Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
February,  1914.  J 
Book  Reviews. 
89 
The  work  is  original  in  many  respects,  not  following  the  beaten 
path,  and  has  in  it  much  to  commend. 
It  is  divided  into  three  parts,  Part  I  being  largely  by  way  of  in- 
troduction. Among  some  of  the  subjects  considered  in  this  divi- 
sion are :  Pharmaceutical  preparations ;  Weights  and  measures ; 
Active  principles ;  The  Pharmacopoeia ;  Dosage,  Administration  of 
medicines,  etc. 
Part  II  treats  of  materia  medica  proper.  Many  of  the  classifi- 
cations are  different  from  other  books  on  this  subject,  one  of  them 
being  Sweetening  Agents,  which  includes  saccharin,  which  he 
states  "  has  been  much  employed  in  canning  foods,  as  it  is  slightly 
antiseptic  and  obviates  the  use  of  the  highly  fermentable  sugar." 
This  seems  to  be  flying  directly  in  the  face  of  Dr.  Wiley.  The  Anti- 
Bitters  are  claimed  to  abolish  the  appreciation  of  bitter  tastes ;  these 
include  yerba  santa  and  gymnemic  acid.  The  list  of  cathartics  in- 
clude those  which  act  by  "  selective  affinity,"  as  physostigmine,  which 
stimulates  the  ends  of  the  vagus  nerves  of  the  intestines.  A  new 
classification  is  given  to  the  Antispasmodics,  they  being  called  the 
Antihysterics. 
The  classification  of  the  Antipyretics  is  somewhat  original.  We 
have  the  analgesic  antipyretics,  such  as  antipyrin,  the  antimalarial 
antipyretics,  such  as  cinchona ;  and  the  antirheumatic  antipyretics, 
such  as  salicylic  acid. 
The  article  on  the  thyroid  gland  is  interesting  and  of  value,  a  new 
classification  being  called  the  Antithyroid  preparations,  designed  to 
overcome  undue  activity  of  the  thyroid  gland,  the  remedies  included 
under  this  head  being  Beebe's  serum;  Antithyroidin  (Moebius),  and 
Thyroidectin.  Antithyroidin  is  the  blood  serum  obtained  from  sheep 
whose  thyroid  glands  have  been  removed,  at  least  six  weeks  before. 
The  therapeutic  classification  of  the  Disinfectants  is  also  original 
and  valuable.  It  includes  I,  The  general  disinfectants  and  deo- 
dorizers ;  II,  The  preservatives ;  III,  Disinfectants  for  surgical  sup- 
plies ;  IV,  Disinfectants  for  local  use  about  the  body ;  V,  Disinfect- 
ants to  be  given  by  the  mouth.  The  important  drugs  of  the  materia 
medica  are  treated  of  at  considerable  length,  digitalis  having  42 
pages  assigned  to  it,  and  epinephrine  (adrenalin)  ten  pages.  In 
the  article  on  digitalis,  it  is  stated  that  "  digitalis  contains  digitonin,  a 
saponin  body  which  foams  with  water  and  possesses  the  peculiar 
property  of  holding  the  otherwise  insoluble  active  principles  in  solu- 
tion in  water.    It  is  on  account  of  this  that  infusion  of  digitalis,  an 
