Am.  jour.  Pharm. ) 
Jan.,  1885.  f 
Reviews,  etc. 
55 
REVIEWS  AND  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 
A  Manual  of  Organic  Materia  Medica.  Being  a  Guide  to  Materia  Med- 
ica  of  the  Vegetable  and  Animal  Kingdoms,  for  the  use  of  Students, 
Druggists,  Pharmacists  and  Physicians.  By  John  M.  Maisch,  Phar.  D., 
Professor  of  Materia  Medica  and  Botany  in  the  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy.    Philadelphia  :  Lea  Brothers  &  Co.,  1885.    12nio.  pp.511. 
Just  three  years  ago  the  first  edition  of  this  work  was  published  ;  it  was 
noticed  on  page  39  of  this  Journal,  1882.  The  edition  was  completely 
exhausted  fifteen  months  ago  ;  but  the  appearance  of  the  second  edition 
was  dela^'ed  owing  to  the  author's  labors  in  connection  with  the  recently 
published  "National  Disi)ensatory."  In  the  work  now  before  us  the  ar- 
rangement of  the  material  remains  substantially  the  same  as  before,  but 
somewhat  more  iDrominence  has  been  given  to  the  histological  characters  of 
vegetable  drugs,  and  those  drugs,  which  are  no  longer  recognized  by  the 
United  States  Pharmacopoeia,  as  a  rule,  are  distinguished  by  the  more 
closely  printed  text  from  the  pliarmacopoeial  drugs,  among  the  latter  being 
included  several  of  which  preparations  or  constituents  only  have  been  ad- 
mitted into  the  Pharmacopoeia,  like  Cocculus  indicus,  which  is  not  recog- 
nized by  the  Pharmacopoeia,  except  through  its  poisonous  constituent  picro- 
toxin.  A  number  of  drugs  have  also  found  a  place  in  the  Manual  which 
have  been  recently  recommended,  and  others  of  American  origin  which 
are  in  more  or  less  extended  use  in  diflerent  sections  of  the  country. 
While  the  number  of  drugfe  treated  of  has  thus  been  increased,  the  text 
has  been  revised  so  as  to  embrace  the  results  of  all  investigations,  as  far  as 
they  come  within  the  scope  of  the  work.  A  number  of  the  old  wood  cuts 
have  been  replaced  by  new  and  more  characteristic  ones,  and  others  have 
been  added  where  it  was  deemed  desirable,  the  total  number  being  242,  or 
an  increase  of  about  50.  A  list  of  "  drugs  arranged  according  to  origin  " 
covering  22  pages,  has  been  added ;  it  embraces  both  drugs  derived  from 
animals  and  from  plants.  The  latter  list  is  necessarily  the  largest  of  the 
two  and  will  be  useful  for  the  comparison  of  drugs  furnished  by  bctanic- 
ally  allied  plants,  and  will  also  be  of  service  to  the  student  of  medical  bot- 
any.   That  paper  and  typography  are  excellent  need  merely  be  mentioned. 
Basic  Pathology  and  Specific  Treatment  of  Diphtheria^  Typhoid, 
Zymotic^  Septic^  Scorbutic  and  .Putrescent  Diseases  Generally.  By  Geo. 
J.  Ziegler,  M.  D.,  etc.  Philadelphia:  Geo.  J.  Ziegler,  M.  D.,  1884.  8vo, 
pp.  225.    Price  |2. 
The  author  endeavors  to  show  that  the  diseases  mentioned  upon  the  title 
page  are  dependent  upon,  or  complicated  with,  one  conmion  basic,  alka- 
line, pathogenic  factor,  mostly  the  volatile  alkali  ammonia,  and  that  the 
successful  treatment  must  be  based  upon  the  neutralization  or  removal  of 
this  morbific  factor.  The  subject  is  discussed  under  the  following  head- 
ings: 1.  Introduction;  2.  etiology  and  Pathology;  3.  Treatment;  4.  Ex- 
ternal Treatment;  5.  Prevention;  6.  Conclusions. 
