Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
May,  1907. 
Book  Review. 
233 
V.  The  two  principal  proteins  of  the  muscle  plasma  should  be 
termed  paramyosinogen  and  myosinogen  ;  the  term  soluble  myosin 
should  take  the  place  of  v.  Furth's  soluble  myogen-fibrin ;  the 
term  myosin  should  be  restricted  to  the  final  product  formed  during 
rigor  mottis. 
BOOK  REVIEW. 
The  Pharmacopceia  and  the  Physician.  By  Robert  A.  Hatcher 
and  M.  I.  Wilbert.  Chicago:  American  Medical  Association 
Press.  1907. 
This  volume  of  410  pages  was  prepared  with  the  view  of  acquaint- 
ing physicians  with  the  scope  and  contents  of  the  U.  S.  Pharmaco- 
pceia. It  consists  of  a  series  of  articles  which  originally  appeared 
in  the  Journal  of  the  American  Medical  Association,  discussing  the 
chief  substances  in  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopceia,  classifying  them 
according  to  their  uses  and  describing  their  method  of  combination 
and  how  they  may  take  the  place  of  many  proprietary  preparations 
for  which  extravagant  claims  have  been  made.  The  classes  include  : 
General  disinfectants ;  local  disinfectants  and  antiseptics ;  internal 
antiseptics;  general  tonics;  astringents;  irritants,  emollients  and 
demulcents  ;  local  anesthetics  and  anodynes ;  general  anesthetics  ; 
expectorants;  analgesics  and  soporifics;  circulatory  stimulants; 
circulatory  depressants ;  diuretics  and  diaphoretics ;  cathartics ; 
parasiticides  and  antigonorrhceics ;  substances  used  as  vehicles ;  and 
the  National  Formulary  and  the  use  of  extra-pharmacopceial  sub- 
stances. 
Possibly  an  idea  of  the  treatment  of  the  different  classes  by  the 
authors  may  be  had  by  giving  briefly  a  few  of  the  salient  features 
of  one  of  the  chapters,  as  that  on  general  disinfectants.'  After  a 
brief  historical  treatment  of  the  subject,  the  substances  are  grouped 
under  the  following  sub-heads :  (a)  sunlight  and  heat ;  (b)  chemi- 
cal disinfectants;  and  (c)  clinical  thermometers  and  hypodermic 
syringes.  The  general  properties  of  pharmacopceial  substances  are 
given,  particularly  as  regards  solubility,  manner  of  combination  and 
other  facts  that  will  be  helpful  to  the  physician  in  prescribing. 
One  is  surprised  at  the  amount  of  general  information  relating  to 
the  uses  of  pharmacopceial  substances,  including  a  comparison  of 
their  value  one  with  another,  as  well  as  other  substances  which 
