ioS 
Reviews, 
r  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\    February,  1895. 
methods  of  estimating  nitrogen,  phosphoric  acid  and  a  number  of  other  con- 
stituents are  concisely  stated. 
Appropriate  illustrations  accompany  the  text  and  aid  the  explanations. 
It  is  a  creditable  work,  and  the  first  one  of  any  magnitude  on  this  subject 
that  has  been  attempted  in  America.  We  predict  for  it  a  wide  circulation.  It 
is  the  intention  of  author  and  publishers  to  issue  Volume  II  in  monthly  parts 
of  4S  pages  each,  and  complete  it  during  the  present  year. 
DlCTlONNAIRE  D' ANALYSE  DES  SUBSTANCES  ORGANIOTJES  INDUSTRIEEEES 
ET  COMMERCIAEES,  par  Adolphe  Renard.  Paris:  Baudry  et  Cie.  1895.  8vo. 
Pp.  433. 
This  little  wor,k,  arranged  alphabetically,  seems  to  cover  a  tolerably  wide 
range  of  subjects,  as  it  deals  with  the  outlines  of  analysis  of  most  of  the 
technically  important  organic  products. 
Many  of  these  are  of  pharmaceutical  interest,  as  the  essential  oils,  glycerin 
and  fatty  oils,  alkaloids,  sugars,  soaps,  tannins,  resins,  inks,  wines  and  color- 
ing matters,  both  natural  and  artificial. 
Indeed,  it  covers  very  much  the  same  ground  as  "Allen's  Commercial 
Analysis,"  but  in  a  much  more  condensed  form.  We  notice  that  reference  is 
made  to  the  original  journal  literature  in  many  cases,  so  that  fuller  details  may 
be  looked  up  if  needed. 
The  illustrations  are  few  and  rather  indifferent  in  their  execution.  The 
book,  however,  can  serve  an  excellent  purpose  in  readily  indicating  the  most 
convenient  methods  of  analysis  and  pointing  out  fuller  information  on  most  of 
the  subjects.  It  seems  to  be  thoroughly  modern  in  its  statements  and  refer- 
ences, and,  from  a  casual  examination,  to  be  trustworthy. 
S.  P.  S. 
Koea.  An  Illustrated  Monograph  on  Kola,  issued  by  the  Scientific  Depart- 
ment of  Frederick  Stearns  &  Co.,  Detroit,  Mich. 
This  pamphlet  of  seventy-eight  pages  places  in  a  compact  and  readable  form 
a  considerable  portion  of  the  existing  information  regarding  a  product  whose 
medicinal  action  and  economic  value  are  claiming  attention.  It  is  another 
example  of  the  enterprise  of  American  manufacturers,  and  will,  no  doubt, 
tend  to  popularize  and  disseminate  much  useful  information  concerning  this 
drug. 
In  scientific  writings,  the  title,  "Monograph,"  should  be  restricted  to  con- 
tributions which  exhaustively  elaborate  and  extend  the  existing  knowledge 
on  special  subjects,  and  is  here  inappropriately  used  for  a  collection  of  four 
essays. 
Part  I,  devoted  to  Kola  pharmacognosy,  is  disappointing,  as  it  contains 
scarcely  any  suggestions  of  original  work  by  the  writer,  being  largely  a 
compilation  from  the  excellent  monograph  of  MM.  Heckel  and  ScWagdeu- 
hauffen.  Abstracts  from  this  exhaustive  contribution  appeared  ten  years  ago 
in  the  Pharmaceutical  Journal  and  Transactions  and  in  Christy's  New  Com- 
mercial Plants  and  Drugs,  and  the  wording  of  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
pamphlet  before  us  shows  that  this  English  translation  has  been  extensively 
borrowed  by  the  present  compilers.  To  the  chemistry  and  botany  nothing  of 
importance  is  added  to  our  knowledge  of  ten  years  ago. 
The  probable  economic  value  of  Kola  as  a  source  of  chocolate  has  not 
