762 
Book  Reviews. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
October,  1920. 
rules  of  grammar  and  composition.  It  is  difficult  to  conceive  of  a 
well  educated  author  writing,  "Do  not  study  heavy  subjects  neither 
directly  after  a  hearty  meal.  Several  instances  of  this  appear  in  the 
book.  Also,  contractions  like  couldn't,  haven't  aren't,  etc.,  are 
scattered  throughout  the  work.  Misspelling  is  abundant.  Much  of 
it,  no  doubt,  is  due  to  faulty  proof-reading,  but,  the  fact  that  certain 
technical  terms  are  repeatedly  misspelled  leads  to  the  suspicion  that 
it  is  a  short-coming  of  the  author,  as  well.  Abbreviations  are 
thickly  sprinkled  through  the  text.  They  are  not  always  uniform. 
For  instance,  Potassium  Iodide  is  abbreviated  Pot.  lod.  on  one  line 
and  on  the  next  Pt.  lod.  Hydrochloric  Acid  is  abbreviated  by  the 
use  of  the  symbolic  formula,  H  CI,  also  given  as  H  C  L  and  even  H. 
C.  L.  The  last  is  the  same  as  the  currently  used  abbreviation  for  a 
prevalent  economic  condition.  Such  phrases  as,  "Lassar's  Paste  is 
a  great  seller  in  the  big  chain  drug  stores,"  occur  with  great  frequency, 
are  of  no  instructional  value,  and  might  well  have  been  omitted  in 
order  to  save  space  and  avoid  abbreviation. 
Definitions  are,  in  many  cases,  faulty.  They  should  be  more  com- 
prehensive. Destructive  Distillation  is  defined  as  "the  process  of 
driving  off  the  volatile  portions  from  dry  organic  matter."  Accord- 
ing to  this  the  sublimation  of  Benzoic  Acid  from  Benzoin  would  be  a 
process  of  Destructive  Distillation.  A  Taenicide  is  stated  to  be  a 
"medicine  which  kills  worms,"  not  being  differentiated  from  a 
Vermicide,  which  is  defined  in  the  same  words.  In  this  connection 
it  might  be  observed  that  faulty  examples  of  definitions  are  frequently 
given.  Chloral  Hydrate  is  given  as  an  example  of  a  deliquescent 
substance.  This  flatly  contradicts  the  statement  of  the  Pharmaco- 
poeia. In  mentioning  gums,  the  statement  is  made  that  "there  are 
two  official  gums.  Gum  Camphor  and  Gum  Arabic,"  a  very  un- 
scientific grouping,  and,  at  the  same  time,  no  mention  is  made  of 
Tragacanth,  which  might  be  properly  classed  with  Gum  Arabic. 
Chemistry,  of  all  subjects,  requires  systematic  treatment.  There 
is,  however,  no  attempt  at  a  scientifically  correct  system  of  handling 
that  subject. 
The  following  are  a  few  of  the  examples  of  inaccurate  and  mis- 
leading information  distributed  throughout  the  book: 
"Dialyzed  Iron  is  made  by  mixing  a  solution  of  Ferric  Hydroxide 
with  Ammonia  Water,"  etc. 
Narcotine  is  mentioned  as  a  "Narcotic  Principle." 
