322 
Book  Reviews. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  19 17. 
that  have  fallen  to  the  lots  of  the  fortunate  speculators  have  laid  the 
foundations  for  many  an  attractive  story.  If  a  man  wishes  to  specu- 
late, let  him  do  so,  but  let  him  be  sensible  and  reduce  the  chances 
against  himself  as  much  as  possible  before  he  pays  over  his  money. 
He  should  not  accept  a  seller's  statement  that  a  hole  in  the  ground, 
whether  large  or  small,  is  of  any  value  as  a  mine  until  he  has  taken 
the  trouble  to  examine  it  for  himself  or  has  had  it  examined  by  some 
competent  and  independent  valuator. 
I  have  attempted  briefly  to  draw  attention  to  an  ordinary  business 
principle  in  common  use  among  people  everywhere  throughout  the 
country.  If  it  is  kept  as  constantly  in  view  when  mines,  or  interests 
in  mines,  are  being  purchased,  as  it  is  in  other  commercial  transac- 
tions, we  will  soon  hear  less  of  the  losses  incurred  in  the  purchase  of 
worthless  mining  stock. 
BOOK  REVIEWS. 
Principles  of  Pharmacy,  by  Henry  V.  Amy,  Ph.G.,  Ph.D., 
F.C.S.,  Professor  of  Chemistry  in  the  College  of  Pharmacy  of  Co- 
lumbia University.  Second  edition,  revised,  with  267  illustrations. 
Octavo,  cloth,  1056  pages.  W.  B.  Saunders  Co.  $5.50  net;  half 
morocco,  $7.00  net. 
Writers  of  textbooks  on  extensive  subjects  such  as  pharmacy, 
like  editors  of  journals,  are  not  confronted  with  the  necessity  of 
searching  for  material  but  must  rather  solve  the  difficult  task  of 
separating  the  essentials  from  the  non-essentials.  Professor  Arny 
has,  in  his  textbook,  picked  the  wheat  from  the  chaff  with  a  skill  that 
can  only  be  acquired  by  long  teaching  experience  and  intimate  con- 
tact with  the  pharmaceutical  problems  of  the  day. 
The  book  is  divided  into  seven  parts.  Part  one  deals  with 
pharmaceutical  processes  and  the  arithmetic  of  pharmacy  in  a  re- 
freshingly concise  yet  understandable  manner.  Only  sample  prob- 
lems are  given  in  the  section  devoted  to  arithmetic,  so  that  a  text- 
book or  class  room  problems  on  this  subject  are  needed  to  supple- 
ment this  chapter. 
Part  two  deals  with  the  galenical  preparations  of  the  pharma- 
copoeia and  those  unofficial  preparations  considered  worthy  of  notice. 
The  numerous  tables  classifying  these  preparations  as  regards 
strength,  method  of  manufacture,  etc.,  are  invaluable  to  the  student 
