Am.  Jour.  Pharra.  ) 
April,  1878.  I 
Reviews,  etc. 
207 
•figures  of  microscopic  objects  illustrating  the  adulterants  used  for  the  adulteration 
of  tobacco  and  of  some  articles  of  food 
The  appendix  contains  the  various  analytical  reports  more  in  detail,  and  arranged 
in  condensed  and  tabular  form. 
Taschenbuch  der  Nahrungs-und  Gen'ussmittel-lehre .    Von  G.  C.  Wittstein.  Nord- 
lingen  :  C.  H.  Beck'sche  Buchhandlung :  1878.    12VO,  pp.  176. 
Compendium  of  articles  of  food  and  drink. 
The  author,  who  is  well  known  to  our  readers  not  only  as  an  authority  in  phar- 
maceutical matters,  but  likewise  as  a  man  who  has  ever  battled  against  nostrums  and 
adulterations,  states  upon  the  title  page  that  the  work  was  intended  to  take  par-  • 
ticular  cognizance  of  the  deteriorations,  impurities  and  sophistications  to  which 
articles  of  food  and  drink  are  subject.  The  material  has  been  arranged  in  alpha- 
betical order,  and  in  each  case  has  been  given  as  nearly  as  possible,  1,  the  physical 
and  chemical  characteristics  of  the  article  ;  2,  the  changes  and  adulterations  thus  far 
observed  j  3,  the  recognition  of  these  with  the  most  simple  and,  at  the  same  time, 
reliable  means,  and  4,  hints  in  regard  to  the  proper  vessels  and  means  for  preserving 
these  articles.  The  aim  was  to  produce  a  work  for  the  use  of  every  housewife  of 
ordinary  intelligence  \  but  it  is  obvious  that,  occasionally  at  least,  processes  had  to 
be  described  which  cannot  be  performed  except  by  the  expert.  The  book  is  there- 
fore also*  valuable  to  the  latter,  and  since  in  cases  of  doubt  the  pharmacist  is  not 
unfrequently  applied  to  for  his  judgment,  and  since  all  the  spices  and  many  other 
articles  used  in  the  kitchen  or  for  Invalids  are  legitimate  pharmaceutical  goods,  the 
work  before  us  is  likewise  of  importance  to  the  pharmacist,  giving  him,  in  many 
instances,  advice  as  to  how  to  proceed  for  determining  the  purity  of  articles  of  every- 
day consumption,  and  as  such,  we  recommend  it  to  our  readers. 
Gmelin-Kraufs  Handbuch  der  Chemie.    Anorganische  Chemie  in  drei  Banden. 
Sechste  Auflage.  Heidelberg:  Carl  Winter's  Universitats  Buchhandlung,  1877. 
■Gmelin-Kraufs  Handbook  of  Chemistry.    Inorganic  Chemistry,  in  three  volumes. 
Before  us  are  parts  7  and  8  of  the  first  division,  and  parts  3  and  4  of  the  second  divi- 
sion of  the  second  volume  of  the  sixth  edition  of  Gmelin's  Chemistry.  The  former 
contains  the  conclusion  of  calcium  and  a  good  portion  of  magnesium  ;  the  latter 
tungsten  and  molybdenum.  The  first  and  third  volumes  have  been  completed,  so 
that  only  the  second  volume  remains  to  complete  this  new  edition,  and,  being  divided 
into  two  parts,  one  being  prepared  by  Prof.  Kraut,  the  editor  of  the  whole  work, 
the  other  by  Prof.  Jorgensen  of  Kopenhagen,  there  is  a  fair  prospect  that  ere  long 
this  valuable  work  will  be  in  the  hands  of  all  interested. 
Medicinal  Plants',  being  descriptions  with  original  figures  of  the  principal  plants 
employed  in  medicine,  and  an  account  ot  their  properties  and  uses.  By  R, 
Bentley,  F.L.S.,  and  H.  Trimen,  M.B.,  F.L  S.  Philadelphia  :  Lindsay  &  Blaki- 
ston.    1877.    Price  per  part,  $2.00. 
Parts  25  and  26  before  us,  describe  the  following  plants  :  Abrus  praecatorius,  Lin, 
