76 
EDITORIAL. 
University  tuition  less  accessible.  Our  Medical  and  Pharmaceutical  In- 
stitutions do  not  insist  on  preparatory  classical  studies,  and  the  student 
is  often  found  entering  upon  a  professional  career  with  an  amount  of 
preliminary  education  wholly  inadequate  to  cope  with  the  difficulties  that 
beset  him.  To  this  numerous  class,  both  as  students  and  graduates,  this 
work  offers  its  aid  ;  and,  if  its  claims  be  at  all  commensurate  with  its 
promises,  they  will  find  it  a  constant  helper  on  many  needful  occasions. 
Now,  what  does  it  promise  ?  and  how  nearly  does  it  come  up  to  the  mark  ? 
First,  in  regard  to  pronunciation.  Dr.  Thomas  is  the  author  of  the  system 
of  pronunciation  in  "  Lippincott's  Gazetteer,"  and  has  given  much  atten- 
tion to  this  important  feature  of  the  work.  His  plan,  in  most  instances, 
divides  the  words  into  syllables  by  hyphens,  and  in  this  way,  with 
accentuation  marks,  gives  a  good  idea  of  the  pronunciation  intended ; 
in  others,  a  separate  and  distinct  spelling,  to  represent  the  sounds  of  the 
word,  is  given,  thus  : — "  Artemisia,"  is  "  Ar-te-mish'e-a  ;"  "  Chenopodia- 
ceae,"  is  "  Ke-no-po-de-a-she-e  ;"  "  Discutient,"  is  "  Dis-ku-shent." 
The  etymology  of  words  derived  from  the  French,  Latin  and  Greek  is 
very  generally  traced,  and  affords  a  convenient  reference  for  writers  and 
investigators.  Besides  the  proper  words  employed  in  scientific  nomen- 
clature and  terminology,  an  immense  number  of  adjectives  explanatory  of 
the  sciences  are  introduced  and  defined ;  more  especially  those  used  in 
medicine,  pharmacy  and  botany.  The  pharmaceutical  student  will  be 
particularly  gratified  and  benefited  by  the  light  it  sheds  on  his  scientific 
pathway.  The  natural  orders  of  plants  are  all  given  and  defined,  and  also 
most  articles  of  the  materia  medica. 
In  the  Appendix,  the  explanation  of  Latin  terms  and  phrases  will  meet 
a  want  felt  in  every  apothecary's  shop  and  physician's  office,  and  the  tabu- 
lar statements  of  Latin  names  and  adjectives  there  grouped,  with  especial 
reference  to  medicine  and  pharmacy,  exhibit  a  happy  familiarity  on  the 
part  of  the  author  with  these  wants. 
In  this  part  will  also  be  found  a  useful  «  table  of  materia  medica,"  ar- 
ranged according  to  the  therapeutic  qualities  of  the  drugs ;  and  also  a  table 
of  doses,  both  of  which  address  themselves  specially  to  the  medical  student. 
The  chapter  on  writing  prescriptions  may  be  studied  by  medical  students 
with  much  advantage,  and  attention  to  the  precepts  it  inculcates,  by  many 
physicians,  would  render  these  often  obscure  and  hieroglyphic  documents 
clear  and  easily  understood.  Of  course  the  remarks  bear  more  on  the 
language  than  the  composition  of  prescriptions,  and  do  not  embrace  the 
numerous  hints  necessary  to  caution  against  chemical  incompatibility  or 
pharmaceutical  impropriety,  which  a  complete  treatise  on  this  branch  of 
medical  education  would  include. 
The  author,  at  the  conclusion,  gives  a  chapter  of  words,  the  pronunciation 
of  which  is  disputed,  with  the  several  authorities  for  the  variations. 
In  thus  presenting  some  of  the  merits  of  Dr.  Thomas's  book,  we  heartily 
recommend  it  as  a  valuable  handbook  and  lexicon,  for  constant  reference 
by  the  physician  and  pharmaceutist. 
