188 
EDITORIAL. 
The  Editor,  Alfred  B.  Taylor,  has  done  his  work  well,  and  so  far  as 
we  have  examined,  the  volume  has  been  passed  through  the  press  more 
correctly  than  any  of  its  predecessors.  This  should  compensate  for  the 
delay  in  its  appearance.  It  has  been  usual  for  the  Executive  Committee 
to  fix  the  price  and  note  it  in  the  preparatory  remarks,  which  has  not  been 
done.  The  printing  and  paper  compare  favorably  with  the  preceding 
volumes. 
A  Treatise  on  Pharmacy  designed  as  a  textbook  for  the  Student,  and  as  a 
Guide  for  the  Physician  and  Pharmaceutist,  containing  the  officinal  and 
many  unofficinal  formulas,  and  numerous  examples  of  extemporane- 
ous prescriptions.  By  Edward  Parrish,  Graduate  in  Pharmacy,  &c. 
Third  edition,  thoroughly  revised  and  improved  with  important  addi- 
tions, with  238  illustrations.  Philadelphia:  Blanchard  &  Lea,  1864, 
pp.  850. 
Our  readers  are  too  well  acquainted  with  the  previous  editions  of  this 
book  to  need  any  general  description  of  its  construction.  We  will, 
therefore,  in  remarking  on  what  is  new  in  the  work,  indicate  the  more 
important  changes,  or  improvements  and  additions.  Up  to  the  chapter 
on  tinctures,  the  alterations,  etc.,  are  not  extensive.  Here  we  have  a  new 
feature.  Under  the  name  of  "  Working  Formulae, "  the  formulae  of  the 
U.S.  Pharmacopoeia  are  introduced  in  groups  under  each  head,  with  little,  if 
any,  comments,  and  these  are  followed  by  various  unofficinal  recipes,  in 
the  same  manner.  This  is  a  decided  improvement  on  the  last  edition, 
enabling  the  reader  to  use  the  book  in  lieu  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  during 
reference  or  comparison  of  the  unofficinal  formulae  with  the  officinal. 
Tinctures,  wines,  vinegars,  infusions,  etc.,  are  all  grouped  together  as 
consequents  of  the  processes  of  solution,  a  description  of  which  precedes 
them. 
The  next  groups  of  preparations  requiring  heat  they  are  prefaced  by 
a  chapter  on  the  generation  of  heat  for  pharmaceutical  purposes.  The 
author  confines  himself  chiefly  to  lamp  and  gas  heating  arrangements,  of 
which  he  gives  many  illustrations,  referring  the  reader  to  works  on  ma- 
nipulation for  furnace  arrangements.  With  entire  approval  of  this  chap- 
ter as  far  as  it  goes,  we  cannot  but  regret  that  the  author  did  not  see  the 
need  in  a  treatise,  as  he  now  claims  this  to  be,  of  giving  at  least  the  sim- 
pler furnace  arrangements  and  manipulations  to  be  used  in  illustration 
of  those  formulae  where  such  instruments  are  called  for  in  officinal  recipes. 
On  the  other  hand  we  advocate,  to  the  utmost  extent,  the  use  of  gas  in 
such  operations  as  syrup-making  and  evaporations  in  quantities  not  too 
extended  for  the  scope  of  a  shop  counter.  The  classes  are  extracts,  fluid 
extracts,  oleoresins,  syrups,  the  solid  preparations  of  sugar  lozenges,  etc. 
The  formulas  of  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia  and  many  unofficinal  recipes 
are  here  detailed.  We  cannot  withhold  a  little  criticism  in  reference  to 
the  author's  manner  of  treating  his  subject.    Instead  of  accompanying 
