940 
Book  Reviews. 
(Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
(     December,  1920. 
The  closing  chapter  is  devoted  to  The  Radio  Active  Elements  in 
which  is  briefly  outlined  the  history  and  the  work  of  the  various 
contributors  to  the  researches  that  have  opened  to  human  knowledge 
the  far  reaching  facts  and  phenomena  associated  with  this  group  of 
elements. 
From  the  remotest  time,  the  progress  of  the"  world  has  been  very 
largely  dependent  upon  chemical  processes  and  the  industrial  de- 
velopment and  the  civilization  of  a  period  can  be  largely  gauged  by 
the  scientific  knowledge,  especially  chemical,  possessed  in  the 
interval.  The  lecturer  points  out  the  ancient  origin  of  the  metal- 
lurgical processes,  the  making  of  glass,  dyeing,  and  other  industrial 
operations  that  are  really  chemical  and  also  the  very  early  acquain- 
tance with  antiseptics  and  their  uses.  From  the  most  ancient  type 
of  alchemy,  the  Chaldean,  the  secrets  and  traditions  were  gradually 
transmitted  from  generations  to  generations  and  withal  many  grains 
of  truth,  disseminated  amid  the  abundance  of  chaff  of  misconception 
and  ignorance,  have  come  down  to  be  usefully  applied  in  our  day 
and  generation.  It  is  no  small  work  to  trace  the  progress  of  the  ages, 
the  vagaries  of  the  philosophies,  the  principal  actors  of  each  period 
and  their  individual  studies  and  contributions.  Despite  the  fact 
that  of  many  of  these  and  their  works  but  cursory  glimpses  are 
given  the  book  is  of  great  suggestive  value  as  it  lays  the  foundation 
for  innumerable  studies  by  students  of  the  history  of  the  science. 
It  is  to  be  especially  noted  that  until  within  a  comparatively 
recent  period,  the  leading  chemists  in  most  countries  were  physicians 
or  pharmacists  and  this  continued  even  after  the  entrance  of  the 
science  into  what  the  author  terms  the  latrochemical  Period. 
Many  of  their  dissertations  were  based  upon  investigations  carried 
on  for  the  discovery  of  new  remedial  agents.  The  author  declares 
that  although  Ambrose  Godfrey  wrote  a  "Compleat  Course  of 
Chemistry"  in  four  folio  volumes,  he  is  best  remembered  as  the 
originator  of  Godfrey's  Cordial. 
Many  of  those  mentioned  in  this  connection  are  names  that  are 
still  associated  with  the  studies  and  daily  practices  of  pharmacy. 
For  example,  that  distinguished  investigator  of  his  time  John  Rudolph 
Glauber,  whose  "5a/  Mirabile"  as  Glauber's  salt,  is  still  a  common  and 
extensively  used  medicinal  chemical.  It  was  he  who  wrote,  *'it 
contenteth  me  that  I  have  written  the  truth,  and  lighted  a  candle  to 
my  neighbour." 
This  posthumous  work  of  Dr.  Brown  deserves  to  be  read  by  every 
