I IO 
Reviews. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Feb.,  1891. 
careful  examination  of  the  contents  that  the  immense  amount  of  labor  bestowed 
upon  the  collection,  and  the  critical  sifting  of  facts  can  be  appreciated.  In 
the  first  place  it  must  be  stated  that  the  work  is  not  limited  to  the  four  lan- 
guages mentioned  upon  the  title  page,  but  the  Italian  and  Spanish  synonyms 
are  generally  given.  The  etymological  derivations  from  the  Greek  or  other 
languages  are  indicated,  and  the  vernacular  names  of  plants,  drugs  and 
medicines  have  been  arranged  in  their  alphabetical  order.  The  cross  references 
are  so  numerous  and  appear  to  have  been  so  systematically  carried  out  that  it 
will  be  practically  impossible  to  turn  to  the  dictionary  without  finding  the 
information  sought  for,  either  directly  under  the  heading  consulted,  or  by 
reference  to  some  other  heading.  The  scope  is  indicated  by  the  statement 
that  not  only  the  terms  used  in  medicine  are  to  be  considered,  but  also  those 
of  the  collateral  sciences,  and  this  object  is  quite  liberally  interpreted.  Thus,, 
for  instance,  in  the  case  of  the  generic  name  of  a  medicinal  plant  the  deriva- 
tion of  the  word  is  given,  a  brief  explanation  of  the  botanical  characteristics  or 
relations  of  the  genus,  the  synonyms  in  the  different  languages,  and  then,  in 
alphabetical  order,  the  names  of  the  different  species  employed  medicinally  in 
different  parts  of  the  world  with  notes  of  their  habitat,  and  properties,  and  of 
the  drugs  and  pharmacopceial  preparations,  in  case  the  drug  is,  or  was  formerly 
recognized  by  the  Pharmacopoeias.  Since  the  synonyms,  botanical  and  phar- 
maceutical, are  also  fully  considered,  it  is  evident  that  the  information  given 
under  one  title  is  quite  comprehensive.  Referring  to  a  case  in  point,  we  turn 
to  the  word  china  (cinchona)  where  we  find  the  Pharmacopceial  and  commer- 
cial names  of  the  different  varieties  of  cinchona  bark,  now  or  formerly  in  use 
on  the  continent  of  Europe  ;  the  German  names  of  the  cinchona  trees,  the 
medicinal  preparations  of  the  bark  used  in  Europe,  the  different  varieties  of 
china  root  (smilax),  etc.,  the  whole  occupying  six  columns.  Information  of  a 
similar  character,  but  necessarily  more  extensive,  is  met  with  under  the  title  of 
cinchona  which  fills  eleven  columns.  Medicinal  chemicals,  their  derivatives 
and  allied  compounds,  zoological  and  mineralogical  terms,  and,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  the  technical  terms  of  medicine  and  surgery  receive  analogous  treat- 
ment. 
It  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  that  the  work  before  us  is,  indeed,  ency- 
clopaedic in  character,  and  from  careful  examination  of  the  contents,  we  find 
the  information  correct  and  reliable.  One  curious  typographical  error,  which 
occurs  on  page  968,  has  escaped  the  scrutiny  of  the  proof-reader  ;  one  of  the 
German  synonyms  for  chimaphila  is  rendered  "hornhaut"  instead  of  "  harn- 
kraut."  The  former  is  the  German  for  cornea,  and  is  correctly  given  in  the 
latter  place.  A  number  of  illustrations  have  been  added,  and  serve  to  render 
descriptions,  etc.,  clearer.  Owing  to  the  necessarily  reduced  size,  the  figures 
of  a  few  plants  are  less  satisfactory  in  this  respect.  The  clearness  of  the  types 
and  the  entire  typographical  arrangement  are  very  inviting  ;  they  are  in  keep- 
ing with  the  amount  and  quality  of  the  labor  expended  upon  the  work  by  the 
editor  and  his  co-laborers. 
A  Standard  Dictionary  of  the  English  Language.  New  York  :  Funk  & 
Wagnalls,  publishers. 
We  have  received  advance  sheets  of  this  work,  which  will  soon  be  published, 
forming  a  quarto  volume  of  over  2,100  pages.    When  complete,  it  is  stated  that 
