\ 
186  EDITORIAL.  PEREIRA 's  MATERIA  MEDICA. 
applicability  as  a  test  for  quinia.  Dr.  Herapath's  observations  were 
published  a  year  before  Dr.  P.?s  death,  and  afford  a  most  conclusive  test 
of  the  presence  of  quinia.  The  additions  to  the  subject  of  Cinchona  has 
extended  the  article  from  39  to  64  pages. 
We  have  now  passed  over  that  part  of  the  work  revised  by  the  author, 
and  in  noticing  the  succeeding  portion  we  have  to  deal  with  the  English 
editors.  After  having  carefully  gone  over  the  latter  part  and  compared  it 
with  the  American  edition  of  1843,  we  feel  more  sensibly  the  great  loss 
sustained  by  this  branch  of  medical  literature  in  the  death  of  Dr.  Pereira. 
Indefatigable  in  his  researches,  accurate  in  his  observations,  and  ingenious 
in  his  conclusions,  he  brought  all  his  genius  to  bear  in  the  perfecting  of  his 
work.  It  was  not  to  be  expected,  that  comparatively  untried  hands  could 
seize  the  spirit  of  the  departed,  and  guide  the  process  of  revision  in  all  its 
avenues  of  botanical,  chemical,  pharmaceutical,  physiological  and  therapeu- 
tical research ;  much  less  bring  to  light  and  use  the  numerous  results  of 
reflection  and  experiment  which  had  accumulated,  and  lay  dormant,  in  the 
mind  of  the  author,  ready  to  be  called  out  and  interwoven  with  the  text, 
as  article  after  article  evolved  from  the  press  ;  yet  we  cannot  but  feel  dis- 
appointed, that  the  materials  stored  up  in  the  Journals  should  not  have 
been  more  thoroughly  rendered  subservient  to  the  task  they  assumed. 
They  appear  to  have,  in  a  great  measure,  refrained  from  modifying  the 
text,  lest  they  should  mar  rather  than  mend  it.  In  justice  to  themselves, 
they  should  have  added  in  foot  notes  what  they  declined  to  incorporate  in 
the  text,  if  this  motive  urged  them. 
The  interesting  and  useful  comparative  results  of  Orfila  with  conia, 
(Pharm.  Jour.  xi.  89,)  made  during  his  investigation  of  nicotina,  which 
we  believe  are  the  best  yet  published,  on  the  distinctive  characteristics  and 
properties  of  conia,  have  not  been  noticed. 
Colooynth  is  referred  to  Citullus,  and  Elaterium  to  Ecbalium  officinarum. 
No  notice  is  taken  of  Mr.  BelPs  paper  on  the  cultivation  of  the  Elaterium 
plant,  and  the  process  practically  employed.  The  Editors  do  not  notice 
the  isolation  of  the  benzule  in  speaking  of  oil  of  bitter  almonds. 
The  article  on  wild  cherry  bark  is  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  Carson,  though  not 
so  marked.  Immediately  following  this,  hydrocyanic  acid  is  brought  in. 
It  is  probable,  had  the  author  lived  to  continue  his  labor,  it  would  have 
been  introduced  here.  In  the  preface  to  the  first  volume,  Dr.  Pereira,  after 
stating  the  general  plan  of  the  work,  which  places  the  organic  substances 
in  the  second  volume,  excepting  certain  salts  of  organic  acids  with  neutral 
bases  which  are  more  conveniently  treated  under  their  bases,  says,  "  The 
only  exception  to  this  mode  of  proceeding,  will  be  found  in  the  case  of  the 
Cyanides,  the  account  of  which  will  follow  that  of  hydrocyanic  acid,  as 
their  medicinal  properties  are  for  the  most  part  derived  from  the  cyanogen 
they  contain."  With  this  clear  indication  of  the  author's  intent,  it  is  sur- 
prising that  the  Editors  have  omitted  all  notice  of  this  class  of  bodies,  save  a 
short  notice  of  the  cyanides  of  mercury,  silver,  gold,  and  zinc,  in  the  appendix, 
and  a  foot  note  (at  page  779)  on  Ferrocyanide  of  Potassium.    Prussian  blue 
