318  Reviews  and  Bibliographical  Notices.  {Am'J^'^xm- 
tions  such  drugs  have  mainly  been  chosen  which  present  some  interesting 
anatomical  characters,  or  which  are  liable  to  substitution  or  adulteration. 
The  number  of  drugs  illustrated  must,  therefore,  obviously  be  limited,  and 
the  selection  is  no.t  confined  to  such  as  are  recognized  by  the  Codex.  Of 
the  cinchona  barks,  necessarily  several  species  had  to  be  admitted,  and  in 
addition  is  found  also  the  important  cuprea  bark,  as  well  as  the  bicolorata 
bark,  which  latter  is  now  almost  unknown  in  the  United  States.  This  must 
also  be  said  of  the  nux  vomica  bark,  which  is  still  quoted  in  works  of  refer- 
ence as  false  angustura  bark,  but  rarely,  if  ever,  seen  in  our  commerce. 
Podophyllum,  which  has  found  its  way  into  most  modern  pharmacopoeias, 
has  received  a  place  in  this  work,  and  so  has  likewise  the  comparatively 
recently  introduced  cascara  sagrada,  which,  thus  far,  is  recognized  only  by 
the  British  Pharmacopoeia;  but  senega  has  been  omitted,  though  its  par- 
ticular structure  makes  it  a  subject  of  interest  to  the  student  of  materia 
medica.  Other  omissions  of  a  similar  nature  might  be  mentioned ;  but  it 
must  be  remembered  that  the  scope  was  intended  to  be  limited,  and  it  must 
be  granted,  that  with  few  exceptions,  the  illustrations  are  equally  interest- 
ing and  practically  useful  to  the  American  student,  as  they  appear  to  be  for 
the  French.  For  these  reasons  the  work  deserves  to  become  known  and 
used  also  in  the  United  States.  The  authors  state  that  in  having  recourse 
to  the  most  simple  processes  of  reproduction,  they  have  aimed  to  preserve 
the  simplicity  and  clearness  of  the  designs,  preferring  rather  to  sacrifice 
their  artistic  value;  but  the  latter  has  not  been  lost  sight  of,  and  the  former 
has  been  fully  accomplished. 
Die  Alchemie  in  alterer  und  neuerer  Zeit.  Ein  Beitrag  zur  Culturgeschichte, 
von  Hermann  Kopp.  Heidelberg  :  Carl  Winters'  Universitats-Buch hand- 
lung,  1886.    8vo.  2  vol.,  pp  260  and  425.    Price  in  paper  covers,  16  marks. 
Alchemy  in  olden  and  more  recent  times.  A  contribution  to  the  history 
of  culture. 
Perhaps  no  scientist  living  has  done  more  for  tracing  the  history  of  chem- 
istry from  the  most  ancient  times  to  the  present,  than  the  author  of  the  vol- 
umes now  before  us.  His  "  History  of  Chemistry,"  published  forty  years 
ago,  and  his  more  recent  historical  works,  entitled,  "  Contributions  to  the 
History  of  Chemistry,"  and  "  Development  of  Chemistry  in  Modern 
Times,"  testify  to  many  years  of  patient  study  and  faithful  critical  disqui- 
sition, through  which  he  was  enabled  to  present  a  clear  record  of  facts  em- 
bodying the  evolution  of  chemistry  from  crude  and  incoherent  observations 
and  ideas  to  the  exact  science  of  the  present  day.  Follies,  deceptions  and 
impositions  in  great  number  mark  the  gradual  progress,  and  among  them 
none  had  secured  a  firmer  hold  upon  mankind  than  the  faith  in  the  art  of 
the  transmutation  of  metals,  and  more  particularly  of  the  making  of  gold. 
Many  of  the  votaries  of  alchemy  were  firm  believers  in  the  ultimate  success 
of  this  hidden  art,  which  has  its  adherents  even  in  the  present  time,  and 
dates  back  to  at  least  the  fourth  century  of  our  present  era.  That  in  its 
vain  search  for  gold  it  was  productive  of  numerous  discoveries  which  helped 
to  build  up  a  positive  science,  is  well-known ;  but  the  present  work  does  not 
deal  with  these  results.    It  is  devoted  altogether  to  the  history  of  this  erro- 
