Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
November,  1899.  / 
Reviews. 
553 
This  work,  so  well  known  and  so  much  appreciated  by  the  medical  and  phar- 
maceutical professions  for  nearly  three-quarters  of  a  century,  has  now  been  re- 
vised for  the  seveuteeuth  time.  While  we  recognize  the  remarkable  advances  in 
the  sciences  since  1833,  when  the  first  edition  of  the  United  States  Dispensa- 
tory was  first  published,  it  must  be  further  apparent  that  there  have  been 
equally  as  rapid  advauces  during  the  past  few  years.  The  editors  of  this  Dis- 
pensatory truly  say  that,  since  the  publication  of  the  seventeenth  edition, 
"  at  no  period  has  there  been  so  much  activity  in  the  field  of  Materia  Medica 
and  Therapeutics  as  during  these  five  years."  Recognizing  the  numerous 
additions  to  our  knowledge,  they  have,  in  about  a  year  after  the  edition  of  the 
new  British  Pharmacopoeia,  produced  a  work  which,  with  its  comments  upon 
this  standard,  as  well  as  the  revision  of  old  matter  and  introduction  of  new 
material,  is  very  welcome  to  the  professions  requiring  this  book  for  daily  use. 
"  The  most  laborious  work  of  the  editors  has  been  in  the  consideration  of  syn- 
thetic remedies,  and  excepting  in  regard  to  the  British  Pharmacopoeia,  the 
greatest  amount  of  change  will  be  found  in  Section  II,  Part  II,  of  the  present 
volume,  which  treats  of  new  drugs,  nearly  200  articles  having  been  written  for 
this  portion  of  i:he  book." 
That  an  attempt  has  been  made  to  bring  the  work  up  to  recent  date  is  shown 
in  almost  all  the  articles  considered.  For  instance,  under  assay  processes  of 
the  potent  drugs  the  recent  improvements  are  given,  together  with  copious 
references  to  literature.  We  find,  further,  that  in  the  preparation  and  testing 
of  the  various  pharmaceutical  preparations  the  more  recent  experiments  and 
criticisms  are  incorporated.  That  portion  of  the  work  treating  of  the  vari- 
ous constituents  of  plants  has  been  well  brought  up  to  date.  The  portion  on 
the  newer  synthetic  remedies  and  drugs  is  of  particular  interest  to  the  pro- 
fessions, as  it  represents  the  latest  and  most  authoritative  information  on  those 
drugs  which  are  likely  to  have  a  more  or  less  permanent  place  in  the  materia 
medica.  The  nomenclature  of  the  botanical  portion  of  the  book  has  been  gone 
over  and  brought  in  accord  with  the  views  of  modern  systematists.  Many  new 
facts  regarding  the  toxicology,  medical  properties  and  uses  of  drugs  and  their 
preparations  are  given. 
Taking  the  work  as  a  whole,  it  can  be  safely  said  that  the  work  of  revision 
and  rewriting  has  been  credibly  done,  and  that  the  members  of  the  professions 
of  medicine  and  pharmacy  will  find  in  the  present  edition  a  work  which  continues 
to  be  invaluable  as  a  "  time  saver  "  in  getting  at  the  most  recent  information  on  all 
subjects  pertaining  to  the  origin,  habitat,  physical,  chemical  and  medical  prop- 
erties, pharmacy,  adulteration,  uses,  toxicology  and  modes  of  administra- 
tion of  all  the  drugs  and  preparations  which  are  employed  at  the  present 
day. 
A  Laboratory  Manual  of  Physiologicai,  Chemistry.  By  Elbert  W. 
Rock  wood,  B.S.,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Chemistry  and  Toxicology  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Iowa.  Illustrated  with  one  colored  plate  and  three  plates  of  micro- 
scopic preparations.  5^  x  7^  inches.  Pages  viii-204.  Extra  cloth,  $1,  net. 
Philadelphia  :  The  F.  A.  Davis  Company. 
The  author  being  firmly  convinced  of  the  superiority  of  the  laboratory 
method  of  instruction  over  the  didactic,  in  enabling  the  student  to  become 
familiar  with  the  physiological  changes  in  progress  in  the  animal  body  and 
