EDITORIAL. 
93 
Physicians''  Medical  Compend  and  Pharmaceutical  Formulce.  Compiled 
by  Edward  H.  Hance.  Philadelphia,  published  by  Hance,  Griffith  & 
Co.,  1868  ;  pp.  208,  12mo.,  from  the  editor. 
This  is  another  addition  to  the  class  of  books  that  have  been  issued  of 
late  years  by  manufacturing  pharmaceutists,  the  main  object  of  which  is  to 
advantage  business  by  advocating  the  practice  of  making  the  weaker 
pharmaceutical  preparations  of  a  drug  from  its  fluid  extract,  stating  in 
the  preface  that  when  such  preparations  are  made  with  the  fluid  extracts 
of  the  firm  issuing  the  book,  they  have  the  strength  directed  by  the 
United  States  Pharmacopoeia.  Received  just  as  we  are  closing  our  last 
form,  we  have  not  examined  it  very  critically,  yet  sufficiently  to  say 
that  it  embodies  much  information  in  reference  to  formuljE,  doses  and 
many  therapeutic  hints,  together  with  a  special  chapter  on  poisons  and 
antidotes,  intended  for  emergencies.  Notwithstanding  these  merits  and 
the  excellent  typography  and  binding  in  which  it  is  issued,  the  book  is 
marred  by  the  titles  to  the  preparations,  being  a  hybrid  of  English  and 
Latin  in  most  instances.  We  feel  bound  to  again  enter  our  protest  against 
this  class  of  books,  as  inimical  to  the  true  interests  of  pharmacy  ;  Firstly/, 
as  not  yielding  practically,  in  many  cases,  the  preparations  of  the  Phar- 
macopceia ;  secondly,  in  encouraging  an  imperfect  and  unresponsible 
practice  of  pharmacy,  wherein  the  dispenser  has  no  means  of  assuring 
himself  of  the  quality  of  his  preparations,  and  depriving  his  apprentices 
of  the  laboratory  practice  that  is  their  due. 
Announcement  of  the  fourth  annual  course  of  inHruction  in  the  St.  Lout's 
College  of  Pharmacy.    Session  1868-69. 
By  an  accidental  oversight,  this  pamphlet  was  not  noticed  in  either  of 
our  previous  two  issues,  so  as  to  be  in  time  for  those  readers  of  this 
Journal  who  might  have  been  inclined  to  attend  that  school.  We  regret 
this,  as  it  has  always  been  our  wish  to  notice  such  announcements  in  due 
season.  We  will  now  say  that  the  course  commenced  October  1,  1868, 
and  will  continue  till  March  1st.  1869.  The  branches  taught  are  materia 
medica,  medical  botany,  theoretical  and  practical  pharmacy,  and  general 
chemistry,  all  considered  with  special  reference  to  the  requirements  of 
the  phai  maceutist.  The  course  of  materia  medica  and  medical  botany, 
by  Prof.  Potter  ;  pharmacy  by  Prof.  Primm  ;  and  chemistry,  by  Prof.  Mc- 
Ardle.    Fees  for  the  course,  $30. 
Aiinual  Report  of  the  Surgeon-General  of  the  United  States  Army,  1868. 
Printed  at  the  Surgeon-General's  office.  From  Surgeon-General 
Barnes. 
We  learn  from  this  report  that  the  disbursements  during  the  year 
ending  July  1,  1868.  were  $1,756,608.27,  of  which  more  than  a  million 
was  for  payment  of  debts  contracted  prior  to  July,  1867.  It  also  appears 
that  there  were  131,581  cases  among  45,000  white  troops,  of  disease  and 
wounds,  being  an  average  of  nearly  three  cases  to  each  man  per  annum  ; 
