EDITORIAL. 
173 
Ellis'  Medical  Formulary.  Tenth  Edition,  revised  and  much  extended.  By 
Robert  P.  Thomas,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Materia  Medica  in  the  Philadel- 
phia College  of  Pharmacy.  Philadelphia.  Blanchard  &  Lea.  1824.  pp. 
296.  Octavo. 
A  formulary  which  has  passed  through  ten  editions  must  be  possessed 
of  much  merit.  Works  of  this  kind  should  be  comprehensive,  without  being 
clogged  with  too  many  useless  recipes  ;  they  should  be  written  in  a  clear 
language  to  avoid  misconstruction;  and,  above  all,  should  be  free  from 
errors  in  doses,  names,  or  quantity  symbols.  After  an  examination  of  the 
new  matter,  and  the  alterations,  we  believe  the  reputation  of  the  work, 
built  up  by  the  author,  and  the  late  distinguished  editor,  will  continue  to 
flourish  under  the  auspices  of  the  present  editor,  who  has  the  industry, 
and  accuracy,  and  we  should  say  conscientiousness,  requisite  for  the  respon- 
sible task. 
The  table  of  doses  has  been  re-written,  and  the  editor  openly  assumes 
the  responsibility  of  its  correctness.  Very  properly,  the  nomenclature, 
which,  previously,  in  many  instances,  partook  too  much  of  foreign  pharma- 
copoeias, has  now  been  made  to  accord,  when  possible,  with  the  simple 
language  of  our  own  code  ;  which  will,  we  hope,  conduce  to  greater  unifor- 
mity in  prescription  writing. 
The  new  matter  has  extended  the  book  more  than  forty  pages.  It  includes 
additions  to  every  chapter;  many  old  formula  have  been  amended,  and,  in 
introducing  the  new,  the  editor  has  aimed  at  selecting  the  best  of  their  kind. 
Although  the  limits  intended  by  the  publisher  were  overstepped  by  the 
additions  made,  there  are  a  number  of  preparations  that  might  have  found 
a  place,  among  which  may  be  mentioned,  The  Fluid  Extracts  of  Cinchona, 
Buchu,  Taraxacum,  Valerian,  and  Sarsaparilla,  Elixir  of  Opium,  Glycerin, 
Cucumber  and  Carrot  Ointments,  Emulsion  of  Phosphuretted  Oil,  Acid 
Phosphates  of  Iron  and  Lime,  Preparations  of  Caffein,  Ergotin,  Iodide  of 
Iron  Pills,  Lactate  of  Iron,  Hesin  of  Jalap,  and  of  Scammony,  etc. 
Exploration  of  the  Valley  of  the  Amazon;  made  under  the  direction  of  the 
Navy  Department.  By  War.  Lewis  Herndon  and  Lardner  Gibbon, 
Lieutenants  U.  S.  Navy.  Part  I,  by  Lieut.  Herndon,  Washington,  1853. 
pp.  414.  (Document,  Senate,  Thirty-second  Congress,  Second  Session.) 
With  an  Atlas. 
On  the  21st  of  May,  1851,  Lieutenants  W.  L.  Herndon  and  Lardner  Gib- 
bon, under  directions  of  the  Navy  Department  of  the  United  States,  left 
Lima  to  cross  the  Andes  to  the  head  navigable  waters  of  the  chief  tributaries 
of  the  Amazon,  with  instructions  to  embark  at  the  commencement  of  canoo 
navigation  and  proceed  to  the  main  trunk  of  that  great  river,  and  by  it  to 
Para  near  its  mouth  in  the  Atlantic  ocean.  The  object  of  the  expedition 
was  "to  enable  the  Government  to  form  a  proper  estimate  of  the  degree  of 
importance,  present  and  prospective,  of  the  free  navigation  of  the  Amazon" 
to  this  country.    In  view  of  this  aim  Lieut.  Herndon  was  directed  to  make 
