Am.  Jour.  Pharm., 
Dec,  1885. 
Reviews. 
633 
adapted  for  the  use  of  medical  students,  and  while  the  details  are  compar- 
atively brief,  everything  that  seems  to  be  of  importance  is  treated  with 
clearness,  and  when  necessary  explained  b,y  means  of  illustrations.  The 
second  section  on  Pharmacy  gives  brief  explanations  of  the  different 
groups  of  galenical  preparations  and  lists  of  those  recognized  by  the  British 
and  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeias,  with  their  doses.  The  following  four  sections, 
about  500  pages,  treat  of  the  medicinal  agents,  beginning  with  the  elements 
and  their  inorganic  compounds,  which  are  followed  by  the  organic  com- 
pounds, excluding  the  active  principles,  these  being  considered  in  connec- 
tion with  the  drugs  from  which  they  are  derived.  The  vegetable  and  ani- 
mal drugs  are  arranged  in  the  natural  orders  of  the  plants  and  animals 
yielding  them.  For  each  drug  the  officinal  name  cr  names  of  the  two  phar- 
macopoeias are  given,  explanations  of  the  parts  used,  the  habitat  of  the 
plant,  brief  characteristics  of  the  drug,  the  officinal  preparations  with  their 
doses,  and  an  enumeration  of  the  constituents.  The  i^hysiological  action, 
therapeutical  uses,  modes  of  administration,  combination  with  other  drugs, 
doses,  antidotes  and  similar  subjects  of  importance  to  physicians  are  dis- 
<iussed  more  in  detail,  in  accordance  with  the  scope  of  the  work,  which  is 
intended  as  a  textbook  for  the  medical  student,  and  to  serve  also  as  a  book 
of  reference  in  a  condensed  form.  A  limited  number  of  the^more  impor- 
tant non-pharmacopoeial  drugs,  like  coto,  quebracho,  condurango,  cheken, 
papayotin  and  others  are  considered  in  a  similar  manner.  Besides  the  gen- 
eral index  referring  to  the  drugs  and  their  effects,  an  index  of  diseases  and 
remedies  has  been  added,  and  a  bibliographical  index,  which  refers  to  the 
more  important  works  and  essays  on  the  action  and  uses  of  the  different 
remedies. 
The  work  is  doubtless  a  useful  one.  It  contains  nearly  200  illustrations, 
and  that  the  general  make-up  is  unexceptionable  need  merely  be  men- 
tioned. 
A  complete  pj'onoimcing  Medical  Dictionary  :  embracing  the  terminology 
of  medicine  and  the  kindred  sciences,  with  their  signification,  etymology 
and  pronunciation.  With  an  appendix  comprising  an  explanation  of  the 
Latin  terms  and  phrases  occurring  in  medicine,  anatomy,  pharmacy, 
etc. ;  together  with  the  necessary  directions  for  writing  Latin  prescrip- 
tions, etc.,  etc.  By  Joseph  Thomas,  M.D.,  LL.D.,  etc.  On  the  basis  of 
Thomas's  comprehensive  pronouncing  medical  dictionary.  Philadel- 
phia :  J.  B.  Lippincott  Company,  1885.    8vo,  pp.  844. 
A  work  from  the  pen  of  the  distinguished  author,  based  upon  a  previous 
one,  which  has  been  received  with  merited  commendation,  may  be  expected 
to  present  characteristic  s  which  entitle  it  to  special  attention.  In  the  first 
place  should  be  mentioned  its  extent;  scarcely  a  technical  term  or  a  scien- 
tific name  used  in  medicine,  pharmacy,  and  in  medical  chemistry  and 
botany,  has  been  overlooked,  and  all  are  explained  as  to  their  derivation 
and  meaning,  the  correct  pronunciation  being  indicated  by  an  e(piivalent 
English  spelling,  if  necessary,  or  more  frequently  by  dividing  the  words 
into  syllables,  and  in  connection  with  accentuation  marks  and  with  signs 
indicating  the  proper  sounds  of  the  vowels  and  of  some  of  the  consonants. 
The  names  of  a  large  number  of  natural  orders,  of  genera  and  of  species  of 
