Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
February,  1902.  J 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
*5 
of  just  this  kind  that  there  is  a  need  and  a  want — a  book  that  will 
aid  and  explain  the  obscure  and  knotty  problems  of  the  standard 
of  authority.  Works  of  this  kind  tend  to  bring  the  pharmacist  up 
to  the  level  of  the  Pharmacopoeia,  instead  of  doing  as  some  sup- 
posed commentaries  do,  bring  the  Pharmacopoeia  down  to  the 
level  of  the  average  and  even  mediocre  dealer  in  drugs  and  patent 
medicines. 
The  Germans  have  for  years  had  commentaries  along  the  lines 
followed  by  the  Pharmacopedia.  We  need  but  refer  to  the  well- 
known  work' by  Hirsch,  in  which  he  was  assisted  in  the  later  edition 
by  Dr.  Alfred  Schneider.  The  fourth  edition  of  this  popular  book 
is  now  in  press,  being  published  under  the  able  direction  of  Drs.  A. 
Schneider  and  P.  Suss  as  a  commentary  to  the  fourth  edition  of 
the  "  German  Pharmacopoeia."  Another  German  commentary  that 
is  being  issued  at  the  present  time  is  that  of  Jehn  and  Crato. 
Both  of  these  works,  however,  are  rather  comprehensive.  For  such 
of  the  members  of  the  German  pharmaceutical  profession  as  do  not 
feel  able  to  subscribe  to  these  more  or  less  pretentious  and  expen- 
sive works,  and  still  wish  to  have  something  more  available  for 
reference  than  the  very  able  and  thorough  aids  and  criticisms 
published  in  the  German  pharmaceutical  journals,  they  have  the 
choice  of  "Chemische  Reagentien  und  Reactionen  des  Deutschen 
Arzneibuches  IV,"  by  Holdermann  and  Kendle,  or  the  popular 
**  Anlitung  zur  Erkennung  und  Priifung  aller  im  Arzneibuch  fiir 
das  Deutsche  Reich  (4te  Aufgabe)  Aufgenommenen  Arzneimittel," 
by  Dr.  Max  Biechle. 
The  fourth  edition  of  the  German  Pharmacopoeia  has  been 
most  thoroughly  discussed  and  criticized,  not  only  in  the  commen- 
taries and  the  current  pharmaceutical  literature,  but  also  in  the 
publications  of  the  large  drug  houses  and  manufacturers  in  their 
so-called  "  Handels  berichte  "  many  of  the  discrepancies  of  the 
pharmacopoeia  have  been  commented  on,  and  much  valuable  infor- 
mation been  contributed  in  this  way. 
The  requirements  of  the  German  Pharmacopoeia  are  of  such  a 
nature  that  many  German  apothecaries  have  found  it  advisable  to 
attend  short  post-graduate  courses  in  practical  work  with  the  micro- 
scope and  chemical  burette.  These  courses,  it  appears,  are  held  in 
large  university  towns,  and  cover  about  twelve  working  days.  The 
work  with  the  microscope  is  largely  devoted  to  the  consideration  of 
