Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ') 
Sept.,  1882.  i 
Meviews,  etc. 
479 
That  number  of  plates  is  at  least  contained  in  the  first  part  now  before  us, 
namely,  Sanguinaria  canadensis,  Inula  Helenium,  Apocynum  androssemi- 
folium,  Asclepias  Cornuti,  Symplocarpos  foetidus,  and  Iris  versicolor. 
The  illustrations  are  made  from  original  colored  drawings  made  by  the 
author  from  the  living  i^lants,  and  must  be  pronounced  as  handsome  and 
acceptable,  so  that  the  plants  themselves  may  be  readily  recognized  by 
them,  although  the  colors  are  in  most  cases  rather  too  bright,  and  certain 
morphological  characteristics  are  not  properly  indicated  ;  for  instance,  the 
ray  florets  of  Inula  should  be  three-t'oothed  instead  of  tapering  to  an  acute 
point,  the  corolla  lobes  of  dogsbane  should  be  more  revolute,  and  the  fol- 
licles of  the  milkweed  should  be  marked  with  spinous  projections,  and  less 
taiDcring. 
The  botanical  descriptions  are,  in  our  opinion,  far  too  brief  for  a 
work  of  this  kind,  and  do  not  in  the  least  compare,  for  instance,  with  the 
detailed  characters  as  given  in  Bentley  and  Trimen's  work ;  in  fact,  the 
descriptions  are  essentially  those  given  by  Gray,  in  some  cases  still  more 
abridged. 
The  pharmacognostical  and  chemical  descriptions  are  in  most  cases  quite 
familiar  to  us,  though  we  recognize  no  resemblance  in  the  mode  of  wrink- 
ling of  the  rootlets  of  skunk  cabbage  and  the  roots  of  ipecacuanha,  nor  can 
we  believe  that  the  rhizomes  of  Iris  versicolor  and  Calamus  can  be  con- 
founded except  in  name,  they  being  popularly  known  as  blue  flag  and 
sweet  flag.  Rhoeadine  (not  rhoedinia)  was  never  known  as  porphyroxin  ; 
but  Merck's  principle  of  the  latter  name  was  a  mixture  which  owed  its 
color  reaction  with  acids  to  Hesse's  rhoeadine.  Inulin  is  not  a  bitter  prin- 
ciple, but  has  an  insipid  taste. 
The  physiological  properties  of  the  plants  are  very  briefly  given,  but  per- 
haps sufficiently  stated  for  the  scope  of  the  work.  In  fact,  we  regard  its 
scope  as  botanical  rather  than  pharmacognostical  or  medical,  and  as  such 
it  deserves  success.  The  morphological  inaccuracies  of  the  drawings  can 
readily  be  obviated  in  the  succeeding  plates,  and  the  value  of  the  work  for 
botanical  purposes  be  increased  by  giving  full  descriptions  of  the  plants 
in  the  place  of  brief  diagnostic  characters.  The  letter-press  is  quite  com- 
mendable. 
Catalogue  of  the  Materia  Medica,  Pharmaceutical  Preparations^  Patent 
and  Proprietary  Medicines,  with  the  uniform  prices  of  the  Orleans 
Pharmaceutical  Association.  August  1,  1882.  New  Orleans:  L.  Graham 
and  Son.  8vo,  pp.  88. 
A  neat  pamphlet,  printed  on  writing  paper,  ruled  in  columns  for  noting 
prices.  It  is,  we  believe,  theflrst  practical  result  of  the  organization  of  the 
society  and  aims  at  "  promoting  friendly  feelings,  and  banishing  unworthy 
Jealousies."  Establishing  uniformity  in  the  retail  prices  of  the  above 
classes  of  medicines  is  a  desirable  end  which  should  be  worked  for  in  all 
localities  where  the  unwise  and  unbecoming  practice  of  "cutting"  is 
observed.  It  evinces  a  laudable  spirit  when  the  connnittee  states :  "We 
feel  that  we  have  been  just  "to  ourselves,  and  then  generous  to  our 
customers," 
