AMFebC T,  f8H74BM' }  Reviews  and  Bibliographical  Notices.  93 
appears  that  the  latter  has  been  mainly  experimenting  with  the  pancreatic  pre- 
parations of  Dr.  Hawley,  while  the  former,  who  proposed  the  medicinal  use  of 
pancreatic  juice  (see  Amer.  Journ.  Pharmacy,  1866,  p.  143)  some  eight  or  nine 
years  ago,  has  employed  it  ever  since,  and  his  views  are  therefore  entitled  to 
high  consideration.  The  preparations  preferred  by  Dr.  Dobell  are  those  of 
Messrs.  Savory  &  Moore,  made  by  processes  which  we  believe  have  never  been 
published. 
That  pancreatic  juice  forms  an  emulsion  with  fat  was  observed  forty  years 
ago  by  Eberle,  and  Valentin  discovered  in  1847  that  the  same  liquid  readily 
transforms  starch  into  glucose.  01.  Bernard,  C.  Schmidt  and  others  subse- 
quently showed  that  the  pancreatic  liquid,  when  in  contact  with  fats,  decom- 
poses the  latter  into  glycerin  and  the  fatty  acids;  the  precipitate  obtained  by 
alcohol  in  pancreatic  juice  was  found  to  be  not  only  soluble  again  in  water,  but 
to  possess  in  a  high  degree  the  properties  mentioned  before,  of  converting 
starch  into  sugar  and  of  decomposing  fats.  Vanden  Corput  afterwards  used 
this  alcoholic  precipitate  under  the  name  of  pancreatin,  and  recommended  it 
in  the  form  of  emulsion,  aqueous  solution,  powder,  &c,  generally  combining  it 
with  alkaline  carbonates  or  bicarbonates. 
The  process  recommended  by  R.  Y.  Mattison,  in  the  December  number  of 
this  journal,  for  the  preparation  of  the  emulsifying  principle,  is  based  upon  its 
insolubility  in  concentrated  solutions  of  chloride  of  sodium. 
The  only  two  processes,  with  which  we  are  acquainted,  for  obtaining  pancre- 
atin in  a  probably  not  chemically  pure,  but  at  least  in  a  concentrated  condition, 
are  so  easily  executed  that  we  take  occasion  to  suggest  to  our  readers  its  pre- 
paration by  both  methods,  with  the  view  of  having  their  efficacy  and  relative 
merit  thoroughly  tested  by  intelligent  physicians,  and  then  to  report  the  results. 
This  seems  to  us  to  be  the  proper  way  of  saving  a  remedial  agent  of  apparent 
merit  from  probable  neglect,  and  at  the  same  time  supplanting  with  prepara- 
tions of  established  composition  others  which,  no  matter  how  meritorious  they 
otherwise  may  be,  are  made  by  processes  kept  secret,  thus  preventing  or  at 
least  retarding  desirable  improvements.  The  experiments  we  think  should  be 
made  with  the  pancreas  of  the  various  herbivorous  and  omnivorous  domesti- 
cated animals,  and  the  physician  should  be  made  acquainted  with  the  kind  em- 
ployed by  him. 
EEVIEWS  AND  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 
Medical  Lexicon — a  Dictionary  of  Medical  Science  ;  containing  a  concise  ex- 
planation of  the  various  subjects  and  terms  of  anatomy,  physiology,  pathol- 
ogy, hygiene,  therapeutics,  medical  chemistry,  pharmacology,  pharmacy,  sur- 
gery, obstetrics,  medical  jurisprudence  and  dentistry;  notices  of  climate 
and  of  mineral  waters;  formulae  for  officinal,  empirical  and  dietetic  prepara- 
tions ;  with  the  accentuation  and  etymology  of  the  terms,  and  the  French 
and  other  synonyms.  By  Robley  Dunglison,  M.D.,  LL.D.  A  new  edition, 
enlarged  and  thoroughly  revised  by  Richard  J.  Dunglison,  M.  D„  Philadel- 
phia: Henry  0.  Lea,  1874.  Large  8vo,  pp.  1131.  Price:  cloth,  $6.50; 
leather,  raised  bands,  $7.50. 
As  a  standard  work  of  reference,  as  one  of  the  best,  if  not  the  very  best 
