402 
Reviews. 
(  Am.  Jour,  fliarm. 
I      August,  1S99. 
on  the  Continent,  that  the  number  of  scientifically  trained  pharmacists  en- 
gaged either  as  members  of  the  sanitary  commissions  in  towns  or  as  directors 
and  chemists  in  the  State  laboratories  for  food-examination,  is  very  consider- 
able, and  will  probably  remain  so,  provided  the  pharmaceutical  chemists  do 
not  themselves  neglect  this  important  department  of  their  scientific  education. 
Of  course,  the  mentioned  state  of  things  has  given  rise  to  a  pretty  large  flood 
of  specified  literature,  viz.,  of  ampler  and  shorter  text-books  containing  the 
chemistry  of  food-materials,  as  well  for  beginners  in  this  part  of  applied  sci- 
ence as  also  for  expert  students  and  practitioners  desirous  of  consulting  an 
authentic  guide  in  the  difficulties  of  food-analyses.  Yet  a  rather  large  number 
of  these  compendiums  on  food-chemistry,  although  containing  numerous  and 
detailed  descriptions  of  all  the  newer  methods  of  analyzing  the  different  objects, 
viz.,  the  liquid  and  solid  materials,  as  wine,  milk,  fats,  bread,  etc.,  are  in  want 
of  a  really  systematic  instruction  adapted  to  the  comprehension  of  students 
entering  into  this  field  of  analytical  chemistry.  The  above- quoted  text-book 
of  the  two  German  authors,  in  fact,  deserves  to  be  called  an  "introduction  to 
the  practical  food- chemistry,"  and  claims  in  the  first  line  to  be  used  for  teach- 
ing purposes  in  the  laboratory.  First  of  all,  it  differs  from  many  other  similar 
works  in  containing  two  parts,  viz.,  a  chemical  part  and  a  section  for  the  bot- 
anical and  microscopic  examination  of  food-materials.  The  first  chemical 
part,  owing  to  the  principles  just  mentioned,  begins  with  the  description  and 
explanation  of  all  more  important  general  methods  of  chemical  testing  and 
determination  of  certain  bodies,  like  nitrogen,  water,  ashes,  fat,  tannic  acid, 
alcohol,  volatile  oi's,  sugar,  albuminoids,  etc.  ;  the  following  second  division 
of  the  chemical  section  contains  all  the  data  and  methods  concerning  the 
chemical  testing  of  the  chief  food-materials  and  drinks.  It  has  been  the  aim 
of  the  authors  to  care  for  a  selection  of  such  newer  methods  which  are  of  real 
value  for  students,  and  which,  by  practical  experience  of  the  last  years,  have 
proved  relatively  faultless  and  reliable. 
Both  chemical  sections  of  the  book  are  freely  illustrated  by  well-executed 
woodcuts,  and  followed  by  a  series  of  tables  for  calculations. 
The  second  part  of  the  book,  botanical  and  microscopic,  has  been  founded 
on  the  same  plan,  beginning  with  a  short  explanation  of  the  methodic  exami- 
nation of  the  vegetable  tissues  of  food-substances,  and  proceeding  then  to  the 
anatomical  characters  of  raw  and  powdered  materials,  as,  for  instance,  coffee,  tea, 
cocoa,  pepper,  saffron,  ginger,  mushrooms,  etc.  The  text  of  this  part  also,  as 
may  be  expected,  is  not  devoid  of  good  illustrations,  which,  together  with  an 
excellent  print,  do  every  justice  to  the  blameless  typographical  quality  of  the 
present  book.  We  think  this  truly  practical  compendium  will  be  observed  and 
gain  friends  also  among  American  and  English  pharmaceutical  chemists  con- 
versant with  German  language.  Ed.  Schaer. 
Strassburg,  Germany,  June,  1899. 
Annual  and  Analytical  Cyclopedia  of  Practical  Medicine.— By 
Charles  E.  de  M.  Sijous,  and  one  hundred  associate  editors,  assisted  by  corre- 
sponding editors,  collaborators  and  correspondents.  Illustrated  with  chromo- 
lithographs, engravings  and  maps.  Vol.  III.  Philadelphia,  New  York  and 
Chicago  :  The  F.  A.  Davis  Company,  Publishers.  1899. 
The  first  two  volumes  have  been  reviewed  at  length  in  this  Journal.  The 
