9o  Reviews,  etc.  {^jgftSg*- 
REYIEWS  AND  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 
Medicinal  Plants ;  being  Descriptions  with  Original  Figures  of  the  Principal  Plants 
employed  in  Medicine,  and  an  Account  of  their  Properties  and  Uses.  By  Robert 
Bentley,  F.  L.  S.,  and  Henry  Trimen,  M.  B.,  F.  L.  S.  Philadelphia:  Lindsay  & 
Blakiston,  1876.    Price  of  each  part,  $2.00. 
Parts  2d  and  3d  of  this  valuable  work,  now  before  us,  contain  figures  and  descrip- 
tions of  the  following  North  American  plants  :  Lobelia  inflata,  Gaultheria  prccum- 
bens  and  Sanguinaria  canadensis.  The  remaining  plants  noticed  in  the  two  parts 
are  Theobroma  cacao,  Rhamnus  catharticus,  Prunus  amygdalus,  Pyrus  cydonia,  Cin- 
namonum  zeylanicum,  Papaver  rhoeas,  Barosma  crenulata,  Citrus  aurantium,  Olea 
europaea,  Juniperus  communis  and  Iris  florentina. 
We  notice  that  the  fusing  point  of  cacao  butter  is  given  at  i22°F.,  and  its  specific 
gravity  "961.  Other  authorities  give  the  spec.  grav.  "891  to  "91,  and  the  fusing  point 
at  about  300  C.,(96°F.) — See  also  Trojanowsky,  next  page.  While  it  is  not  unlikely 
that  different  varities  of  cacao,  expressed  at  different  temperatures  may  yield  fats 
varying  in  fusing  point  and  density,  we  are  not  aware  of  any  comparative  experiments 
undertaken  with  the  view  of  ascertaining  the  causes  producing  the  differences  which 
are  noticed  between  the  cacao  butter  of  former  investigators  and  that  usually  met 
with  in  commerce. 
Among  the  constituents  of  sanguinaria,  puccina  and  sanguinarinic  acid  are  given, 
the  former  of  which  Hopp  proved  to  be  (Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,  1875,  p.  193,)  sanguin- 
arina  mixed  with  a  little  resin,  and  the  latter  to  consist  mainly  of  citric  and  malic 
acids. 
The  representations  of  the  plants  and  the  descriptive  letter-press  are  very  com- 
mendable. 
Gmelin  —  Kraufs    Handbuch    der    Chemie.      Anorganische    Chemie.  Sechste 
umgearbeitete  Auflage.     Heidelberg  :  Carl  Winter's  Universitats  Buchhandlung. 
We  have  before  us  Nos.  6  to  10  of  vol  I.  part  I  j  Nos.  5  and  6  of  vol.  II,  and  Nos. 
17  to  20, — the  conclusion  of  the  third  volume. 
The  five  numbers  belonging  to  the  first  volume  contain  the  continuation  of  the 
general  and  physical  chemistry,  among  which  is  the  chapter  on  crystallography  and 
an  exposition  of  the  physical  laws  bearing  on  solids  and  liquids,  and  relating  to  elasti- 
city, expansion,  density,  influence  of  and  behavior  to  heat,  dissociation,  capacity  of 
absorption  and  solution,  etc. 
The  two  numbers  of  the  second  volume  are  devoted  to  the  metals  of  the  alkaline 
earths  barium,  strontium  and  calcium,  and  the  concluding  numbers  of  the  third 
volume  to  the  metals  of  the  platinum  group,  namely,  platinum,  palladium,  rhodium, 
iridium,  ruthenium  and  osmium.  The  preparation  of  the  last  volume  for  the  press 
consumed  a  period  of  over  four  years,  and  has  been  in  the  hands  of  Professor  S.  M. 
Jorgensen,  of  Copenhagen,  who  has  admirably  fulfilled  his  trust  to  bring  the  work 
up  to  the  time  of  publication,  which,  in  view  of  the  numerous  additions  and  of  the 
more  extended  and  perfected  theoretical  knowledge  necessitated  the  re-writing  of 
the  greatest  portion  of  the  work.  The  same  must  be  said  of  the  second  part  of  the 
first  volume,  containing  the  non-metallic  elements,  which  was  finished  some  time 
ago,  having  been  revised  by  Professors  H.  Ritter  and  Carl  Kraut.  What  remains 
to  be  finished  is  the  first  part  of  the  first  volume,  containing  the  general  introduction 
into  chemical  science,  and  the  second  volume  embracing  the  metals  of  the  alkalies, 
alkaline  earths  and  earths.  The  former,  of  which  now  ten  numbers  (608  pages) 
have  been  published,  is  entrusted  to  Professor  A.  Naumann,  of  Giessen,  a  scientist 
eminently  qualified  for  the  task  from  his  connection  with  the  "  Jahresbericht  der 
