450  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference,  {Asnept^be?im' 
sweet  and  38  per  cent,  from  bitter  almonds.  The  almond  oil  of 
commerce  is  chiefly  obtained  from  the  latter,  and,  in  view  of  the 
differing  sources  of  supply,  it  is  unreasonable  to  expect  absolute 
uniformity  in  the  results  of  color  reactions,  etc.,  though  the  differ- 
ences are  only  slight,  and  never  reach  a  limit  that  would  cause 
difficulty  in  distinguishing  genuine  almond  oil  from  adulterated  oil. 
Expression  is  given  to  the  opinion  that  adulteration  of  almond  oil 
is  comparatively  rare,  though  substitution  by  peach  or  apricot 
kernel  oils  is  common.  These  kernel  oils,  in  turn,  are  adulterated 
with  oils  of  cotton-seed,  sesame,  poppy,  olive  and  arachis,  only  one 
out  of  seven  representative  samples  having  been  recognized  as 
unsophisticated  kernel  oil. 
Strophanthus.. 
By  P.  E.  F.  Perredis. 
In  a  monograph  on  the  pharmacognosy  of  official  strophanthus 
seed,  the  author  shows  that  every  histological  character  upon  which 
the  identification  of  the  different  varieties  of  "  Kombe  "  seeds  has 
hitherto  been  based  exists  in  seeds  obtained  from  one  and  the  same 
pod. 
Jamaica  Plants. 
By  T.  H.  Wardleworth. 
The  author  deals  with  the  medicinal  and  economical  plants  of 
Jamaica. 
Indian  Drugs. 
By  W.  Mair. 
The  author  submits  details  concerning  the  more  important  un- 
official drugs  indigenous  to  British  India  and  in  actual  use  by  native 
and  European  physicians. 
New  Books. — John  Wiley  &  Sons,  New  York  City,  announce  the  following 
new  books  :  "Air,  Water  and  Food  from  a  Sanitary  Standpoint,"  by  E.  H. 
Richards  and  A.  G.  Woodman  ;  4 '  The  Cost  of  Living  as  Modified  by  Sanitary 
Science,"  by  E.  H.  Richards  ;  "  Sewage  and  the  Bacterial  Purification  of  Sew- 
age," by  S.  Rideal  ;  "  The  Oil-Chemists'  Handbook,"  by  E.  Hopkins.  Dodd, 
Mead  &  Co.  announce  that  the  first  edition  of  J.  U.  Lloyd's  new  book,  "  String- 
town  on  the  Pike,"  will  consist  of  10,000  copies,  and  will  appear  October  1st. 
