90 
EDITORIAL. 
'■The  tendency  of  this  pursuit  is,  at  first,  to  attract  a  reckless  and 
adventurous  population,  whose  disregard  of  conventional  restraint  leads 
to  the  assumption  of  risks  and  to  bold  and  hazardous  undertakings,  by 
which  new  countries  are  most  rapidly  opened  up  to  settlement  and  civili- 
zation. Providence  so  ordains  it  that  the  superficial  treasures  of  the 
earth  designed  to  attract  this  enterprising  class  soon  disappear,  and  a 
higher  order  of  intelligence  is  required,  and  a  more  permanent  condition 
of  things  established.  It  is  only  necessary  to  look  back  over  the  past 
eighteen  years  to  find  in  the  advancement  of  this  vast  region,  known  as 
the  Pacific  slope,  the  strongest  possible  refutation  of  the  assertion  that 
mining  is  inimical  to  the  welfare  of  the  people.  Looking  forward  to  the 
future  who  can  predict  the  high  condition  of  prosperity  likely  to  be  at- 
tained by  the  new  States  and  Territories  eighteen  years  hence?  With 
trans-continental  railroads  and  telegraph  lines  binding  the  Atlantic  to 
the  Pacific  ;  with  more  roads  and  lines  traversing  the  country  north  and 
south  ;  with  the  commerce  of  Asia  pouring  its  treasures  into  our  seaports  ; 
with  an  export  trade  commanding  the  whole  eastern  world  ;  with  a'prob- 
able  coast  line  stretching  from  Behring  Straits  to  Cape  St.  Lucas  ;  with 
innumerable  flourishing  cities  and  seaport  towns  ;  with  an  agricultural 
population  numbering  thousands  where  they  now  number  hundreds  ; 
with  busy  manufactories  scattered  over  the  land;  with  churches,  schools 
and  colleges  every  where  throifghout  the  mountains  and  valleys.  All  of 
these  many  of  us  may  live  to  see,  but  few  can  imagine  the  magnificent 
future  that  lies  before  us." 
The  Medical  Formulary.  Being  a  collection  of  prescriptions  derived 
from  the  writings  and  practice  of  many  of  the  most  eminent  physicians 
in  America  and  Europe,  together  with  the  usual  dietetic  preparations 
and  antidotes  for  poisons;  to  which  is  added  an  appendix  on  the  en- 
dermic  use  of  medicines,  and  on  the  use  of  ether  and  chloroform,  the 
whole  accompanied  with  a  few  brief  pharmaceutical  and  medical  ob- 
servations. By  Benjamin  Ellis,  M.  D.,  &c.  Twelfth  edition,  carefully 
revised  and  much  improved  by  Albert  H.  Smith,  M.  D.,  &c,  Philadel- 
phia, Henry  C.  Lea,  1868;  pp.  374,  octavo. 
Ellis's  Medical  Formulary  has  long  been  an  established  text-book  to 
the  prescriber,  and  amid  the  numerous  works  of  an  allied  character,  has 
held  its  ground  remarkably.  This  has  arisen  partly  from  the  excellence 
of  the  original  issue,  and  partly  from  the  carefully  conducted  revisions  it 
has  undergone  at  the  hands  of  its  several  editors  since  the  death  of  the 
author,  Dr.  Morton,  Dr.  Thomas,  and  now  Dr.  Smith.  The  new  matter  in 
the  present  edition  is  considerable,  to  make  room  for  which  several  obsolete 
formulas  have  been  omitted,  and  the  new  formulas  have  been  enclosed  in 
brackets,  to  distinguish  them.  The  editor  has  added  to  this  edition  two 
new  classes,  viz.,  antemetics  and  disinfectants,  besides  many  additions 
io  other  classes  of  remedies,  which  add  consid^erably  to  the  size  of  the 
volume.    Among  the  new  formulae  we  observe 
*'  Soda  Mint. 
R.  Soda  bicarbonatis,      .       .       .  ^ij. 
Spt.  ammonise  arom.,     .       .       .    gtt.  xl. 
Aq.  menthse  pip.       .       .       .  f^viij. 
Misce. 
Signa.    Dose,  a  teaspoonful  for  an  infant." 
