188 
Editorial. 
f  Am,  Jour.  Pharm. 
1    April  1, 1871. 
variety  of  topics,  such  as  drug  legislation,  chemical  manufacturing  in  California 
and  several  papers  on  special  subjects.  A  series  of  queries  were  called  up, 
but  there, were  but  few  replies,  most  of  them  being  continued.  The  annual 
election  was  held  and  the  following  officers  elected  for  the  ensuing  year  : 
President,  John  Calvert.  Vice-Presidents,  Wm.  Geary  and  G.  G.  Burnett. 
Treasurer,  Wm.  Bryan.  Recording  Sec,  W.  A.  Perkins.  Correspofid.  Sec. 
Jos.  G.Steele.  Exec  Com.,  Messrs.  Geary,  Simpson,  Mayhew,  Steele  and 
Wenzell. 
Hive  Syrui*. — The  following  note,  received  from  Mr.  J.  0.  Wharton,  the 
author  of  a  paper  on  Compound  Syrup  of  Squill,  &c.,  at  page  101  of  the  March 
number,  should  be  considered  in  connection  with  that  article: — 
Note. — It  should  be  remarked  that,  in  filtering  through  carbonate  of  magne- 
sia, the  first  portions  of  liquid  often  pass  through  cloudy  and  should  be  returned 
to  the  filter  until  the  filtrate  is  quite  clear.  This  will  insure  a  transparent 
syrup. 
The  Year  Booh  of  Pharmacy,  comprising  abstracts  of  papers  relating  to 
Pharmacy,  Materia  Medica,  Therapeutics  and  Chemistry;  contributions  from 
British  and  foreign  journals  from  July  1, 1869  to  June  30,  1870,  with  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference  at  the  Seventh  Annual 
Meeting,  held  at  Liverpool,  Sept.,  1870.  London.  John  Churchill  &  Sons. 
Pp.  592  ;  octavo. 
This  volume  originated  from  a  resolution  of  the  British  Pharmaceutical 
"Conference,  and  is  intended  to  be  issued  annually.  The  funds  for  its  support 
^re  supplied  by  the  Conference,  each  member  being  entitled  to  a  copy.  The 
Editor  appointed  for  the  work  was  John  Cargill  Brough,  formerly  Editor  of 
the  Chemist  and  Druggist.,  but  the  serious  illness  of  that  gentleman  rendered 
■assistance  necessary,  which  was  given  by  Mr.  Joseph  Ince,  Prof.  Attfield  and 
others. 
The  work  is  a  sort  of  omnium  gatherum  of  matters  pharmaceutical,  without 
any  attempt  at  classification,  and  appears  to  have  been  printed  from  the  papers 
«f  each  contributor  without  any  effort  at  assimilation.  This  makes  the  book 
very  readable,  but  renders  it  difficult  to  consult  without  going  to  the  index 
every  time.  The  term  "  Year  Book,"  would  indicate  to  us  a  systematic  record 
of  the  doings  of  the  year  in  pharmacy  and  it?  collateral  sciences,  with  full  in- 
formation on  minor  subjects  of  general  interest.  The  title  of  the  book  does 
not  limit  it  to  any  country,  therefore,  the  treating  of  pharmacy  in  a  sectional 
sense  is  hardly  to  be  recommended,  and  in  this  instance  is  a  complete  failure, 
as  we  will  attempt  to  show.  The  first  chapter  is  entitled  American  Pharmacy, 
consisting  of  abstracts  of  notes  made  in  the  United  States  by  a  London  phar- 
maceutist (Mr.  Robert  Howden),  and  consists  of  personal  observations  and 
inquiries  made  at  Boston,  New  York,  Chicago,  Milwaukie,  Cincinnati,  Balti- 
more and  Philadelphia.  This  notice  is  well  written,  and  in  the  main  correct, 
as  far  as  it  goes,  but  in  many  instances  fails,  from  lack  of  information  of  the 
true  condition  of  pharmacy.  This  is  followed  by  a  few  "  American  Recipes," 
which,  if  viewed  as  representing  American  pharmacy  (and  the  inference  is  un- 
avoidable), gives  as  false  an  impression  of  the  pharmaceutical  ideas  originating 
