—GREEN FLUID FOR SHOW-BOTTLES.—The 
following gives an emerald green: — 
Cupri Nitrat. ^bj 
Acid. Muriat. §iv 
Acid. Nitric. §iv 
Aq. Destil. Cong. ij. 
Misce sec. art. W. J. P., Uawkhurst. 
[ 66 .]—CEMENT FOR INDIA-RUBBER.—IT. and /S', 
send the following :— 
India-rubber 5j 
Gutta Percha 3 iv 
Bisulphide of Carbon 5 iv. M. 
[ 68 .]— POT POURRI.—In reply to “ Iodi” (Sudbury), 
U. B. (Scarborough) sends the following:— 
Gum Benzoin §ij 
Cloves Bj 
Styrax Cal. ^ss 
Cort. Cinnam. 5ij 
Rad. Iridis 
Roughly powdered together, then add— 
Musk 5 ss 
Bay Salt Hij 
Ol. Lavand. gtt. xx. 
Mix. - 
R. Lavender Flowers 1 lb. 
Yellow Sandal-wood 41b. 
Cloves 2 lb. 
Nutmegs 21b. 
Orange Peel 2 lb. 
Lemon Peel 2 lb. 
Cumin Seeds lib. 
Cinnamon 2 lb. 
Juniper Berries 21b. 
Rose Leaves 2 lb. 
Musk 9j. G. Heyward, Croydon. 
[ 74 .]—TOILET VINEGAR.—In reply to “Reciprocate” 
I forward you the following recipe:— 
01. Neroli, 
„ Cloves, 
„ Lemon, 
„ Bergamot, 
,, Cedrat, ana 5j 
Otto Rose gtt. xx 
Gum Benzoin 5v 
Balsam'Tolu 9j 
S. V. lb Oiij. 
Digest for six days and add— 
Acid. Acet. Glacial, ^iss 
Ess. Ambergris gtt. x 
,, Musk gtt. x. 
After twenty-four hours, add aq. destill. and filter.—H.B., 
Scarborough. 
[ 77 .]—DISPENSING.—Can any of your readers inform 
me how I can dispense the following mixture so as the result 
shall be, without filtering, perfectly clear ? It has been dis¬ 
pensed in London, and every time a clear mixture was sent 
out. I have dispensed it some twenty or thirty times, and it 
has always been milky ? 
R. Acid. Phosph. Dil. B. P. 5bj 
Ferri Cit. c. Quin. 5j 
Tinct. Nucis Vomica) 5j 
Sp. Chloroformi 5vj 
Aq. Destill, ad 3 yj. 
Ft. mist. One tablespoonful to be taken m halt a wine¬ 
glass of water, at eleven and five.—“ Exhibeatur.’ 
In reply to “ Exhibeatur ” I give it as my opinion that it 
