Am.  Joiir.  Pharm.) 
March,  1920.) 
Book  Reviews. 
203 
hold  is  something  of  direct  and  practical  interest  to  you,  regardless 
of  your  position,"  is  fully  justified  by  perusal  of  this  volume.  It  is 
certainly  different  from  the  stereotyped  style  of  association  proceed- 
ings of  former  days.  It  indicates  that  the  Drug  Manufacturers'^ 
Association  is  a  live  organization  and  that  at  its  meetings  the  mem- 
bers are  discussing  questions  of  vital  importance  to  the  progress  of 
the  nation  as  well  as  those  that  are  specifically  connected  with  the 
commerce  and  manufacture  of  medicines. 
The  address  of  the  President  and  the  report  of  the  Secretary 
present  much  food  for  thought  in  the  various  topics  presented  under 
such  headings  as  "Tendencies  Toward  Socialism,"  "The  High  Cost 
of  Paternal  Legislation,"  "Politics  and  the  High  Cost  of  Living," 
and  "Evils  of  Blind  Partisanism." 
The  discussions  upon  legislation,  both  enacted  and  proposed,  are 
enlightening  and  it  would  be  well  indeed  if  many  of  those  interested 
in  the  various  branches  of  the  drug  trade  would  read  and  study  these. 
The  various  questions  of  especial  interest  as  trade  p/oblems  are  not 
at  all  sidetracked  nor  were  the  scientific  matters  overlooked.  The 
Proceedings  of  the  Scientific  Section,  formerly  the  Committee  on 
Standards  and  Deterioration,  present  a  number  of  valuable  scien- 
tific and  research  questions  that  had  been  under  consideration  during 
the  year  and  the  findings  will  prove  of  material  aid  in  the  revision 
of  ofiicial  standards  already  established  and  in  fixing  proper  tests 
for  some  other  substances  for  which  standards  have  not  been  defi- 
nitely determined.  G.  M.  B. 
Digest  of  Comments  on  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  the  United 
States  of  America  and  on  the  Nationai^  Formulary  for  the  Cai^- 
Endar  Years  191 5  and  i  916. —These  two  pamphlet  publications 
comprising  Hygienic  Laboratory  Bulletins,  118  and  119,  have 
been  compiled  by  A.  G.  Du  Mez  of  the  Division  of  Pharmacology 
and  carry  on  for  two  more  years  the  work  of  compiling  the  criticisms 
upon  our  legal  authorities  for  standards  for  drugs.  The  books 
now  in  hand  continue  the  same  general  style  of  presenting  the  sub- 
jects as  adopted  with  the  inception  of  this  work  by  the  late  M.  I. 
Wilbert.  The  United  States  Public  Health  Service  in  undertaking 
this  important  piece  of  work  and  continuing  same  systematically  is 
performing  a  notable  service  to  all  of  the  interests  concerned  in  the 
establishment  of  correct  standards  for  medicines  and  indirectly  is 
performing  a  valuable  service  to  the  public  who  are  the  final  con- 
sumers and  whom  it  is  aimed  to  serve.  G.  M.  B. 
