A  u.  Jour.  Phariu.  \ 
August.  1897.  J 
Reviews. 
429 
Species  Plantarum,  1753.  It  is  our  intent  to  more  carefully  note  the  changes 
necessitated  in  the  names  of  medicinal  plants,  upon  the  completion  of  Volume 
III. 
A  cursory  examination  of  the  volume  exhibits  great  freedom  from  typo- 
graphical errors  and  comparatively  little  for  criticism.  On  page  345  we  are  in- 
formed that  Oxalis  acetosella  "yields  the  druggists' salt  of  lemon."  The 
modern  methods  of  manufacturing  the  oxalates  have  displaced  such  a  primitive 
source. 
The  distribution  of  plants  is  generally  accurately  given.  The  existence  of 
Ilicioides  mucronata  (I,.)  Britton,  (Nemopanthes  fascicularis,  Raf.),  in  New 
Jersey,  has,  however,  escaped  attention. 
The  authors  have  aimed  to  incorporate  the  most  recent  contributions  and 
studies  of  the  different  genera  and  orders.  Consequently  some  very  recently 
described  plants  are  figured  here.  Of  these  may  be  mentioned  as  examples 
Potentilla  littoralis,  Rydberg,  1896  ;  Crataegus  Vailiae,  Britton,  1896  ;  Prunus 
Gravesii,  Small,  1897  ;  Viola  atlantica,  Britton,  1897.  The  treatment  of  many 
groups  show  critical  study  on  the  part  of  the  authors.  Several  entirely  new 
species  are  described,  and  a  very  general  tendency  through  the  volume  is  to 
elevate  well-marked  varieties  of  previous  authors  to  specific  rank,  and  a  number 
of  species  discarded  in  Gray's  Manual  have  been  revived. 
Another  commendable  feature  of  the  work  is  the  introduction  of  many 
foreign  plants  that  have  escaped  from  cultivation,  or  otherwise  become  distri- 
buted in  waste  places.  This  renders  the  book  especially  valuable  to  the 
botanists  in  our  seaport  cities,  who  collect  on  the  ballast  grounds. 
It  is  an  up-to-date  book,  and  a  most  valuable  contribution  to  the  literature  of 
systematic  botany,  and  we  eagerly  await  the  appearance  of  the  final  volume. 
G.  M.  B. 
Die  Neuen  Arzneidrogen  atjs  dem  Pfi,anzenreichE.  Von  Dr.  Car) 
Hartwich,  Professor  der  Pharmakognosie  am  Bidgenossichen  Polytechnikum 
in  Zurich.    Verlag  von  Julius  Springer,  Berlin,  1897.    Preis,  M.  12. 
During  the  past  several  years,  the  additions  to  the  list  of  medicinal  drugs 
from  the  vegetable  kingdom  has  been  so  rapid  that  in  self-protection  one  is 
driven  to  devise  some  kind  of  a  system  by  which  to  keep  track  of  them.  The 
author  prepared  for  his  own  use  an  alphabetical  list  of  such  new  drugs,  with  a 
brief  statement  concerning  each  of  them,  and  a  number  of  references  to  the 
literature  of  the  subject.  The  result  was  so  satisfactory  that  he  decided  to 
elaborate  the  same  and  publish  it.  We  have,  in  consequence,  a  book  of  some 
469  pages,  filled  with  matter  which  is  not  only  compactly  printed,  but,  what  is 
more  important,  compactly  stated.  Any  one  interested  in  new  plant  drugs,  if 
he  has  only  a  moderate  familiarity  with  the  German  language,  will  find  thir 
book  of  the  greatest  value. 
An  introduction  of  twenty-three  pages  gives  a  general  view  of  the  subject,, 
and  points  out  the  rapidity  and  extent  to  which  new  plant  drugs  have  been 
recognized  by  the  various  pharmacopoeias.  Following  this  is  the  special  part 
which  constitutes  the  great  bulk  of  the  work,  and  which  consists  of  short 
notices  of  new  plant  drugs,  arranged  in  alphabetical  order.  The  names  and 
synonyms  of  each  are  given,  then  follow  short  descriptions,  habitat,  uses, 
chemical  composition,  etc.,  not  always  in  the  same  order  ;  the  latter  feature  has 
