232 
Book  Reviews. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
May,  1913. 
The  substantial  work  of  T.  B.  Osborne  in  the  subchapter  on 
proteins  and  of  W.  D.  Bigelow  in  the  chapter  on  meats,  both 
introduced  in  the  second  edition,  appear  unchanged  in  the  present 
edition. 
The  author  has  been  fortunate  in  having  associated  with  him 
Dr.  Kate  Barber  Winton,  whose  services  in  the  revision  are 
acknowledged  by  the  author.  This  new  edition  of  "  Leach- Winton," 
as  it  will  probably  come  to  be  known,  will  be  found  indispensable 
to  analysts. 
The  Plant  Alkaloids.  By  Thomas  A.  Henry,  Superintend- 
ent of  Laboratories,  Scientific  and  Technical  Department,  Imperial 
Institute.  Philadelphia:  P.  Blakiston's  Son  &  Co.  1913.  $5.00 
net. 
All  accurate  studies  upon  the  active  principles  of  medicinal 
plants  are  of  interest  to  pharmacists.  The  last  word,  as  to  the 
proper  menstruum  to  be  used  in  the  manufacture  of  medicinal 
preparations  and  the  proper  method  of  procedure  to  be  followed, 
will  not  have  been  said  until  the  important  constituents  have  been 
isolated  and  experimented  with  both  chemically  and  physiologically. 
Several  good  books  have  already  been  published  upon  the  plant 
alkaloids.  In  Dr.  Henry's  book  we  find  that  he  has  pretty  well 
digested  the  original  communications  upon  the  study  of  alkaloidal 
drugs  in  both  England  and  the  United  States  as  shown  by  the 
references  to  the  original  literature.  This  has,  however,  not  been 
done  at  the  expense  of  the  work  of  continental  investigators,  whose 
researches  receive  their  share  of  attention.  The  assay  methods 
are  also  included  and  very  many  reactions  for  the  detection  of 
alkaloids  are  also  given.  The  physiological  action  of  many  of  the 
•principles  is  given,  no  doubt,  because  of  the  interest  at  the  present 
time  in  biological  assays. 
Allen's  Commercial  Organic  Analysis.  Vol.  VII.  Vege- 
table Alkaloids,  Glucosides,  Non-Glucosiclal  Bitter  Principles, 
Animal  Bases,  Animal  Acids,  Lactic  Acid,  Cyanogen  and  its  Deriva- 
tives. Edited  by  W.  A.  Davis  and  Samuel  S.  Sadtler.  Philadelphia : 
P.  Blakiston's  Son  &  Co.   1913.    $5.00  net. 
The  new  edition  of  Allen's  Organic  Analysis  which  has  been 
entirely  rewritten  is  a  veritable  mine  of  information  for  pharmacists. 
While  of  course  these  volumes  primarily  appeal  to  chemists  and 
manufacturing  pharmacists,  yet  they  contain  just  the  information  that 
