146 
Book  Reviews. 
/Am.  Jour.  Pbarm. 
I      March,  1908. 
A  Manual  of  Materia  Medica,  especially  designed  for  students 
of  pharmacy.  By  Prof.  Edsel  A.  Ruddiman.  Philadelphia  and  New- 
York:  Lea  Brothers  &  Co.,  1907.    Cloth,  $2.25. 
The  purpose  of  this  book  is  set  forth  in  the  following  statement 
taken  from  the  preface :  "  In  the  multiplicity  of  books  treating  of 
the  various  phases  of  materia  medica,  there  seems  to  be  a  place  for 
one  especially  condensed  and  written  for  the  student  of  pharmacy. 
The  author  has  attempted  to  present,  in  as  few  words  as  possible, 
the  work  usually  given  to  such  students."  While  one  may  present 
the  essential  principles  of  a  subject  in  a  condensed  form,  or  present 
an  elementary  treatise  on  a  given  subject,  this  is  not  the  time  to 
provide  short  cuts  and  quick  turns  for  pharmacy  students.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  aim  should  be  to  inculcate  the  principles  in  each 
branch  as  thoroughly  as  possible,  and  at  the  same  time  to  broaden 
the  student's  grasp  of  the  subject. 
Professor  Ruddiman's  Manual  bears  evidence  that  he  was  especially 
guided  in  his  selection  of  material  by  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia, 
Hare's  Therapeutics,  and  Culbreth's  Materia  Medica.  One  won- 
ders why,  in  a  book  of  this  kind,  which  is  presumably  written 
for  students  supposed  to  have  a  good  preliminary  training,  weights 
and  measures  given  in  grains  and  inches  are  prominently  brought 
forward,  while  the  metric  equivalents  are  given  in  parentheses,  con- 
trary both  to  the  spirit  and  language  of  the  Pharmacopoeia,  when 
apparently  the  latter  was  the  source  of  the  data  given  in  all  cases. 
The  condensed  treatment  of  the  subject  of  constituents  is  unfor- 
tunate, so  far  as  pharmacy  students  are  concerned.  This  is  the 
feature  that  should  have  been  extended  rather  than  that  on  the 
action  and  uses  of  drugs. 
The  reviewer  believes  that  thoroughness  and  efficiency  should  be 
made  the  watchwords  in  the  training  of  pharmaceutical  students, 
and  he  uses  this  occasion  to  put  pharmaceutical  teachers  and  authors 
on  their  guard,  lest  they  unduly  condense  and  shorten  the  matter 
presented  to  their  students. 
Prescription  Practice  and  General  Dispensing.  An  elemen- 
tary treatise  for  students  of  pharmacy.     By  Prof.  J.  H.  Beal,  1908. 
In  the  preface  Professor  Beal  states  that  "  the  principal  object  of 
the  following  pages  is  to  afford  an  outline  of  a  systematic  course  of 
study  for  the  novice  in  extemporaneous  compounding,  and  is  not 
