432 
Reviews,  etc. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
X    August,  1883. 
large  number  of  recently  made  analyses  by  other  chemists,  the  results  being 
in  nearly  all  cases  calculated  in  grains  for  one  imperial  gallon. 
The  classification  adopted  is  as  follows  :  1,  saline  or  aperient ;  2,  alkaline 
or  antacid;  3,  ferruginous  or  chalybeate;  4,  sulphurous,  and  5,  potable  or 
indifferent ;  the  latter  embracing  Seltzer,  Taunus,  Apollinc^ris,  some  of  the 
Kissingen  waters  and  others  which  are  less  known  in  this  country.  All 
the  more  important  mineral  springs  of  Europe  are  considered ;  in  many 
cases,  however,  as  for  instance,  Carlsbad,  only  one  or  two  of  the  important 
springs  have  been  selected  as  typical  ones.  Brief  notices  of  the  localities 
are  given,  but  the  main  object,  the  nature  of  the  mineral  water,  has  been 
constantly  kept  in  view  and  is  fully,  though  tersely  discussed.  In  the 
chapter  on  artificial  mineral  waters,  the  aerated  solutions  of  several  salts 
directed  by  the  British  Pharmacopoeia  are  discussed,  in  connection  with 
such  drinks  sold  under  the  name  of  ginger  ale,  etc.,  and  with  imitations  of 
the  natural  springs.  The  authors  are  evidently  not  in  favor  of  the  latter 
class.  It  is  true  that  the  best  analyses  of  natural  mineral  waters  do  not 
represent  the  actual  grouping  of  the  elements  as  they  originally  existed  in 
the  water ;  but  when  the  saline  ingredients  of  artificially  prepared  waters 
have  been  placed  under  similar  conditions  which  exist  in  the  natural 
waters,  a  rearrangement  of  the  elementary  grouping  must  take  place,  and 
it  is  for  this  reason  that  in  scientifically  constructed  formulas  for  imitation 
waters  the  salts  ascertained  by  analysis  are  used  to  a  certain  extent  only, 
the  remainder  being  purposely  formed  by  chemical  action.  No  doubt  our 
intimate  knowledge  with  a  mineral  water  increases  with  each  examination, 
and  it  would  be  well,  perhaps,  to  have  such  an  examination  made  yearly ;  it 
would  show  actual  changes  that  may  have  occurred,  but  such  changes  would 
bear  alike  on  the  natural  water  as  on  the  artificial  made  in  accordance  with 
a  i^revious  analysis.  That  artificial  mineral  waters  are  sometimes  at  best 
clumsy  imitations  or  concoctions  which  have  nothing  but  the  name  in 
common  with  the  pattern  after  which  they  profess  to  be  modelled,  is  doubt- 
less the  case;  but  such  is  a  fraud  no  less  than  the  sophistication  of  food  and 
drugs.  We  do  not  believe  that  the  manufacture  of  artificial  mineral  waters 
could  never  be  conscientiously  carried  out ;  but  it  requires  the  same  scru- 
pulous care  and  thorough  knowledge  that  should  characterize  the  dispensing 
of  medicines. 
The  chapters  on  the  therapeutic  action  and  uses  of  the  several  mineral 
waters  are  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  Jones  and  contain  also  hygienic  and  dietetic 
suggestions  ai^propriate  to  the  use  of  the  waters.  The  concluding  chapters 
give  a  tabular  classification  of  the  mineral  springs  arranged  according  to 
the  predominating  chemical  constituents,  and  a  list  of  the  chief  thermal 
springs  with  their  temperature. 
We  regard  the  book  as  a  valuable  addition  to  the  literature  on  the  special 
subject  of  which  it  treats,  and  though  this  is  of  primary  interest  in  Europe, 
still  considering  the  large  amount  of  European  mineral  waters  consumed 
in  this  country,  the  work  treating  as  it  does  especially  of  the  condition  of  the 
bottled  waters,  claims  a  like  practical  interest  here,  at  least  as  far  as  these 
waters  are  concerned.   
A  Bectal  Obturator.    By  David  Prince,  M.D.,  Jacksonville,  111. 
From  the  St.  Louis  "  Medical  and  Surgical  Journal." 
