472 
EDITORIAL. 
oversight  in  omitting  to  give  the  formulas  by  which  their  extracts  and  fluid 
extracts  are  made,  so  that  the  apothecary  can  judge  of  how  far  they  are 
parallel  with  similar  preparations  of  standard  authorities.  For  instance, 
under  Prunus  Virginiana,  the  infusion  and  syrup  are  directed  to  be  made 
from  the  fluid  extract,  and  yet  no  hint  is  given  of  the  strength  of  the 
latter,  or  how  it  is  made.  The  infusion  is  directed  to  be  made  from  half 
an  ounce  of  the  fluid  extract,  and  a  pint  of  water ;  in  other  words,  it  is 
assumed  that  half  a  fluid  ounce  of  a  liquid  can  be  impregnated  with  the 
whole  virtues  of  half  an  ounce  of  wild  cherry  bark, — a  statement  so  per- 
fectly absurd  to  any  thorough  apothecary  as  to  shake  his  faith  in  the  pre- 
paration at  once.  Again,  in  the  article  Krameria  triandra,  the  tincture  is 
directed  to  be  made  with  six  ounces  of  fluid  extract,  to  two  pints  of  di- 
luted alcohol,  making  two  and  three  eighth  pints  of  tincture  from  what  we 
presume  represent  six  ounces  of  the  root.  Then  for  the  infusion,  two 
ounces  of  the  fluid  extract  are  added  to  one  ounce  of  water,  which  is  twice 
the  strength  of  the  officinal,  and  so  of  many  others.  We  believe,  therefore, 
that  these  formulas  should  be  used  only  by  country  practitioners,  and  others 
similarly  situated,  to  whom  an  approximation  to  the  officinal  preparations 
will  be  better  than  an  inability  to  employ  many  not  otherwise  attainable. 
In  a  word,  we  believe  it  is  due  the  classes  who  are  to  use  Messrs.  Tilden's 
preparations,  that  the  strength  of  each  fluid  extract  should  be  stated,  and 
the  proportional  relation  that  each  one  of  the  solid  extracts  bears  to  the 
drug  yielding  it :  and  we  believe  these  gentlemen  will  correct  this  oversight 
in  a  future  edition.  The  book  itself  is  beautifully  printed,  and  the  paper 
superb,  and  as  a  specimen  of  typography,  is  highly  creditable  to  the  pub- 
lishers and  printers. 
Report  of  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital,  to  the  Con- 
tributors, at  their  annual  meeting,  held  Fifth  Month  3d,  1858  ;  together 
ivith  the  accounts  of  the  Treasurer  and  Stewards.  1858.    Pp.  34. 
This  report  exhibits  a  favorable  view  of  the  progress  of  this  most  useful 
Institution.    Through  it  we  learn  that  the  new  buildings  for  the  Insane 
Hospital  have  progressed  favorably,  and  that  they  will  be  ready  for  patients 
by  the  end  of  this,  or  early  in  the  next  year.    The  Committee  have  ex- 
pended $179,468  71,  and  $50,000  of  the  subscriptions  are  yet  unappropri- 
ated.   We  also  learn  that  an  admirably  arranged  and  classified  catalogue 
of  750  octavo  pages,  of  the  extensive  Medical  Library  of  the  Institution, 
M    has  been  prepared  by  Dr.  Emil  Fischer,  and  published  during  the  year. 
Transactions  of  the  twenty-ninth  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Tennessee  Medical 
Society,  held  at  Nashville,  April  6,  1858,  pp.  43,  8vo.,  has  been  received. 
The  Medical  Journal  of  North  Carolina,  edited  by  Edward  Warren, 
M.  D.  August,  1858;  Vol.  1,  No.  1,  (published  under  the  auspices  of 
the  State  Medical  Society,)  has  been  received  and  placed  on  our  list  of 
exchanges. 
