-286 
Reviews,  etc. 
(  Am.  Joiir.  Pharm. 
t      May,  1883. 
ance.  The  external  getting  up  of  the  book  leaves  nothing  to  desire,  but 
since  we  have  alluded  above  to  the  cuts  of  apparatus  and  operations,  we 
should  especially  mention  also  the  numerous  well-executed  cuts  of  crystals 
which  serve  to  exi^lain  the  shape  far  better  than  lengthy  descriptions. 
  e 
Ail  Infroduction  to  A)iah/tu;al  ChemMry.  By  Dr.  John  Muter,  M.A., 
F.C.S.,  etc.  Third  edition.  Philadelphia:  Presley  Blakiston.  8vo,  pp. 
216.    Price  |2.50. 
This  volume  is  a  reprint  of  the  practical  portion  of  the  author's  work  on 
pharmaceutical  and  medical  chemistry;  it  is  issued  separately  for  convenience 
in  use  and  is  arranged  on  the  principle  of  the  course  of  laboratory  instruc- 
tion at  the  South  London  School  of  Pharmacy.  As  a  work  intended  for 
practical  use  in  the  analytical  laboratory  it  has  its  merits,  which  are  to  be 
found  in  the  conciseness  and  the  general  correctness  of  the  statements. 
If  intended  for  students  who  have  already  mastered  theoretical  and  syn- 
thetical chemistry,  the  greater  portion  of  the  first  chapter  might  have  been 
omitted  without  disadvantage.  But  if  it  is  intended  for  the  use  of  tyros, 
who  have  had  little  or  no  instruction  in  practical  chemistry,  we  have 
serious  doubts  concerning  its  usefulness  for  imparting  solid  knowledge, 
except  under  the  constant  supervision  of  a  competent  teacher.  Thus  for 
instance  in  the  chaj^ter  on  gravimetric  quantitative  analysis,  the  solutions 
are  supposed  to  contain  only  a  single  metal,  and  methods  of  exact  separa- 
tion are  not  given,  while  the  methods  as  given  in  Chapters  II  and  V  apply 
nearly  all  to  the  qualitative,  but  not  to  the  quantitative  separation.  In 
Chapter  VI,  Sonnenschein's  process  with  phosphomolybdic  acid  is  stated 
to  be  the  best  for  the  isolation  of  poisonous  alkaloids ;  we  recognize  the 
value  of  the  reagent  and  its  usefulness  for  the  detection  of  alkaloids,  but  we 
doubt  the  correctness  of  such  a  sweeping  assertion. 
A  large  tield  is  covered  by  the  work  before  us.  In  addition  to  the  sub- 
jects already  mentioned,  it  treats  of  the  recognition  of  pharmacopoeial 
salts,  the  systematic  qualitative  analysis  of  salts,  the  detection  of  alkaloids, 
toxicological  and  volumetric  analysis,  ultimate  organic  analysis  and  of 
special  processes,  including  urinary  analysis. 
From  what  has  been  said  above,  it  is  readily  seen  that  we  regard  the 
book  as  a  suitable  one  to  be  placed  into  the  hands  of  the  advanced  student, 
whom  it  will  serve  as  a  useful  guide  in  analytical  work. 
Bevieic  of  the  Drug  Trade  of  New  Yorkfo7'  the  year  1882.  Prepared  by  D. 
C.  Bobbins,  Esq.,  for  the  Twenty-fifth  Annual  Report  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  of  the  State  of  New  York.    1883.    8vo,  j^p.  12. 
A  considerable  portion  of  this  report  is  taken  up  with  the  supply  of 
cinchona  bark  and  quinine  in  the  European  and  American  markets,  the 
causes  of  the  present  low  price  of  quinine  and  the  uncertain  prospects  of 
its  manufacture  in  this  country.  The  importation  of  quinine  has  more 
than  trebled  since  1879,  reaching  794,495  ounces  in  the  fiscal  year  1881-1882, 
while  in  the  same  period  the  importation  of  cinchona  bark  has  decreased 
over  one  and  a  third  million  pounds,  being  during  the  last  year  a  little 
over  five  million  pounds.    The  imports  of  opium  were  lower  than  in  any 
