602 
Reviews. 
/Ana.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I   December,  1899. 
A  New  Method  eor  the  Analysis  oe  Commercial  Phenols.  By  S.  B. 
Schryver.  A  method  was  described  a  few  years  ago  by  A.  W.  Titherley  ( Trans. 
Chem.  Soc,  1894,  66,  504)  by  which  the  reagent  sodium  amide,  NaNH2,  could 
be  prepared  pure  and  in  considerable  quantities  without  difficulty,  and  some  of  its 
reactions  were  noted  at  the  same  time.  Amongst  others,  it  is  known  that  it  is 
capable  of  acting  on  bodies  containing  the  hydroxyl  group,  replacing  the 
hydrogen  by  sodium,  evolving  at  the  same  time  ammonia.  Its  action  on  water, 
alcohol  and  phenol  may  be  represented  respectively  by  the  three  following 
equations  : 
NaNH2  +  H20  =  NaOH  +  NH3; 
NaNH2  +  C2H5OH  =  NaOC2H5  +  NH3; 
NaNH2  +  C6H5OH  =  NaOC6H5  +  NH3. 
It  is  thus  evident  that  for  every  hydrogen  atom  replaced  in  this' way,  one 
molecule  of  ammonia  is  evolved.  The  principle  of  the  method  proposed  by 
Schryver  consists  in  the  treatment  of  a  phenol  in  a  solution  of  a  substance  hav- 
ing no  action  on  sodium  amide  by  an  excess  of  this  reagent,  and  estimating 
the  ammonia  evolved  by  the  ordinary  volumetric  methods.  Benzene  was  the 
liquid  usually  employed,  and  the  apparatus  is  diagrammatically  figured  in  the 
paper. 
Anatomical  Characters  of  the  Seeds  oe  Leguminos^E,  Chiefly 
Genera  of  Gray's  Manual.  By  L.  H.  Patntnel.  Trans,  of  the  Academy 
of  Sci.  of  St.  Louis.    Vol.  IX,  No.  6. 
The  author  has  confined  his  studies  to  genera  and  sub-genera.  While  some 
excellent  morphological  and  anatomical  characters  have  been  found,  yet  the 
author  finds  it  often  difficult  to  differentiate  closely  related  species. 
Contributions  from  the  United  States  National  Herbarium. 
Vol.  V,  No.  4.    United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  Division  of  Botany. 
In  this  volume  are  contained  :  ' '  Studies  of  Mexican  and  Central  American 
Plants,"  by  J.  N.  Rose  ;  Two  New  Species  of  Plants  from  the  Northwestern 
United  States,"  by  L.  F.  Henderson  ;  "  Hesperogenia,  a  New  Genus  of  Urn- 
belliferse  from  Mount  Rainier,"  by  J.  M.  Coulter  and  J.  N.  Rose  ;  "  Three  New 
Species  of  Tradescautia  from  the  United  States,"  by  J.  N.  Rose  ;  "  Treleasea, 
a  New  Genus  of  Commelinacese,"  by  J.  N.  Rose  ;  "  Notes  on  Useful  Plants  of 
Mexico,"  by  J.  N.  Rose. 
The  Basket  Willow.  By  Edmund  Hersey.  Bulletin  of  the  Bussey  Insti- 
tution.   Vol.  II,  Part  8.  1899. 
During  the  forty-six  years  that  Salix  purpurea  has  been  grown  by  Mr. 
Hersey,  it  has  proved  to  be  one  of  the  surest  crops  the  farmer  can  grow,  and 
also  a  profitable  crop  where  the  osiers  are  in  demand  for  various  manufacturing 
purposes. 
Missouri  Botanical  Garden.    Tenth  Annual  Report.    St.  Louis,  Mo. 
This  report  contains,  besides  the  usual  reports  of  the  officers,  several  scien- 
tific contributions  by  F.  Lamson  Scribner  and  H.  von  Schrenk,  and  a  biographi- 
cal sketch  of  Edward  Louis  Sturdevant.  An  index  for  Vols.  I  to  X  is  also 
incorporated,  which  will  be  recognized  of  inestimable  value  to  all  who  consult 
these  valuable  contributions. 
