430  Reviews  and  Bibliographical  Notices.  {k"sev™lm<L*~ 
adopted  in  the  "  Giessen  Outlines,"  and  by  "  Fresenius,"  a  censure  in  which 
we  cannot  join,  if  the  teacher  keeps  constantly  in  view  that  the  facts  in  chem- 
istry cannot  be  mastered  merely  by  committing  them  to  memory. 
The  work  is  divided  into  three  parts,  Part  I  containing,  after  some  prelimi. 
nary  remarks,  the  analysis  of  inorganic  compounds,  and  Part  II  the  analysis 
of  organic  substances,  while  Part  III  is  devoted  to  operations  and  tests.  This 
last  part  should  precede  the  others,  since  the  operations  and  the  manner  in 
which  they  must  be  performed,  must  necessarily  be  studied  before  applying 
them  practically  in  analysis. 
The  bases  have  been  arranged  into  six  groups  ;  each  group  is  introduced 
with  some  general  remarks;  then  follows  a  table,  in  which  the  behavior  of 
each  member  of  the  group  to  the  same  reagents  is  described  ;  this  is  followed 
by  methods  for  detecting  and  separating  the  several  members  of  the  group, 
and  then  by  a  concise  description  of  the  metals,  oxides  and  salts.  To  each 
group  are  appended  a  number  of  questions,  which  the  student  is  expected  to 
answer  in  writing.  The  separation  of  the  basic  groups  forms  the  conclusion  of 
this  portion,  and  is  treated  in  a  similar  manner  by  table  and  practical  hints. 
The  acids  are  classified  in  inorganic  and  organic  acids;  and  enumerated  one 
after  the  other,  together  with  their  behavior  to  reagents  ;  subsequently  they 
are  arranged  into  groups,  the  characteristic  behavior  of  each  being  given,  but 
the  convenient  tables  of  the  basic  groups  being  omitted.  Part  1  closes  with  brief 
descriptions  of  special  methods  of  examination,  and  of  the  systematic  course 
of  the  analysis  of  different  bodies. 
Part  II,  the  analysis  of  organic  substances,  occupies  less  than  180  pages,  and 
includes  the  analysis  of  animal  secretions,  urine  and  urinary  calculi,  taken  from 
Gerhardt  and  Chancel's  work.  The  material  belonging  to  this  part  is  treated 
in  groaps,  such  as  albuminoid,  gelatigenous,  saccharine  groups,  bases,  acids, 
&c.  The  properties  and  tests  of  the  different  compounds  are  given  with  clear- 
ness and  accuracy,  and  are  sufficient  for  identification.  The  compounds  of 
vegetable  origin,  exclusive  of  the  vegetable  acids  in  Part  I,  are  treated  upon 
25  pages;  they  certainly  deserve  more  space,  since  many  compounds  of  vege- 
table origin  are  not  mentioned,  which  possess  considerable  importance  as  med- 
icines;  of  the  alkaloids,  for  instance,  only  the  following  have  been  described  : 
nicotina.  morphia,  narcotina,  quinia,  cinchonia,  strychnia  and  brucia ;  while  the 
glucosides,  resins,  &c.  have  been  neglected  altogether.  The  work,  therefore, 
cannot  be  employed  as  a  guide  in  the  proximate  analysis  of  plants. 
We  regard  this  volume  as  a  valuable  addition  to  the  chemical  text-books, 
and  as  particularly  calculated  to  instruct  the  student  in  analytical  researches  of 
inorganic  compounds,  the  important  vegetable  acids,  and  of  compounds  and 
various  secretions  and  excretions  of  animal  origin. 
The  work  has  been  well  gotten  up  by  the  publisher,  the  types  are  clear,  the 
illustrations  well  executed,  and  the  typical  errors  few  and  easily  corrected. 
Proceedings  of  the  American  Academy  of  Arts  and  Sciences,  Boston.  YoL 
VIII,  p.  297—408. 
The  monthly  meetings,  the  proceedings  of  which  are  recorded  in  this  publi- 
