328  Martindalcs  "  Extra  Pharmacopoeia."  {Amj£nea§5.arm' 
other  gum  resins  by  its  somewhat  musky  odor,  and  by  being  easily 
indented  by  the  finger  nail,  especially  where  the  tears  have  a 
blueish  tint.  It  is  more  or  less  brownish-yellow,  at  ordinary  tem- 
peratures tough,  brittle  when  cold,  of  disagreeable  smell,  and  acrid, 
nauseous,  bitter  taste.  It  is  indigenous  to  Africa  and  sent  to  Con- 
stantinople under  the  name  of  "  Khasni."  The  root  is  of  a  roundish 
form  and  about  the  size  and  shape  of  a  large  black  radish,  with  two 
spreading  shoots.  The  British  imports  are  merely  nominal.  Gal- 
banum  is  frequently  used  for  plasters,  and  inwardly  for  menstrual 
illnesses  in  the  country  of  its  growth. 
( To  be  cofitinued.) 
NOTES  ON  THE  EIGHTH  EDITION  OF  MARTIND  ALE'S 
-  EXTRA  PHARMACOPCEIA." 
By  Joseph  W.  England. 
The  eighth  edition  of  William  Martindale's  "  Extra  Pharma- 
copoeia"  has  just  been  issued  through  publisher  H.  K.Lewis,  of 
London,  England  ;  and  while  it  is  largely  based  on  the  British 
Pharmacopoeia  and  procedures  of  British  pharmaceutical  practice,  it 
refers  as  well  to  the  products  and  preparations  of  the  U.  S.  Phar- 
macopoeia. The  work  has  a  national  reputation  in  Great  Britain, 
and  presents  many  features  of  interest  to  all  pharmacists.  It  is  not 
the  writer's  intention  to  review  the  book  in  this  paper,  but  simply 
to  jot  down  a  few  cursory  thoughts  on  subjects  of  general  interest 
which  have  occurred  in  perusing  it. 
Oddly  enough,  on  page  123  reference  is  made  to  the  "A.  C.  E. 
Anaesthetic  Mixture  "  of  alcohol  (S.  G.  0-838  1  r  volume,  chloroform 
(S.  G.,  i'497)  2  volumes,  and  ether  (S.  G.,  0735)3  volumes,  that 
found  favor  in  this  country  some  years  ago.  This  mixture  has  been 
condemned  by  American  surgeons,  on  the  ground  that  its  rate  of 
volatilization  is  unequal,  so  that  the  anaesthetized  patient  is  sub- 
jected to  varying  vapors,  and  not  to  an  anaesthetizing  vapor  of 
uniform  composition.  Mr.  Martindale  has  recognizee  this  fault,  and 
claims  to  obviate  it  by  using  the  following  formula  ;  Absolute  alco- 
hol (S.  G  ,  0*795)  1  volume,  chloroform  (S.  G.,  1-497)  2  volumes,  and 
ether  (S.  G.,  0720)  3  volumes.  He  presents  the  results  of  experi- 
ments in  support  of  this  claim,  which  show  a  practically  uniform  rate 
of  evaporation.    The  mixture  has  a  specific  gravity  of  about  i-oi. 
