384 
Reviews,  etc.— Obituary. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I      July,  1881. 
J.  M,  NickelVs  Botanical  Ready  Reference.     Especially  Designed  for 
Druggists  and  Physicians.    Chicago,  1881.    Pp.  268. 
Upon  the  title-page  and  in  the  preface  the  author  states  that  the  book 
contains  all  of  the  botanical  drugs  known  up  to  the  present  time,  giving, 
also,  all  of  their  botanical,  common,  pharmacopoeial  and  German  com- 
mon (in  German)  names  and  medical  properties.  This  has  been  attempt- 
ing too  much,  notwithstanding  2,465  names  of  plants  are  enumerated,  of 
which,  however,  several  are  varieties,  as  is  correctly  stated,  for  instance 
for  Rhus  radicans.  In  several  cases  distinct  species  are  designated  as  vari- 
eties, for  instance  Rheum  compactum,  and  others  are  said  to  be  varieties 
of  Rh.  palmatum.  Some  important  names,  like  Rheum  officinale,  Gar- 
cinia  morella,  etc.,  have  been  omitted,  and  of  several  plants  names  which 
are  considered  rather  obsolete  have  been  selected,  like  Chironia  instead  of 
Erythrsea  centaurium ;  the  latter,  however,  are  found  among  the  syno- 
nyms. On  comparing  the  common  names  with  those  mentioned  in  the 
similar  works  by  Pollock  and  Hobbs,  a  number  of  new  ones  are  found, 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  a  number  have  been  omitted  which  are  men- 
tioned in  the  others. 
Considering  the  numerous  difficulties  in  the  way  of  such  a  compilation, 
the  work  before  us  must  be  regarded  as  a  very  creditable  and  a  very  useful 
one.  The  first  part  gives,  in  alphabetical  and  numerical  order,  the  botan- 
ical name  of  the  plant,  followed  by  the  common  names,  the  part  employed 
and  the  medical  properties.  Then  follow  several  indexes,  with  references 
to  the  number  of  the  article  in  the  first  part,  namely,  botanical  names, 
including  synonyms  ;  pharmacopoeial  names,  as  used  in  the  United  States, 
Great  Britain  and  Germany ;  German  common  names  and  English  com- 
mon names.  Among  the  latter  w^e  are  surprised  to  find  the  designation 
"  carrion  flower"  applied  to  the  aromatic  Nepeta  glechoma,  and  not  to  the 
Smilax  herbacea,  Lin.  (peduncularis,  J/i/A^.),  which  has  such  a  disgusting 
odor. 
The  following  reports  have  been  received : 
Report  of  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital^  together 
with  the  Accounts  of  the  Treasurer  and  Stewards.    Philadelphia,  1881. 
Repyort  of  the  Managers  of  the  State  Lunatic  Asylum  at  Utica^  N.  Y.,  for 
the  Year  1880.    Albany,  1881. 
Report  of  Analytical  and  Other  Work  done  on  Sorghum  and  Cornstalks  by 
the  Chemical  Division  of  the  Department  of  Aginculture^  July  to  Decem- 
ber^ 1880,  under  Direction  of  Hon.  W.  G.  LeDuc,  Commissioner,  by 
Peter  Collier,  Chemist.    Washington,  1881.    8vo,  pp.  101. 
OBITUAEY. 
Dr.  William  Henky  Osborn,  a  prominent  pharmacist  of  Baltimore,, 
died  in  that  city  June  17th.  The  deceased  had  been  for  several  years  Vice 
President  and  Treasurer  of  the  Maryland  College  Of  Pharmacy,  and  since 
1870  a  member  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association. 
