'^"^M^-yt  fs™'}  Revieios  and  Bihliograpl deed  Notices.  237 
was  15,317,  or  one  in  44  of  the  population,  the  births  numbered  17,194,  and 
6,421  marriages  were  registered.  The  statistical  tables  exhibit  a  great  amount 
of  labor,  and  impart  much  valuable  information  to  the  statistician. 
Die  gerichtlicli-chemisclie  Ermitteluncj  von  Giften  in  Nahrungsmitteln,  Luft- 
gemischen,  Spei'seresten,  Korpertheilen,  etc.  Von  Dr.  Georg  Dragendorff. 
ord.  Professor  der  Pharmacie  an  der  Universitiit  Dorpat.  Mit  Holzschnit- 
ten.    St,  Petersburg,  1868.    Bvo.    426  pages. 
The  forensic  chemical  determination  of  poisons  in  vitals,  gases,  food,  animal 
bodies,  etc.    With  wood  cuts. 
We  owe  an  explanation  to  the  author  for  not  having  noticed  his  valuable 
work  before,  and  regret  exceedingly  that  it  has  been  very  much  delayed  on  its 
way  to  our  hands,  having  been  received  but  a  few  weeks  ago.  Numerous  inves- 
tigations on  the  detection  of  poisons,  and  especially  of  the  alkaloids,  were  made 
with  commendable  perseverance  by  the  author  and,  under  his  guidance,  by  his 
pupils.  In  the  work  before  us  the  author  considers  the  more  important  meth- 
ods recomniended  for  the  detection  of  the  different  poisons,  the  points  wherein 
they  are  superior  or  deficient  as  compared  with  other  processes,  and  particu- 
larly their  reliability.  He  relates  the  symptoms  produced  by  the  poison,  and 
endeavors  to  guide  the  chemical  expert,  based  upon  the  results  obtained,  in 
meeting  the  legal  questions  in  connection  with  accidental  or  intentional  poison- 
ing. The  scoj)e  of  the  work  is  best  shown  by  quoting  the  headings  under  which 
some  of  the  poisons  are  treated,  for  which  purpose  we  select  an  inorganic  and 
an  organic  poison.  Arsenic— General  remarks;  resorption;  symptoms  of 
arsenical  toxication  ;  mummification  of  corpses  ;  emesis  in  poisoning  by  arsenic  ; 
in  which  parts  of  the  body  must  arsenic  be  searched  for?  which  mistakes  are 
possible  ?  accidental  occurrence  of  arsenic  in  exhumed  corpses  ;  disappearance 
of  arsenic  from  the  corpses  of  poisoned  subjects  ;  did  the  arsenic  lound  cause 
death?  remaining  in  rooms  with  arsenical  colors  ;  treatment  of  organic  mixtures 
for  arsenic  ;  precipitation  by  sulphuretted  hydrogen  ;  reduction  of  arsenic  acid  ; 
treatment  of  the  piecipitate  ;  methods  to  detect  arsenic  ;  recognition  of 
4irsenical  mirrors;  properties  of  arsenic  compounds;  quantitative  determina- 
tion of  arsenic. 
The  headings  under  Cantharides  are:  General  remarks  ;  action  ;  resorption  ; 
not  poisonous  for  all  animals  ;  separation  of  cantharidin  from  mixtures;  prop- 
erties; corpus  delicti ;  quantitative  determination  ;  poisoning  with  the  tincture 
and  with  powdered  cantharides  ;  mistakes  possible  ;  other  epispastic  substances  ; 
volatile  principle  of  cantharides. 
The  language  is  clear  and  concise,  adapted  for  those  who  are  not  mere  tyros 
in  chemistry,  the  illustrations  are  well  executed,  and  most  of  the  few  typogra- 
phical errors  are  readily  detected.  We  desire  to  correct  a  misstatement  which, 
though  entirely  unimportant  for  the  work  under  consideration,  we  have  repeat- 
edly met  with  in  European  works.  In  a  foot  note  on  page  275  the  author  says 
that  "  the  principle  originally  called  hydrastin  has  been  recognized  as  identical 
with  berberina.  The  name  hydrastin  was  subsequently  used  for  a  second  alka- 
loid occurring  in  hydrastis  canadensis."  The  facts  are  just  the  reverse:  Hy- 
drastia  was  discovered  and  recogaized  as  an  alkaloid  in  1850  by  A.  B.  Durand. 
