268 
Revieivs,  etc. 
j  Am.  Jour.Pharm. 
\      May,  1881. 
Since  the  author  has  been  m  the  position  to  observe  the  facilities  and  dif- 
ficulties of  the  introduction  of  the  metric  system  into  practical  use,  a  useful 
^md  practical  work  may  be  expected  from  him,  and  we  may  be  permitted 
to  state  at  the  outset  that  those  who  will  peruse  the  above  book  will  find  it 
not  only  very  instructive,  but  also  very  profitable  and  convenient. 
The  simplification  of  the  system  for  practical  use  in  America  consists  in 
abandoning- the  usual  terms  for  the  subdivisions  of  the  gram,  and  substitut- 
ing in  their  place  those  terms  with  which  everyone  is  familiar,  and  which, 
being  taken  from  our  monetary  system,  are  equally  applicable  to  weight; 
accordingly  0  1  gm.  or  a  decigram  would  become  a  dime;  0*01  gm.  or  a  centi- 
gram would  be  a  cent,  and  0*001  gm.  or  a  milligram  would  be  a  mill.  These 
terms  and  their  relation  to  one  another  are  certainly  understood  by  all ; 
special  terms  for  multiples  of  the  gram  are,  at  least  in  j^rescription  writing 
and  comjiounding,  entirely  unnecessary. 
For  fluid  measures  the  author  has  adopted  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  A,  B. 
Taylor  (see  "Am.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1877,  p.  204),  to  use  the  brief  and  descrip- 
tive word  Jiuigram  in  place  of  cubic  centimeter.  Of  its  subdivisions  only 
one,  the  fiuidime,  would  be  practically  required,  this  being  equivalent  to 
minim. 
It  will  be  impossible  to  follow  the  author,  in  this  brief  review,  into  the 
various  expositions  of  the  measures  of  length,  weight  and  capacity,  or  even 
to  indicate  the  nature  and  practical  usefulness  of  the  numerous  tables  pre- 
pared to  show  at  a  glance  the  relation  of  the  new  and  old  systems,  among 
the  latter  including  also  the  British  imperial  measure. 
Of  the  ready  ai^plicability  of  the  metric  system,  with  the  j^roposed  Amer- 
icanized terms  indicated  above,  the  more  than  300  jorescriptions  published 
give  ample  proof ;  likewise  the  posological  table,  giving  the  doses  in  apothe- 
caries' weights  aud  measures  and  in  metric  terms,  as  will  be  seen  from  the 
following  examples : 
Acid,  hydrocyan.  dil.,  2  to  6  min.  1  to  4  fD. 
Atropina  (and  salts),  j^o  to  gV  gr.  0*5  to  2  mills. 
Oamphora,  1  to  10  gr.  5  to  60  cents. 
Fluidextr.  ergota,  15  to  60  min.  1  to  4  fGm. 
Opium,  I  to  2  gr.  8  mills  to  10  cents. 
Potass,  cliloras,  8  to  30  gr.  50  cents  to  2  Gm. 
The  work  is  written  and  arranged  in  such  a  manner  that  it  is  readily 
understood,  and  may  be  consulted  with  great  convenience.  For  jjopu- 
larizing  the  introduction  of  the  metric  system  into  medicine,  Prof.  Old- 
berg  has  rendered  another  signal  service. 
Ayi  Unofficicd  Pharmacopceia ;  comprising  over  700  popular  non-official 
Preparations,  and  containing  an  Account  of  the  Metric  System  of 
Weights  and  Measures,  Americanized  and  simplified  ;  a  comprehensive 
Dose  Table,  and  300  Practical  Illustrations  of  Metric  Prescription  Writ- 
ing, etc.  By  Oscar  Oldberg,  Ph.D.,  etc.  PhiladeljDhia :  Presley  Blakis- 
ton,  1881.    12mo,  pp.  503.    Price,  ^3.50. 
This  work  contains  the  whole  of  the  preceding  work,  from  the  pen  of 
the  same  author ;  but  several  useful  tables  have  been  added,  and  illustra- 
tions and  brief  descriptions  of  metric  weights  and  measures.    The  chief 
