44 
Reviews  and  Bibliographical  Notices. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
)     Jan.  1, 1872. 
literature  has  been  so  thoroughly  explored,  so  faithfully  reported  and  so  conve- 
niently and  methodically  arranged.  Translated  by  Henry  Watts  and  published 
by  the  Cavendish  Society,  it  has  also  become  part  of  the  English  scientific 
literature.  In  the  German  language,  the  entire  work— including  the  organic 
chemistry — has  met  with  four  revisions  and  editions,  and  the  inorganic  portion 
alone  even  with  five. 
"While  the  value  of  the  work  is  everywhere  unquestioned,  we  have  now  before 
us  a  sixth  edition,  in  which  Gmelin  took  no  part,  and  the  question  arises,  there- 
fore, whether  this  new  edition  sustains  the  reputation  acquired  by  the  older 
ones?  The  present  editor  and  reviser,  Dr.  Kraut,  took  charge  of  the  unfinished 
portion  of  the  organic  chemistry  after  the  death  of  Gmelin  in  1853,  and  the 
retirement  of  Dr.  List  from  the  editorial  labors,  and,  aided  by  several  learned 
chemists,  he  finished  the  work  and  two  supplementary  volumes  .  a  couple  of 
years  ago,  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  every  critical  examiner. 
The  sixth  revision  of  the  inorganic  part  will  be  accomplished  by  a  division  of 
the  labor,  so  that  the  first  volume,  containing  the  general,  theoretical  and  phy- 
sical part,  will  be  revised  by  Prof.  Dr.  A.  Naumann,  of  Giessen,  a  portion  of 
the  non-metallic  elements  by  Prof.  H.  Ritter,  formerly  of  Hanover,  now  of 
Kanisawa,  Japan,  a  portion  of  the  metals  by  Dr.  S.  M.  Jorgensen,  of  Copen- 
hagen, and  the  remainder  of  the  non-metallic  and  metallic  elements  by  the 
general  editor,  Prof.  Kraut.  This  arrangement  will  render  possible  the  early 
completion  and  uninterrupted  simultaneous  publication  of  the  different  volumes. 
We  have  upon  our  table,  numbers  one  to  four  of  the  second  part  of  Vol.  I, 
containing  Prof.  Ritter's  and  a  portion  of  Prof.  Kraut's  revision,  and  the  two 
first  numbers  of  Vol.  Ill,  revised  by  Dr.  Jorgensen.  The  former  embraces 
oxygen,  hydrogen,  carbon,  boron,  phosphorus,  sulphur,  selenium,  iodine  and 
bromine;  the  latter  contains  zinc,  cadmium,  indium,  tin  and  thallium. 
The  subjects  are  sufficiently  numerous  to  give  a  correct  idea  of  the  manner 
in  which  the  revision  has  been  accomplished,  and  to  judge  of  the  character  the 
work  is  likely  to  possess,  when  finished.  In  all  cases  we  find  a  complete  and 
pretty  exhaustive  index  of  the  literature  bearing  on  each  subject,  up  to  the 
time  of  publication,  and  in  the  text  this  literature  is  judiciously  used.  Anti- 
quated views,  which  have  been  superseded  by  later  investigations,  have  been 
dropped  or  are  mentioned  merely  to  give  a  correct  historical  sketch  of  the 
science,  while  on  the  contrary,  all  established  facts  are  carefully  enumerated, 
and  contradictory  statements  critically  examined. 
The  diction  is  terse,  clear  and  comprehensive,  of  the  same  character  which 
has  met  with  universal  approbation  in  the  original  work  ;  the  judicious  and 
reliable  selection  and  convenient  arrangement  of  the  multitude  of  facts 
deserves  especial  approving  comment.  The  same  commendation  is  due  to  the 
publishers  for  the  general  getting  up  of  the  work  as  far  as  it  has  appeared  :  the 
types  are  new,  distinct  and  clear,  the  paper  strong,  and  the  size  of  the  pages 
larger  than  heretofore. 
The  different  volumes  will  be  published  simultaneously  in  numbers  of  80  to 
88  pages  at  g-  thaler  each.  Chemists  and  those  interested  in  chemistry,  who 
are  conversant  with  the  German  language,  will  doubtless  hail  with  satisfaction 
the  appearance  of  this  new  edition. 
