1^1 
Reviews,  etc. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\      Mar.,  1877. 
REVIEWS  AND  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 
The  Microscopist,  a  manual  of  microscopy  and  compendium  of  the  microscopic 
sciences,  micro-mineralogy,  micro-chemistry,  biology,  histology  and  pathological 
histology.  By  J.  H.  Wythe,  A.M.,  M.D.,  Professor  of  microscopy  and  biology 
in  the  Medical  College  of  the  Pacific,  San  Francisco.  Third  edition.  Phila- 
delphia :  Lindsay  &  Blakiston,  1877.  8vo,  pp.259.  205  illustrations.  Price, 
cloth,  $4.50. 
The  evident  object  of  the  work  before  us  is  not  to  take  the  place  of  such  stand- 
ard works  as  Beale's,  but  to  serve  as  a  guide  to  the  beginner  and  advanced  student, 
and  as  a  handy  work  of  reference  and  consultation  even  to  the  expert,  as  well  as  a 
means  to  indicate  the  direction  in  which  investigations  are  to  be  undertaken.  After 
a  brief  chapter  on  the  history  and  importance  of  the  microscope,  its  various  forms 
and  accessories,  its  use,  the  methods  of  examination  and  the  mounting  and  preser- 
vation of  microscopic  objects,  are  considered  and  followed  by  dissertations  upon 
its  use  in  the  various  branches  of  science  enumerated  on  the  title  page.  Aside 
from  the  first  six  chapters,  which  contain  the  general  instructions  for  the  student  in 
microscopy,  the  chapters  on  the  use  of  the  microscope  in  chemistry  and  in  vegetable 
histology  and  botany  are  those  of  paramount  importance  to  the  pharmacist,  and  in 
several  others  he  will  find  much  that  is  useful  to  him  in  deciding  questions  that  are 
likely  to  be  submitted  to  him.  Although  the  work  was  not  specially  written  for 
pharmacists  and  druggists,  yet  we  feel  assured  that  they  can  use  it  with  profit,  and 
that  it  will  aid  them  in  entering  and  cultivating  a  field  of  examination  and  research 
which  has  hitherto  been  rather  neglected.  As  a  further  recommendation  for  the 
work,  we  mav  state  that  it  has  been  gotten  up  in  an  excellent  manner,  and  that  not 
only  the  text,  but  also  the  illustrations,  are  all  that  can  be  desired. 
Chemical  and  Pharmaceutical  Directory,  of  all  the  chemicals  and  preparations  (com- 
pound drugs)  now  in  general  use  in  the  drug  trade  5  their  names  and  synonyms 
alphabetically  arranged.  By  John  Rudolphy.  Chicago,  1877  :  John  Rudolphy. 
Large  8vo,  pp.  407.    Price  $5.00. 
The  work  is  divided  into  three  parts:  1.  English,  Latin,  German;  2.  Latin, 
German,  English  ;  3.  German,  Latin,  English,  and  in  its  general  arrangement  is 
similar  to  the  Pharmaceutical  Directory,  published  by  the  same  author  a  number  of 
years  ago.  In  the  three  parts  the  subjects  are  arranged,  as  far  as  chemicals  are  con- 
cerned, under  the  names  of  the  bases,  while  the  pharmaceutical  preparations  have 
been  arranged  in  classes,  such  as  tinctures,  extracts,  cerates,  etc.  The  old  nomen- 
clature has  been  adopted  for  the  chemicals,  but  has  not  been  consistently  carried 
through.  Thus  we  find  kali  bromatum,  kali  jodatum,  etc.,  instead  of  kaliaw 
bromatum,  kalium  z'odatum,  of  the  "  German  Pharmacopoeia,"  and  similar  incon- 
sistencies are  noticed  in  the  English  names.  Though  generally  correct,  some  errors 
are  observed  in  the  translations.  Thus,  on  page  220,  natrum  chloratum  and  natrum 
chloratum  liquidum  are  translated  with  soda  chlorate  in  English,  and  in  the  Ger- 
man with  the  equivalent  for  soda  hydrochlorate,  while  according  to  the  nomenclature 
of  the  "  German  Pharmacopoeia  "  it  should  be  chloride  of  or  chlorinated  soda. 
Under  liquor  natri  chlorati,  the  translations  are  correct.    In  some  instances  the 
