Am.  Jour.Pharno.  \ 
December,  1897.  ] 
Reviews. 
649 
Part  II  is  devoted  to  Special  Pharmaceutics,  and  occupies  some  545  pages. 
In  this  section  the  various  medicinal  substances  are  taken  up  in  alphabetical 
order,  and  considered  somewhat  as  they  are  in  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia,  but  in 
some  respects  rather  more  fully,  which  gives  the  book  a  resemblance  to  a 
dispensatory.  For  instance,  the  first  article,  Abies  Canadensis,  is  treated  under 
the  following  heads  :  Natural  Order,  Synonyms,  Description,  Habitat,  History, 
Parts  Used,  Preparations.  The  last  heading  embraces  the  tincture  and  method 
of  preparing  it. 
Acidum  Aceticum  and  other  chemical  substances  and  compounds  are  treated 
under  the  following  headings :  Chemical  Symbol,  Synonyms,  Description 
Preparations.    Many  of  the  physiologically  active  metallic  salts  and  alkaloids 
have  the  maximum  dose  given. 
Part  III  consists  of  some  25  pages  of  Select  Tables  for  Reference,  many  of 
which  have  been  taken  by  permission  from  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia;  List  of 
Medicines  and  Pronunciation,  15  pages,  and  Index  of  over  50  pages. 
The  Section  in  Part  I,  on  General  Pharmacy  of  Drugs  for  Homoeopathic  Use,  is 
a  concise  statement  of  the  processes  used  in,  and  the  principles  governing 
homoeopathic  pharmacy,  and  any  well-educated  pharmacist  would  be  able  to 
practise  homoeopathic  pharmacy  after  a  careful  reading  of  this  part.  A  section 
is  devoted  to  cleanliness  and  cleaning  of  utensils,  which  contains  directions  con- 
cerning that  which  has  been  one  of  the  reasons  for  the  existence  of  homoeo- 
pathy. Every  school  of  pharmacy  and  medicine  should  keep  the  subject  of 
cleanliness  constantly  before  the  students. 
The  first  edition  of  a  book  having  the  scope  of  this  one  is  sure  to  contain  a 
number  of  errors,  and  a  few  of  these  may  be  pointed  out. 
The  term  "chemical  symbol"  is  used  throughout  the  book  where  in  most 
cases  "chemical  formula"  would  be  more  in  accordance  with  chemical  nomen- 
clature. In  the  German  sdure,  the  umlaut  is  in  nearly  every  instance  placed  over 
the  u,  making  satire.  The  sweeping  statement  is  made  that  tannic  acid  "  unites 
with  all  vegetable  alkaloids,  forming  whitish  precipitates, "  which  will  not  hold 
true  in  the  cases  of  morphine  and  caffeine.  Petroleum  ether  and  petroleum 
benzin  are  given  as  synonyms  of  nitrobenzol,  which  is  away  off  from  the  truth, 
very  misleading  and  liable  to  cause  serious  accidents. 
In  regard  to  the  nomenclature  in  the  book,  it  may  be  said  to  be  a  mixture  of 
ancient  and  modern  systems;  for  example,  in  accordance  with  the  reform  spell- 
ing movement,  the  finals  is  dropped  from  chloride,  iodine  and  the  alkaloids; 
consequently  we  have  in  this  case  morphin  acetate,  in  which  the  e  is  dropped 
from  morphine,  where  it  is  of  use  in  distinguishing  the  alkaloid  as  a  member 
of  its  class,  while  it  is  retained  in  the  acetate,  where  it  is  of  no  apparent  use. 
We  believe  that  this  book  has  been  compiled  with  a  hope  of  removing  the 
veil  of  mystery  which  apparently  surrounds  homoeopathy,  but  the  dismissal 
of  a  few  substances  like  "  Hahnemann's  Causticum  "  would  remove  both  book 
and  school  from  the  possible  accusation  of  mysticism. 
A  Text-Book  of  Practical  Therapeutics,  with  special  reference  to  the 
application  of  remedial  measures  to  disease  and  their  employment  upon  a  ra- 
tional basis.  By  Hobart  Amory  Hare,  M.D.,  B.Sc,  Professor  of  Therapeutics 
and  Materia  Medica  in  the  Jefferson  Medical  College  of  Philadelphia.  Phila- 
delphia :  Lea  Bros.  &  Co.    8vo,  Pp.  758.    Sixth  edition. 
The  fourth  edition  of  this  valuable  and  practical  work  was  noticed  in  the 
