354  ^ook  Reviezvs.  { ^"'  juTy,' 'ion*'"'"" 
Again,  he  says  :  ''Cellulose  is  another  kind  of  starch.  It  .  .  . 
may  be  distinguished  from  starch  by  its  resisting  the  action  of 
potassium  chlorate  and  nitric  acid." 
But  why  call  further  attention  to  examples  such  as  these?  For 
him  who  uses  the  book  it  means  "  step  by  step  "  to  failure. 
New  and  Non-official  Remedies  191  i.  Containing  descrip- 
tions of  the  articles  which  have  been  accepted  by  the  Council  on 
Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  of  the  American  Medical  Association, 
prior  to  January  i,  191 1.  Chicago:  Press  of  the  American  Medical 
Association,  535  Dearborn  Avenue.  1911. 
As  stated  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Council  in  the  preface,  "  The 
acceptance  of  the  articles  included  in  the  book  has  been  based  in 
part  on  evidence  supplied  by  the  manufacturer  or  his  agent,  and  in 
part  on  investigation  made  by  or  under  the  direction  of  the  Council." 
Furthermore,  we  read :  "  The  Council  desires  physicians  to  under- 
stand that  the  acceptance  of  an  article  does  not  necessarily  mean  a 
recommendation,  but  that  so  far  as  known  it  complies  with  the  rules 
adopted  by  the  Council." 
There  are  some  ten  official  rules  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy 
and  Chemistry  of  the  A.  M.  A.  The  nature  of  them  is  probably  best 
understood  in  their  object.  They  have  been  adopted  with  the 
object  of  protecting  the  medical  profession  and  the  public  against 
fraud,  undesirable  secrecy,  and  objectionable  advertising  in  connec- 
tion with  proprietary  medicinal  articles."  It  is  not  too  much  to  say 
that  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  of  the  A.  M.  A.  has 
done  for  the  cause  of  medicine  what  the  Bureau  of  Chemistry  of 
the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture  has  accomplished  in  the  interest 
of  pure  foods.  The  Council  has  the  support  of  the  medical  pro- 
fession in  the  same  sense  that  the  Bureau  of  Chemistry  has  the 
support  of  the  members  of  that  profession.  The  work  of  the  Council 
is  a  most  difficult  and  delicate  one  and  yet  a  very  necessary  and 
fundamental  one  when  we  consider  the  almost  bewildering  number 
of  compounds,  many  of  which  have  absolutely  no  claim  to  merit, 
that  are  foisted  on  the  medical  profession  each  year.  Some  such 
course  as  this  seems  imperative  if  the  profession  in  general  would 
free  itself  from  the  stigma  of  quackery.  To  the  younger  prac- 
titioners the  work  of  the  Council  should  be  especially  helpful.  Retail 
pharmacists  generally  must  also  appreciate  the  value  of  it  and  should 
procure  copies  of  ''New  and  Non-official  Remedies,  1911,"  which 
