390 
Book  Reviews. 
i  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I     August,  1911. 
conscientiously  digested  the  subject,  and  presented  the  results  in  a 
very  creditable  manner.  The  volumetric  methods  are  arranged 
in  a  systematic  manner  and  comprise  alkalimetry,  acidimetry,  precipi- 
tation, analysis  involving  the  use  of  silver  nitrate,  sodium  chloride 
and  potassium  sulphocyanate.  The  oxidation  methods  involve  the 
use  of  potassium  permanganate,  potassium  dichromate  and  iodine. 
The  reduction  methods  involve  the  use  of  sodium  thiosulphate,  arse- 
nous  acid  and  stannous  chloride.  There  are  also  given  concise 
descriptions  of  methods  for  assaying  alkaloidal  drugs,  phenol,  oils, 
sugars,  formaldehyde,  and  alcoholic  liquids,  together  with  a  few 
simple  gasometric  analyses,  such  as  a  pharmacist  may  find  useful. 
The  book  ought  to  be  in  the  hands  of  pharmacists  generally,  and  we 
believe  that  even  students  in  chemistry  would  find  the  book  of 
considerable  value. 
History  of  the  Vegetable  Drugs  of  the  Pharmacopceia  of  the 
United  States.  By  John  Uri  Lloyd,  Pharm.  M.  This  is 
Bulletin  No.  i8  of  the  Lloyd  Library  of  botany,  pharmacy  and 
materia  medica,  published  by  J.  U.  and  C.  G.  Lloyd,  Cincinnati, 
Ohio. 
The  volume  at  hand  brings  to  mind  the  quarterly  publication 
entitled  "  Drugs  and  Medicines  of  North  America,"  which  was 
published  by  the  Lloyd  Brothers  in  1884.  This  was  an  ambitious 
undertaking,  and  to  pharmacists  it  was  much  like  Gray's  Flora  of 
North  America  to  botanists.  Probably  no  two  men  were  by  nature 
and  inclination  as  well  as  literary  ability  so  well  qualified  to  give 
a  record  of  American  medicinal  plants  including  the  history,  botany, 
chemical  constituents  and  pharmaceutical  preparations  as  these 
authors.  This  work  was  suspended  when  No.  5  of  Volume  II  was 
published  in  1887.  A  few  years  later  it  was  proposed  largely 
as  a  result  of  the  interest  taken  by  Professor  Fliickiger  in  the  subject, 
that  a  "  Pharmacography  of  North  American  Medicinal  Plants  and 
Drugs "  should  be  written  conjointly  by  himself  and  Professor 
Lloyd.  The  death  of  Fliickiger,  however,  terminated  the  enter- 
prise, bringing  to  Professor  Lloyd,  as  we  can  well  understand,  "  one 
of  the  greatest  disappointments  of  his  fife." 
In  the  present  volume  the  history  of  the  vegetable  drugs  of  the 
U.S. P.  Eighth  Revision  are  given.  "  Only  enough  is  chronicled  of 
each  drug's  beginning  to  point  to  the  peoples  or  individuals  who 
introduced  it  to  medicine  and  pharmacy,  no  attempt  being  made  to 
