286  Reviews  and  Bibliograjphical  Notices.  {^""j^ZWrn^' 
elements,  their  official  preparations  and  tests,  and,  in  a  similar  manner,  with 
the  acids.  A  concise  description  of  systematic  (qualitative)  analysis  is  followed 
by  organic  chemistry  (exclusive  of  the  acids),  toxicological  analysis,  examination 
of  morbid  urine  and  calculi,  quantitative  (volumetric  and  gravimetric)  analysis 
and  dialysis.  An  appendix,  containing  several  valuable  tables,  and  a  full  index 
complete  the  volume. 
If  we  consider  the  large  scope  and  the  small  size  of  the  work,  it  is  astonishing 
what  an  immense  number  of  facts  the  author  succeeded  in  embracing  in  this 
space.  This  was  possible  only  through  conciseness  and  terseness  of  languajje, 
and  by  a  systematic  arrangement  avoiding  repetitions  as  much  as  possible, 
which  has  occasionally  been  accomplished  only  at  the  cost  of  convenience  ;  thus, 
the  well-known  reaction  of  morphia  with  nitric  acid  is  not  found  among  the 
analytical  reactions  of  this  alkaloid  (p.  318),  nor  does  the  index  indicate  where 
to  look  for  it.  It  is,  however,  described  under  brucia  (p.  324),  to  distinguish 
the  reaction  of  the  former  from  the  similar  one  of  the  latter  alkaloid. 
Under  the  synthetical  reactions  the  official  (the  author's  term,  and  defended 
by  him  some  time  ago  in  the  Pharm.  J ourn.  and  Trans.)  processes  of  the  British 
and  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeias  are  mentioned  and  explained.  In  some  instances, 
the  latter  has  not  received  the  full  attention  it  deserved,  for  the  pharmaceutical 
student  at  least.  The  employment  of  bicarbonate  of  potassa,  for  instance,  in 
the  preparation  of  various  chemicals  was  directed  on  account  of  the  greater 
purity  of  this  salt  as  compared  with  the  carbonate,  and  for  the  purpose  of 
avoiding  the  previous  preparation  of  potassse  carbonas  pura.  The  process  of 
the  same  pharmacopoeia  for  the  two  bismuth  salts  is  based  on  the  sparing  solu- 
bility of  arseniate  of  bismuth  in  dilute  acids,  which  still  hold  the  nitrate  in 
solution,  the  precipitate  which  occurs  on  long  standing  containing  most  of  the 
arsenic,  which  element  is  removed  only  with  difficulty  from  metallic  bismuth  by 
fusion  with  oxidizing  agents,  but  completely,  as  the  author  correctly  states,  by 
evaporating  the  solution  in  nitric  acid  to  crystallization. 
In  most  instances  the  characteristic  tests  are  mainly  given,  though  those  of 
secondary  importance  are  generally  alluded  to. 
The  least  satisfactory  portion,  in  our  opinion,  is  that  treating  of  organic 
chemistry,  in  which  part  we  miss  some  important  facts,  and  find  others  strangely 
misstated.  We  miss  (page  321)  the  beautiful  test  of  Herapath  for  the  cinchona 
alkaloids,  find  no  discriminating  test  between  quinia  and  quinidia,  except  the 
relative  solubility  in  ether,  and  still  observe  in  the  chlorine  and  ammonia  test 
the  statement  that  fresh  chlorine  water  is  required,  while  the  beautiful  emerald 
green  color  is  produced  in  a  liquid  strongly  acidulated  with  muriatic  acid,  pro^ 
vided  only  that  the  quinia  solution  be  dilute,  or,  in  other  words,  that  quinia^ 
chlorine  and  ammonia  be  present  in  a  certain  relative  proportion,  the  precise 
limits  of  which,  we  believe,  have  never  been  determined. 
We  have  never  manipulated  with  lobelina  (p.  328),  but,  as  we  understand 
Prof.  Procter's  experiments,  this  alkaloid  is  not  volatile  ;  on  the  contrary,  it 
decomposes  on  the  application  of  heat,  unless  combined  with  an  acid. 
A  truly  unaccountable  statement  of  the  author  appears  on  p.  329,  under  the 
head  of  veratria.  It  is  alleged  here  that  "  this  alkaloid  occurs  as  gallate  of 
Yeratria  in  various  species  of  Yeratrum  (as  Ver.  album,  Ver.  viride)  in  Oeva- 
