158 
Reviews. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
March,  1894. 
The  National  Dispensatory,  containing  the  natural  history,  chemistry, 
pharmacy,  actions  and  uses  of  medicines  ;  including  those  recognized  in  the 
Pharmacopoeia  of  the  United  States,  Great  Britain  and  Germany,  with  numer- 
ous references  to  the  French  Codex.  By  Alfred  Stifle,  M.D.,  LL.D.,  John  M. 
Maisch,  Ph.D.  (late  Professor  of  Materia  Medica  and  Botany  in  the  Philadelphia 
College  of  Pharmacy),  Charles  Caspari,  Jr.,  Ph.G.,  and  Henry  C.  C.  Maisch, 
Ph.G.,  Ph.D.  Fifth  edition.  Philadelphia:  Lea  Bros.  &  Co.  1894.  Large 
8vo,  pp.  1903. 
The  previous  editions  of  the  above  work  have  been  fully  commented  upon  in 
this  Journal  for  the  year  1879,  1884  and  1887.  In  general  arrangement,  the 
new  issue  remains  unchanged,  and  although  only  122  pages  larger  than  the 
previous  edition,  the  work,  as  a  whole,  is  most  comprehensive  and  up-to-date 
in  its  information,  fully  maintaining  its  past  reputation  for  accuracy,  complete- 
ness, convenience,  and  absence  of  obsolete  matter.  Of  national  interest,  then, 
in  medical  and  pharmaceutical  circles,  is  this  new  edition  of  The  National  Dis- 
pensatory. It  gives  not  only  a  description  of  the  natural  history,  chemistry 
and  pharmacy  of  drugs  and  drug-actions  of  our  own  Pharmacopoeia,  but  com- 
ments as  well  upon  those  of  foreign  origin.  It  has  had  many  of  its  old  articles 
re- written,  and  a  large  number  of  new  ones  introduced.  Chemical  and  phar- 
maceutical processes  are  fully  described,  and  descriptions  of  apparatus  and 
tests  given.  The  official  formulas  for  galenical  preparations  seem  to  be  fully 
explained,  and  separate  formulas  in  customary  weights  and  measures  are  added. 
This  latter  action  is  to  be  regretted.  Whilst  the  use  of  "separate  formulas  " 
is  less  objectionable  than  the  former  plan  of  inserting  "equivalents"  in  the 
metric  formulas,  the  practice  will  certainly  handicap  the  general  introduction 
of  the  metric  system  of  weights  and  measures.  Pharmacists  should  learn  to 
think  in  and  use  the  gram  and  cubic  centimeter,  and  many  will  never  do  so 
with  ready-made  equivalents  accessible. 
The  National  Dispensatory  has  been  in  existence  for  fifteen  years,  and  prob- 
ably in  no  such  period  of  time  before  has  such  a  host  of  new  remedies  been 
introduced.  The  trend  of  modern  medical  practice  is  undeniably  in  the  direc- 
tion of  synthetical  compounds  ;  and  these,  like  the  stars,  are  almost  without 
number.  No  better  evidence  of  this  tendency  in  medical  practice  can  be  had 
than  in  the  number  of  "synthetics"  referred  to  in  this  work;  and  the 
wonderfully  comprehensive  manner  in  which  they  are  described,  deserves  the 
warmest  of  praise.  It  may  not  be  amiss,  in  the  review,  to  here  name  a  few 
of  the  more  prominent  and  comparatively  recent  ones. 
Antipyrine  is,  of  course,  mentioned,  and  also  its  allied  compounds  :  Agathin, 
Antithermin,  Benzopyrine  or  Antipyrine  Benzoate,  Iodopyrine,  Phenopyrine, 
Picropyrine,  Naphthopjoine,  and  Salipyrine  or  Antipyrine  Salicylate.  Acetani- 
lid  is  described,  and  also  certain  allied  compounds  :  Bromacetanilid  Benzanilid, 
and  Methyl-acetanilid  or  "Fyxalgin."  A  process  for  the  last  named  is  given 
(p.  9).  Phenacetin  or  Para-acetphenetidin  is  referred  to,  as  are  Methacetin, 
Hydracetin,  Phenylhydrazine  and  Phenocoll  Hydrochloride.  Phenocoll  Sali- 
cylate, which  seems  to  be  coming  into  use,  is  not  mentioned. 
Urethane  or  Ethyl  Carbamate,  and  Ural  or  Chloral-Urethane  are  given. 
"  Somnal  "  is  defined  as  Ethylated  Chloral-Urethane,  a  definite  chemical  com- 
pound. It  has  been  reported  to  be  simply  a  solution  of  chloral  and  urethane 
in  alcohol  (Merck's  Report,  1893,  p.  8).    Mention  is  also  made  of  FyUphorin  or 
