AnMJa°rch,  Sot.rm' }     Reviews  and  BibliogrcipJiical  Notices.  143 
Aluminium  Vessels  Platinized. — A.  Gawalowski  [Zeitschr.  f. 
Anal.  Chem.,  1902,  page  618)  describes  a  method  of  readily  platiniz- 
ing aluminium  vessels  so  as  to  make  them  available  for  evaporating 
water  for  chemical  analysis.  To  the  bright,  polished  inner  surface 
of  aluminium  vessels  he  applies  an  alkaline  solution  of  platinum  pre- 
prepared  by  adding  sufficient  of  a  caustic  potash  solution  to  a  5  or 
10  per  cent,  solution  of  platinum  chloride  until  the  latter  is  slightly 
alkaline  in  reaction,  to  phenolphtalein  solution. 
Platinized  aluminium  vessels  should  not  be  cleaned  by  scrubbing 
with  sand,  but  may  instead  be  rinsed  with  a  5  or  10  per  cent,  solu- 
tion of  oxalic  acid. 
Aluminium,  increase  in  density  and  ductility  of. — According  to 
a  German  patent,  granted  to  W.  Rubel,  the  addition  of  from  3  to  15 
per  cent,  of  phosphorous  to  metallic  aluminium  changes  the  physical 
properties  of  this  metal  to  such  a  degree  that  it  becomes  applicable 
to  quite  a  variety  of  purposes,  for  which,  on  account  of  its  soft  char- 
acter,  it  has  not  been  used. 
Phytotherapy, — According  to  the  Suddeutsche  Apotheker  Zeitung 
(1903,  page  39J  this  is  the  latest  pseudo-medical  fad,  and  according 
to  its  promoters,  embodies  the  most  recent  methods  of  combating 
•  diseases  by  means  of  non-poisonous  plant  extracts. 
"  Not  only  do  these  plant  extracts  eliminate  all  natural  poisons 
from  the  human  organism,  but  also  remove  or  counteract  the 
havoc  made  in  the  human  body  by  the  poisonous  medicines  used 
by  allopathic  physicians." 
REVIEWS  AND  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 
Die  RoJistoffe  des  Pflanzenreiches.  Versuch  einer  Technischen 
Rohstoffelehre  des  Pflanzenreiches  unter  Mitwirkung  von  Prof.  Dr. 
Max  Bamberger  in  Wien ;  Dr.  With.  Figdor  in  Wien  ;  Prof.  Dr. 
F.  R.  v.  Hohnel  in  Wien ;  Prof.  Dr.  T.  F.  Hanausek  in  Wrien ;  Prof. 
Dr.  F.  Krasser  in  Wien  ;  Prof.  Dr.  Lafar  in  Wien  ;  Dr.  Karl  Lins- 
baur  in  Wien;  Prof.  Dr.  K.  Mikosch  in  Briinn ;  Prof.  Dr.  H. 
Molisch  in  Prag ;  Hofrat  Prof.  Dr.  A.  E.  v.  Vogl  in  Wien;  Prof. 
Dr.  K.  Wilhelm  in  Wien  und  Prof.  Dr.  S.  Zeisel  in  Wien,  von  Prof. 
Dr.  Julius  Wiesner  in  Wien.  Leipzig  :  Verlag  von  Wilhelm  Engel- 
mann.    2  Bde.  pp.  1865,  M.  60;  gebunden  M.  66. 
The  second  edition  of  Wiesner's  "  Rohstoffe  des  Pflanzenreiches  " 
