Am.  Jour.  Pliarm. 
June,  1884. 
Reviews,  etc. 
349 
Etude  micrographique  et  spectroscopique  des  Teintures  et  des  A  Icoolatures 
et  en  parliculier  des  Teintures  d>  Opium.  Par  H.  F.  Francois  Gay,  Phar- 
macien  de  premiere  classe,  etc.  Montpellier:  Boehm  et  Fils.  1883.  Pp.110. 
Micro-graphic  and  Spectroscopic  Studies  of  Tinctures  and  Tinctures  of  fresh 
herbs  (alcoolatures),  and  particularly  of  the  tinctures  of  opium. 
This  is  a  thesis,  presented  to  the  Ecole  superieur  de  Pharmacie  de  Mont- 
pellier, on  a  subject  of  great  importance  to  the  pharmacist,  on  which  inves- 
tigations were  made  by  H.  Deane  and  H.  Brady,  W.  Gilmour,  W.  W.  Stod- 
dart  and  others.  The  preparation  of  tinctures  by  different  methods  is 
considered,  with  their  composition,  preservation  and  changes  to  which 
they  are  subject  under  varying  conditions,  and  with  their  physical  and 
chemical  properties,  and  their  optical  and  micrographic  characters.  The 
literature  has  been  well  searched  and  compiled,  and  a  large  number  of  facts 
observed  by  the  author  and  by  others  have  been  collected.  The  work  is 
accompanied  by  five  lithographic  plates,  giving  the  microscopic  appearance 
of  precipitates  occurring  in  tinctures,  and  of  crystals  formed  by  the  sponta- 
neous evaporation  of  various  proximate  principles,  and  of  tinctures  of  opium 
prepared  from  different  material ;  also  a  lithographic  plate  illustrating  the 
spectroscopic  investigations. 
Le  Gelsemium  sempervirens  au  point  de  vue  botahique,  chimique,  physi- 
ologique  et  therapeutique.  Par  Paul  Pradel,  Pharmacien  de  premiere 
classe,  etc.    Montpellier  :  Cristin,  Serre  et  Ricome.    1884.    Pp.  40. 
Gelsemium  sempervirens  from  the  botanical,  chemical,  physiological  and 
therapeutic  standpoint. 
This  American  drug  has  for  some  years  past  attracted  more  or  less  atten- 
tion in  Europe  ;  but  the  investigations  to  which  it  has  been  subjected,  have 
been  mainly  made  by  American  and  English  pharmacists  and  physicians. 
The  latest  investigations  made  by  Prof.  Wormley  and  Dr.  E.  Schwarz 
("Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1882,  pp.  387  and  389)  seem  to  have  escaped  the 
author's  notice. 
JExcerpts  from  Professor  Hugo  Schulz's  Treatise  on  Eucalyptus  Oil.  Trans- 
lated and  supplemented  by  Baron  Sir  Ferd.  von  Mueller,  K.  C.  M.  G., 
etc.    Sydney  :  L.  Brack.    Pp.  48. 
A  reprint  from  the  "Australasian  Medical  Gazette,"  treating  mainly  of 
the  physiological  action  and  therapeutic  uses  of  the  drug  named. 
Essai  d'une  monographic  locale  des  Conjuguces.  Par  Franyois  Gay,  PrC- 
parateur  a  PEcole  superieure  de  Pharmacie.  Montpellier:  Boehm  &,  Fils. 
1884.    Pp.  112. 
Conjugate  ;  a  local  monograph. 
This  is  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  literature  on  minute  algaceous 
plants,  belonging  to  the  families  Desmidiaceye,  Mesocarpese  and  Zygne- 
macese,  which  the  author  has  found  in  the  neighborhood  of  Montpellier. 
It  contains  four  well  executed  lithographic  plates,  each  with  numerous 
figures  of  the  plants  described. 
