604 
Reviews,  etc. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Nov.,  1884. 
Salts,  and  numerous  wood-cuts  are  added  of  the  anatomical  structure  of 
different  barks  and  roots. 
Of  the  many  additions  of  uuofficinal  drugs  and  preparations  we  mention 
particularly  Thymol,  Resorcin,  Katrine,  Quebracho  and  sundry  Cadmium 
and  Nickel  Salts. 
To  facilitate  the  use  of  the  formulas  of  the  Pharmacopoeia,  which  are 
expressed  therein  in  parts  by  weight,  they  are  also  given  in  definite  weights 
and  measures. 
As  Commentary  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  this  edition  is  of  superior  value. 
Under  the  heading  14  Extracta  and  Extracta  fluida"  the  process  for  pre- 
paring these  important  preparations  in  pharmacy  is  minutely  described  and 
the  process  as  practiced  in  other  countries,  critically  commented  ;  for  the 
preparation  of  fluid  extracfs  by  means  of  percolation  directions  are  given 
for  the  manipulation  of  each  part  of  the  operation  and  every  particular  so 
lucidly  explained  that  every  pharmacist  by  carefully  observing  the  instruc- 
tions, must  be  able  to  make  these  so  very  important  preparations  himself. 
As  the  revisers  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  did  not  see  fit  to  give  in  the  Phar- 
macopoeia formulas  for  preparing  certain  chemicals,  formulas  for  preparing 
these  are  also  left  out  in  this  edition  :  the  authors  made  up  this  deficiency  by 
explaining  the  process  by  which  this  or  that  article  is  obtained.  This  is 
certainly  much  better  and  more  instructive  as  pharmacists  will  hardly  ever 
undertake  to  make  Quinine  or  Strychnine,  Corrosive  Sublimate  or  other 
such  chemicals 
The  articles  on  Cinchona  and  Opium  and  their  products  comprise  every- 
thing that  investigation  and  science  have  elucidated  up  to  the  present  time, 
not  only  in  regard  to  pharmacy  but  also  to  therapeutics. 
Of  great  importance  are  the  tests  and  assays  for  ascertaining  the  purity, 
strength  and  relative  value  of  a  great  many  substances. 
Under  tests  we  not  only  understand  the  physical  properties  which  charac- 
terize the  pure  substance  but  also  the  chemical  relation  to  other  substances. 
The  tests  mentioned  in  the  book  to  prove  the  identity  of  the  substance  and 
also  to  give  the  absence  of  any  impurities  are  selected  with  great  care  and 
conform  to  the  latest  researches  in  chemistry  and  pharmacy.  Tests  of  the 
British  and  German  Pharmacopoeias  are  mentioned  for  comparison. 
The  assays  given  under  Cinchona,  Opium  and  other  valuable  drugs,  to 
ascertain  their  true  value  are  of  great  importance,  and  every  conscientious 
pharmacist  ought  to  find  delight  in  making  use  of  them  for  his  own  satis- 
faction. 
The  list  of  volumetric  solutions,  as  adopted  by  the  Pharmacopoeias,  for 
ascertaining  the  purity  of  certain  chemicals  and  the  relative  strength  of 
others,  must  not  be  undervalued. 
The  paragraphs  on  the  physiological  action  and  medical  uses  of  Drugs 
and  Medicines  we  found  largely  augmented,  particularly  so  with  Carbolic 
acid,  Salicylic  acid,  Jaborandi  and  others,  and  those  substances  which  in 
later  years  have  been  recommended  and  experimented  with'for  anaesthetic 
effects  are  very  exhaustively  treated  upon. 
The  largely  increased  Index  of  Therapeutics  is  a  further  proof  of  the  care 
which  the  authors  have  bestowed  on  this  third  edition. 
The  typography  of  the  work  leaves  nothing  to  be  desired. 
