Am.  Jour.  Phai  ni. ) 
Dec,  1881.  i 
Revieics,  etc. 
639 
recast,  and  may  iu  point  of  fact  be  looked  upon  as  an  entirely  new  work. 
One  of  the  original  authors,  Dr.  Aug.  Huseniann,  died  in  1877,  and  in  his 
2)lace  Prof.  Hilger  has  revised  and  rewritten  the  chemical  portion  of  the 
work.  The  part  before  us  opens  with  a  chapter  on  the  chemical  changes 
in  the  vegetable  organism  and  the  production  of  organic  compounds,  on 
the  chemical  characteristic  and  on  the  action  and  api^lication  of  the 
proximate  vegetable  principles. 
The  second  division  is  devoted  to  the  consideration  of  the  different  prox- 
imate principles,  and  is  divided  into  principles  of  general  occurrence  in 
plants  and  into  principles  which  are  found  only  in  a  limited  number. 
The  former  treats  of  the  inorganic  constituents,  carbohydrates  including 
pectin  compounds  and  derivatives,  organic  acids  (mainlj'^  the  fatty  and 
fruit  acids),  proteids,  unorganized  ferments  (like  emulsin,  myrosin,  dias- 
tase, papain,  etc.),  coloring  matters  and  amido-comiDounds  (asparagin,  leu- 
€in,  etc.) 
In  the  first  edition  the  proximate  principles  were  grouped  together 
according  to  their  chemical  relation.  In  the  present  work  they  are  con- 
sidered in  connection  with  their  production  from  certain  plants  or  groups 
of  plants;  hence  the  arrangement  is  from  a  botanical  standpoint,  and  the 
work  is  thereby  calculated  to  fill  incidentally  also  the  long-felt  want  of  a 
pliytochemistiy.  From  a  purely  physiological  and  therapeutical  stand- 
point, this  arrangement  has  likewise  obvious  advantages.  As  far  as  the 
work  has  been  issued  only  a  portion  of  the  cryptogams  are  treated,  namely 
the  Algse,  fungi  and  lichens,  among  w^hich  j^lants  but  few  are  found  pos- 
sessing medicinal  importance,  the  most  important  ones  being  the  mucila- 
ginous algse,  ergot,  white  agaric  and  Iceland  moss.  The  various  principles 
are  described  according  to  their  chemical  nature,  including  tests  for  recog- 
nition and  detection,  and  according  to  their  physiological  action.  The 
literature  appears  to  be  fully  given,  and,  while  it  has  been  found  necessary 
to  condense  many  statements,  clearness  and  comprehensiveness  do  not 
suffer.  We  trust  that  the  remaining  parts  of  the  work,  in  which  the  most 
important  drugs  will  have  to  be  considered,  will  be  equally  full,  and 
reliable. 
Congres  Pharmaceutique  International^  reuni  a  Londres  en  1881.  Ilai)port 
de  M,  le  Professeur  Nt.  Gille.  Bruxelles. 
Compte  rendu  du  Congre.s  International  Pharmaceutique  de  Londres^  en 
1881.    Par  M.  Ch.  Patrouillard,  de  Gisors.  Paris. 
Cinquihne  Session  du  Congres  International  des  Associations  et  Societes  des 
Pharmaciens.    ila2:)port  de  M.  IN^ickles.  Strasbourg. 
The  above  pamphlets  contain  the  reports  of  tbe  delegates  named  on  the 
transactions  of  the  International  Pharmaceutical  Congress,  of  which  a  full 
account  will  be  found  on  pp.  523  to  528  of  our  August  number. 
Sur  VAmmi  Visnaga.    These  par  Theodore  Malosse.    Montpellier,  1881. 
The  fruit  of  Ammi  Visnaga,  Lambert,  wl:ich  jjlaiit  is  known  in  France 
as  herbe  aux  cure-dents  was,  in  1878,  examined  by  Ibrahim  Mustapha, 
wlio  isolated  a  crystalline  glucoside,  which  he  named  kellin,  from  the 
