392 
Book  Reviews. 
Am.  Tour.  Pharm. 
May,  19 18. 
BOOK  REVIEWS. 
The  Dispensatory  of  the  United  States  of  America — Twen- 
tieth Edition,  by  Joseph  P.  Remington,  Ph.M.,  F.C.S.,  and  Horatio 
C.  Wood,  Jr.,  M.D.,  and  as  Editorial  Associates  Samuel  P.  Sadtler, 
Ph.D.,  LL.D.,  Charles  H.  La  Wall,  Ph.M.,  Henry  Kraemer,  Ph.G., 
Ph.D.,  John  F.  Anderson,  M.D.  Publishers,  J.  B.  Lippincott  Com- 
pany, Philadelphia  and  London. 
The  twentieth  edition  of  this  encyclopaedia  of  materia  medica 
covers  another  period  of  marked  progress  in  the  medical  and  phar- 
maceutical professions.  Since  the  appearance  of  the  previous  edi- 
tion in  1907,  revisions  of  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia  and  Na- 
tional Formulary  have  been  published  and  likewise  of  a  number  of 
the  foreign  pharmacopoeias ;  included  among  these  may  be  men- 
tioned those  of  Great  Britain,  France,  Germany,  Italy,  Spain,  Nor- 
way, Sweden  and  Finland.  The  full  influence  of  the  Food  and 
Drugs  Act  of  1906  and  of  the  Harrison  Anti-Narcotic  Act  of  1914 
upon  medical  practice  has  likewise  become  apparent.  The  great 
advances  that  have  taken  place  in  the  sciences  and  in  medical  and 
surgical  practices  as  well  as,  in  the  recent  years,  the  effect  of  the 
world  war  upon  these  practices  have  all  been  agencies  that  have  con- 
tributed toward  making  necessary  the  thoroughly  revised  and  largely 
rewritten  twentieth  edition  of  this,  the  recognized  commentary  upon 
the  standard  authorities.  This  work  of  more  than  two  thousand 
pages  has  crowded  into  it  so  much  of  the  knowledge  pertaining  to 
materia  medica,  both  fundamental  for  the  practitioners  and  for  ref- 
erence, that  it  can  not  fail  to  retain  its  position  as  the  compendium 
and  guide  alike  to  medicine  and  pharmacy. 
The  scope  of  the  work,  encyclopaedic,  and  the  style  of  treatment 
of  the  subjects  has  been  continued  as  in  the  previous  edition.  The 
characteristic  featuring  of  synonym,  alternative  quantities,  dia- 
critical marks  as  a  guide  to  pronunciation,  etc.,  have  all  been  retained 
and  several  new  ideas  have  been  added  among  which  we  note  the 
recognition  of  the  "  New  and  Non-Official  Remedies  "  published  by 
the  American  Medical  Association  and  all  such  medicaments  are 
designated  by  "  N.  N.  R.  1917." 
The  uniform  and  systematic  method  of  treating  each  subject 
adopted  throughout  Part  I  is  especially  commendable,  as  it  permits 
one  to  locate  quickly  the  information  sought.    The  distinctive  para- 
