Am.- Jour.  Pliaiin.  \ 
Jan.,  1882.  / 
Beviews,  etc. 
41 
chemical  iuvestigatioiis,  which  for  a  series  of  years  have  been  performed 
in  the  laboratory  of  the  author,  have  been  i^roductive  of  important  results 
and  cover  large  classes  of  proximate  principles  and  natural  products, 
introducing  in  many  cases  new  reagents  and  new  methods. 
The  analytical  scheme  presented  in  the  work  before  us  is  intended  tts 
furnish  quantitative  as  well  as  qualitative  results,  and  is  based  upon  the 
maxim  followed  ever  since  proximate  analysis  has  been  undertaken,  of 
separating  the  i3roximate  principles,  as  mucli  as  possible,  by  the  successive 
employment  of  different  solvents,  at  first  simple  and  finally  chemical  sol- 
vents. The  author  commences  the  investigation  with  the  employment  of 
petroleum  benziii,  which  dissolves  chiefly  fixed  and  volatile  oils  with 
-clilorophyll  and  traces  of  other  compounds.  Anhydrous  ether,  absolute 
alcohol,  cold  and  warm  (not  boiling)  water,  dilute  solution  of  soda  and 
dilute  acid  are  then  successively  employed,  and  finally  the  lignin  and 
allied  bodies  are  determined. 
It  will  be  impossible  in  this  notice  to  follow  the  author  into  the  methods 
recommended  or  enumerated  for  separatiug  the  various  mixtures  obtained 
during  the  investigation,  first  into  groups  of  compounds  and  next  into  the 
isolated  compound  or  some  derivative  which  may  be  more  readily  deter- 
mined quantitatively.  The  isolation  of  such  compounds  and  the  elabora- 
tion of  special  methods  for  the  recognition  of  principles  belonging  to 
different  groups  and  for  their  determination  are  more  fully  treated  of  in  the 
5^econdpartof  the  work.  An  appendix  contains  a  tabular  enumeration  of  the 
elementary  analyses  of  proximate  principles,  arranged  first  in  alphabetical 
order  and  secondly  according  to  the  amount  of  carbon  contained  therein. 
The  value  of  the  microscope  in  determining  the  presence  and  location  of 
proximate  principles  in  the  plants  under  investigation  has  not  been  over- 
looked, but  is  pointed  out  witli  suggestions  as  to  their  recognition. 
As  an  aid  for  those  who  undertake  the  chemical  investigation  of  vegeta- 
ble products  the  work  is  invaluable,  not  only  in  pointing  out  abstract 
methods  for  analysis,  but  in  continually  referring  to  those  more  widely 
diffused  i)roximate  principles  and  derivatives  that  are  likely  to  be  met 
with.  The  work  is  moreover  accompanied  with  a  full  index,  and  contains 
a  number  of  wood  cuts  showing  the  construction  of  serviceable  apparatus. 
A  Handbook  of  Uterine  Therapeutios  and  of  Diseases  of  Women.  Bv 
Edward  Joliii  Tilt,  M.l).,  Past  President  of  the  Obstetrical  Society  of 
London,  etc.  Fourth  edition.  New  York  :  Wm.  Wood  &  Co.  ISSl. 
8vo,  pp.  328. 
This,  the  eleventh  volume  of  Wood's  Library  of  Standard  Mecli<'al 
Authors,  is  devoted  to  diseases  of  women  and  their  treatment.  The  sid)- 
ject,  it  ai)pears  to  us,  is  conveniently  arranged,  the  different  forms  of 
medication  by  tonic^s,  sedatives,  antii)hlogistics,  etc.,  being  considered  in 
different  cliapters  in  tlieir  relations  to  tlie  whole  range  of  diseases  of  women. 
'J'he  value  of  the  treatise  to  tlie  physician  is  shown  by  the  fact  tbat  tbree 
<'(1itions  have  been  exliausted,  tlie  i)resent  one  being,  indeed,  tlie  old 
work  only,  so  far  as  the  general  plan  is  concerned,  the  text  having  been 
rewritten  to  bring  it  up  to  the  present  knowhMlge  on  the  suhjeet-matter  of 
which  it  treats. 
