Am.  Jour.  Pharm.l 
March,  1906.  / 
Pharmaceutical  Meeting. 
149 
is  based  upon  both  the  Sylloge  of  Saccardo  and  the  Pflanzenfamilien 
of  Engler  and  Prantl.  With  some  exceptions,  the  author  has 
adopted  the  principle  of  using  the  oldest  specific  name  under  which 
a  species  is  described.  About  150,000  references  have  been  brought 
together  in  this  work,  and  these,  together  with  numerous  cross- 
references,  are  arranged  in  alphabetical  sequence.  In  many  instances, 
particularly  where  the  synonym  is  disputed  or  confused,  the  results 
of  Dr.  Farlow's  studies  of  authentic  specimens  in  conjunction  with 
collateral  reading  are  embodied  in  the  form  of  notes  under  different 
genera  and  species. 
Dr.  Farlow  is  always  interesting  in  what  he  has  to  say,  but  prob- 
ably never  more  so  than  when  treating  of  the  subjects  of  nomencla- 
ture and  taxonomy.  Probably  no  one  is  so  familiar  with  the  literature 
of  botany,  especially  that  of  the  fungi,  as  Dr.  Farlow,  and  no  one  is 
more  capable  of  discerning  the  errors  of  authors  and  the  fallacies 
of  the  different  schools  of  botanists.  For  this  reason  his  influence 
on  botanical  thought  and  work  has  been  most  beneficial.  In  the 
preface  to  the  volume  at  hand  Dr.  Farlow  shows  the  folly  of 
attempting  to  make  hard  and  fast  rules  in  nomenclature.  He  says : 
"  It  is  best  not  to  make  too  violent  attempts  to  interpret  the  older 
mycologists,  but  to  be  content  with  letting  the  dead  bury  their  dead. 
The  business  of  reviving  corpses  has  been  carried  altogether  too  far 
in  mycology.  ...  At  the  Vienna  Congress  it  was  voted  to 
accept  a  list  of  certain  genera  of  spermaphytes  whose  names  are  to 
be  retained  regardless  of  strict  priority.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  at 
the  next  Congress  a  similar  list  of  cryptogams  will  be  presented  so 
that  in  the  case  of  genera  clearly  defined  and  generally  recognized 
under  names  in  use  for  many  years,  they  may  be  regarded  as  fixed 
and  exempt  from  future  changes  on  the  ground  of  priority." 
This  Index  will  stand  as  a  monument  to  the  energy,  patience  and 
ability  of  Dr.  Farlow,  and  it  is  fortunate  that  the  Carnegie  Institu- 
tion is  willing  to  undertake  the  publication  of  works  of  this  kind. 
PHARMACEUTICAL  MEETING. 
The  regular  monthly  Pharmaceutical  Meeting  of  the  Philadelphia 
College  of  Pharmacy  was  held  on  Tuesday  afternoon,  February 
20th,  with  Prof.  Samuel  P.  Sadtler  in  the  chair. 
Prof.  Virgil  Coblentz,  of  the  College  of  Pharmacy  of  the  City  of 
