Am.  .four.  PI 
Oct.,  1881 
Reviews,  etc.  543 
chair.  The  finances  are  in  good  condition  ;  besides  a  handsome  balance  in 
banli,  £200  liave  been  invested.  Tlie  library  contains  a  good  selection  of 
works  on  materia  medica,  pharmacy,  chemistr3^  and  toxicology.  A  phar- 
macy bill  is  in  course  of  preparation  and  is  expected  to  pass.  Under  the 
auspices  of  the  society,  a  course  of  free  lectures  is  being  delivered  by  Mr. 
Fred.  Wright,  and  arrangements  have  been  made  for  suj^plying  the  mem- 
bers with  the  "  London  Chemist  and  Druggist,"  free. 
REVIEWS  AND  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 
Proceedings  of  the  Pennsylvania  Pharmaeeutieal  Association  at  its  fourth 
annual  meeting,  held  in  Williamsport  June  14  and  15, 1881.  Harrisburg, 
1881.    8vo,  pp.  160. 
A  full  account  of  this  meeting,  with  abstracts  of  the  i)apers  i*ead,  was 
published  in  our  Jul3^  number  (pp.  376-381).  The  pamphlet  gives  evidence 
of  a  good  amount  of  substantial  work  done  by  the  Association. 
General  Medical  Chemistry  for  the  Use  of  Practitioners  of  Medicine.  By 
R.  A.  Witthaus,  A.M.,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Chemistry  and  Toxicology  in 
the  Medical  Department  of  the  University  of  Vermont,  etc.  New  York : 
Wm.  Wood  &  Co.    1881.    Svo,  pp.  443. 
The  introductory  portion  treats,  upon  32  pages,  of  chemical  philosophy. 
Under  the  heading  of  Special  Chemistry,  the  elements  are  arranged  in  four 
classes,  the  first  comprising  the  typical  elements  oxygen  and  hydrogen ; 
the  second  class  those  whose  oxides  unite  with  water  to  form  acids  (non- 
metallic  elements,  metalloids);  the  third  class  those  elements  whose  oxides 
unite  with  water,  some  to  form  bases,  others  to  form  acids  (most  of  the 
heavy  metals),  and  the  fourth  class  those  elements  whose  oxides  unite  with 
water  to  form  bases  only  (chiefly  the  metals  of  the  alkalies  and  alkaline 
4?arths)-    The  organic  compounds  which  are  in  most  works,  on  account  of 
greater  convenience,  considered  after  the  elements  and  their  inorganic 
combinations,  are  in  the  work  before  us  placed  under  carbon  and  con- 
sidered as  carbon  compounds.    This  arrangement  is  undoubtedly  the  true 
logical  one,  as  stated  by  the  author  in  the  preface  ;  but  whether  it  is  the 
most  convenient  for  the  student  there  is  good  ground  for  holding  different 
views.    However,  the  work  is,  according  to  the  title,  not  so  much  intended 
for  the  student  as  rather  for  the  practitioner  of  medicine,  and  accordingly 
the  technical  processes  have  been  condensed  to  a  minimum,  while  the 
bearing  of  chemistry  upon  physiology,  hygiene,  therapeutics  and  toxi- 
cology have  been  treated  of  as  fully  as  the  limits  of  the  work  have  j)ermitted. 
The  chapters  on  alcohol  and  alcoholic  beverages,  on  etliers,  on  biliary  and 
other  acids,  on  the  constituents  of  urine,  on  the  sugars,  albuminoids,  animal 
coloring  matters,  etc.,  will  be  found  particularly  useful  and  instructive. 
In  the  chapter  on  alkaloids,  we  would  suggest  that  those  of  the  solanacese 
and  from  other  sources  (atropia,  veratria,  aconitia,  etc.),  as  well  as  quinidia 
and  cinchonidia,  and  perhaps  also  chinoidine,  seem  to  deserve  a  fuller 
