Am  Dec.?i8^arm'}    Reviews  and  Bibliographical  Notices.  639 
for  the  metals  the  characteristic  reactions  of  their  compounds  are  mainly  given. 
Part  II,  entitled  Synthetical  Chemistry,  gives  directions  for  preparing  inor- 
ganic and  organic  compounds,  both  arranged  in  such  a  manner,  that  the  acid 
is  first  considered,  followed  by  its  alkali  compounds  and  concluding  with  the 
salts  of  the  heavy  metals.  Part  III  is  devoted  to  analytical  chemistry,  ex- 
plaining the  method  tor  separating  and  recognizing  the  metals  when  in  water 
soluble  compounds  ;  then  giving  the  tests  for  the  recognition  of  the  acids,  the 
treatment  of  insoluble  compounds,  and  of  metals  and  their  alloys.  Chapters 
on  volumetric  analysis,  on  the  determination  of  sugar,  alcohol,  tannin,  the 
commoner  alkaloids,  etc.,  and  on  the  examination  of  urine  conclude  the  text 
proper.  Preceding  the  index  is  an  appendix  of  fourteen  pages,  containing  di- 
rections for  preparing  test  liquids,  determining  specific  gravities,  and  tables 
of  thermometric  scales,  weights  and  measures,  solubilities,  etc.  Five  plates, 
each  with  six  figures,  and  accompanied  by  explanatory  text,  illustrate  the 
microscopic  appearance  of  constituents,  deposits  and  contents  of  urine,  likely 
to  be  met  with  in  urinalysis.  About  twenty-five  illustrations  of  apparatus 
are  contained  in  the  text  of  the  work  in  explanation  of  experiments  and  pro- 
The  arrangement  of  the  material,  it  will  be  observed,  differs  essentially, 
from  the  one  more  commonly  followed,  and  which  we  have  always  found  10  be 
satisfactory  and  instructive.  The  characteristics  of  the  inorganic  salts  are 
well  impressed  upon  the  mind  by  studying  those  of  the  same  metal  together ; 
but  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  as  arranged  in  the  work  before  us,  the  plan 
is  not  confined  to  the  organic  acids  alone,  as  is  usually  the  case,  but  is  uniform 
throughout.  The  descriptions  given  are  brief  and  exact ;  the  directions  are 
clear  and  devoid  of  needless  detail ;  and  the  examples  are  well  selected.  But 
it  appears  to  us  that  those  examples  relating  to  strictly  pharmaceutical  prepa- 
rations, might  have  been  preferably  embodied  in  a  separate  volume  ;  we  refer 
to  preparations  like  sulphurated  oil,  phosphorated  oil,  the  various  solutions  of 
iodine,  spirits,  glycerites,  syrups,  etc.  For  analytical  work  the  use  of  suitably 
prepared  tables  has  been  found  to  be  very  instructive,  and  they  are  embodied 
in  most  works  intended  to  be  used  in  the  laboratory. 
The  work  has  evidently  been  intended  for  use  both  in  the  chemical  and 
pharmaceutical  laboratory,  and  in  both  will  be  found  useful.  The  numerous 
tables  of  formulas,  molecular  weight,  percentage  composition  and  specific  gra- 
vities which  have  been  added  to  the  different  elements  and  their  compounds 
are*  not  only  of  interest,  but  they  are  instructive  and  of  practical  usefulness. 
The  display  of  types  is  judicious,  and  the  typography  and  outward  appearance 
of  the  book  are  commendable. 
Pharmaceutical  Problems  and  Exercises  in  Metrology,  Chemistry,  Pharmacy  and 
Pharmaceutical  Nomenclature. — By  Oscar  Oldberg,  Phar.  D.,  etc.  Chicago  :  W. 
T.  Keener,  1887.    12mo.  pp.  75. 
This  is  a  companion  to  the  preceding  work,  and  is  mainly  devoted  to  stochio- 
metric  exercises,  a  subject  to  wThich,  in  many  cases,  not  sufficient  attention  is 
paid.  The  exercises  all  relate  to  laboratory  work,  except  those  of  Part  IX  on 
pharmaceutical  nomenclature,  which  are  really  philological  exercises,  doubt- 
less of  great  value  to  a  large  number  of  students. 
