56 
Reviews,  etc. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm 
Jan.,  1884. 
are,  as  a  rule,  characterized,  but  entirely  insufficient  for  their  recognition. 
The  tests  of  purity  are  usually  given  correctly,  although  very  briefly  and 
without  making  allowance  for  admissible  impurities.  Chrysarobin  is  still 
called  chrysophanic  acid. 
About  forty  pages  of  the  work  are  devoted  to  "  Pharmacy,"  which  may 
serve  as  a  guide  to  physicians  supplying  their  own  medicines,  but  is  evi- 
dently insufficient  to  be  considered  even  as  a  mere  sketch  of  the  vocation 
of  a  pharmacist.  The  evident  aim  at  briefness  has  made  the  author,  in 
some  cases,  say  what  we  do  not  believe  he  intended  to  assert.  The  state- 
ment that  "  alcohol  does  not  dissolve  any  of  the  most  common  non-medi- 
cinal principles  except  chlorophyll,"  should  certainly  not  be  taken  to  mean 
that  "  everything,  except  chlorophyll,  dissolved  by  alcohol  possesses  medi- 
cinal virtues."  The  statement  is  not  correct  that  "water  dissolves  only 
part  of  the  medicinal  principles  enumerated  and  all  the  non-medicinal." 
Nor  is  it  correct  to  say  that  "the  liquid  removed  (in  the  preparation  of 
tinctures  by  maceration)  represents  the  drug  in  exactly  the  proportion  its 
weight  bears  to  the  menstruum  used  in  maceration,"  for  the  principles  dis- 
solved by  the  menstruum  necessarily  increase  the  weight  of  the  liquid.  It 
is,  however,  proper  to  say  that  this  introductory  portion  contains  many 
good  suggestions,  which  show  that  the  author  is  by  no  means  a  novice  in 
pharmaceutical  manipulations.  To  the  effects  and  therapeutical  uses  of 
the  drugs,  as  described  in  the  work,  our  remarks  do  not  apply. 
The  book  is  well  gotten  up  and  will  be  welcomed  by  those  who  may  be 
desirous  of  acquainting  themselves  with  pharmacy  of  the  eclectic  school. 
Proceedings  of  the  Fourth  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Illinois  Pharmaceutical 
Association,  held  at  Springfield,  October  9  and  10,  1883.  Chicago.  8vo, 
pp.  103. 
An  account  of  the  meeting  will  be  found  on  page  633  of  our  last  number. 
The  Nelson  Price  Book  Revised.  The  Druggists'  Pocket  Price  Book,  for 
retailers,  jobbers,  manufacturers,  and  traveling  salesmen  ;  showing  the 
exact  location  of  every  article  in  the  store,  cost  and  selling  price,  quota- 
tions, discounts,  etc'  Third  edition.  Entirely  rewritten,  rearranged, 
and  improved  by  Benj.  Lillard.  New  York:  J.  H.  Vail  &  Co.  Price, 
flexible  leather,  $3.00. 
The  contents  are  arranged  in  alphabetical  order  with  one  marginal  index, 
in  which  respect,  as  well  as  in  its  greater  completeness,  it  differs  from  the 
former  edition. 
Classification  of  the  Materia  Medica  Collection  of  the  United  States  National 
Museum  and  Catalogue  of  Specimens.  By  James  M.  Flint,  Surgeon  U.  S. 
Navy,  Curator  of  the  Department  of  Materia  Medica.    8vo,  pp.  45. 
The  articles  are  classified  according  to  their  origin  as,  1,  animal  products  ; 
2,  vegetable  products  ;  3,  products  of  fermentation  and  distillation  ;  4,  inor-1 
ganic  products.  The  first  division  is  arranged  in  classes  and  orders  recog- 
nized in  zoology ;  the  second  division  according  to  the  botanical  system  or 
Bentham  and  Hooker,  and  the  fourth  division  under  the  elements  grouped 
according  to  Roscoe  and  Schorlemmer.  The  catalogue  shows  that  the  col- 
lection is  already  a  very  full  one,  embracing  many  specimens,  not  found  in 
regular  commerce. 
