Am.  Jour  Pharm.l 
Jan.,  1884.  / 
Reviews,  etc. 
55 
Perhaps  the  most  important  change  is  in  the  present  Part  III,  on  "  Phar- 
maceutical Processes  and  Apparatus,"  the  subject  of  which  formed  a  portion 
of  Part  V,  on  "  Galenical  Pharmacy,"  and  Part  III,  on  "  Inorganic  Phar- 
maceutical Chemistry,"  in  former  editions.  The  remaining  parts,  though 
necessarily  changed  in  number,  remain  otherwise  as  before.  The  classifi- 
cation of  the  metals  in  former  editions  was  based  upon  their  chemical  and 
in  a  measure  upon  the  medicinal  analogy  of  their  compounds  ;  in  the  pre- 
sent edition  they  are  classed  according  to  their  quantivalence.  We  confess 
that  we  prefer  the  former  or  some  similar  plan,  though  the  latter  may  be 
apparently  more  scientific.  Chapter  V,  however,  contains  several  metals 
which  are  not  tetrads.  The  subdivision  of  the  part  relating  to  "Organic 
Chemistry"  remains  essentially  unchanged.  Originally  suggested  by  the 
elder  Soubeiran,  and  necessarily  materially  modified  in  the  course  of  time, 
the  classification  has  peculiar  advantages  for  the  pharmaceutical  student, 
and  several  of  the  groups  are  even  at  the  present  time  considered  in  a  simi- 
lar manner  in  systematic  works  on  organic  chemistry.  But  the  advances  in 
this  branch  of  science  have  been  very  great  of  late  years,  and  would  seem 
to  necessitate  greater  changes  in  the  introductory  portion  of  several  chap- 
ters and  in  some  of  the  syllabi.  The  volatile  oils,  neutral  principles  and 
alkaloids  at  present  known  to  exist  in  plants,  and  more  or  less  investigated, 
are  so  numerous  that  it  seems  advisable  in  a  work  of  this  kind  to  confine 
their  enumeration  to  medicinal  and  otherwise  important  plants. 
The  part  on  "  Galenical  Pharmacy  " — notwithstanding  several  chapters 
have  been  transferred  to  another  part,  as  stated  above — has  been  increased 
from  240  to  over  300  pages.  Each  page  bears  evidence  of  the  care  bestowed 
upon  it,  and  conveys  valuable  information  from  the  rich  store  of  the  edi- 
tor's experience.  In  fact  all  that  relates  to  practical  pharmacy — apparatus, 
processes  and  dispensing — has  been  conveniently  arranged,  and  described 
with  clearness  in  its  various  aspects,  so  as  to  afford  aid  and  advice  alike  to 
the  student  and  to  the  practical  pharmacist,  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to 
mention  that  the  work  is  judiciously  illustrated,  with  good  wood  cuts,  aud 
is  well  printed  upon  good  paper. 
A  Digest  of  Materia  Medica  and  Pharmacy ;  forming  a  complete  Pharma- 
copoeia for  the  use  of  physicians,  druggists,  and  students.  By  Albert 
Merrell,  M.D.,  Professor  of'  Chemistry,  Pharmacy,  and  Toxicology  in  the 
American  Medical  College,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  etc.  Philadelphia  :  P.  Bla- 
kiston,  Son  &  Co.,  1883.    8vo,  pp.  512. 
The  work  has  evidently  been  written  for  the  use  of  physicians  of  the 
eclectic  school.  For  the  professional  pharmacist,  it  contains  little  that 
would  be  of  direct  use  to  him,  and  nothing  which  he  could  not  find  in 
other  works  of  reference  usually  on  hand,  except  the  strength  of  eclectic 
galenical  preparations,  which,  from  the  position  of  the  author,  we  presume 
to  be  authoritative.  The  vegetable  and  animal  drugs  are  merely  enume- 
rated, without  an  attempt  of  describing  them.  The  constituents  of  each, 
when  known,  are  mentioned,  and  generally  very  briefly  characterized  as 
to  their  solubilities  ;  but  even  in  this  respect  the  information  dates  usually 
back  three  or  four  years,  and  the  investigations  made  in  the  meantime  are 
not  considered,  including  such  important  ones  as  those  on  the  alkaloids  of 
the  solanacese,  the  constituents  of  eolchicum,  etc.    Chemical  compounds 
