Aui.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
Sept.,  1883.  j 
Reviews,  etc. 
479 
As  stated  upon  the  title-page,  a  portion  of  tlie  book — about  two-thirds — 
is  a  translation  from  a  work  by  Dr.  Spina  entitled  "  Studien  liber  Tubercu- 
lose."  The  remaining  portion  gives  the  history  of  the  controversy  which 
has  arisen  from  the  announcement,  in  March,  1882,  by  Dr.  Koch,  of  the 
discovery  of  the  Bacillus  tuberculosis.  This  history  appears  to  be  written 
without  prejudice,  and  with  the  earnest  desire  of  fairly  placing  the  argu- 
ments advanced  by  the  different  observers  before  the  intelligent  reader. 
Lessons  in  Qualitative  Chemical  Analysis.  By  Dr.  F,  Beilstein,  Professor 
at  the  Imperial  Institute  of  Technology  of  St.  Petersburg.  Translated 
from  the  Fifth  Edition,  with  Copious  Additions,  including  Lessons  in 
Organic  and  in  Volumetric  Analysis.  By  Ohas.  O.  Curtman,  M  D.,  Pro- 
fessor of  Chemistry  in  the  Missouri  Medical  College  and  in  the  St.  Louis 
College  of  Pharmacy.  St.  Louis,  Mo. :  St.  Louis  Stationery  and  Book 
Company,  1883.    12mo,  pp.  154.    Price,  in  cloth,  $1.50. 
Beilstein's  "Anleitung"  is  well  known  in  Europe,  and  used  in  many 
schools  as  a  guide  to  analytical  work,  and  ]3reparatory  to  more  elaborate 
investigations.  As  edited  by  Professor  Curtman  it  has  been  adapted  to  the 
wants  of  the  medical  and  pharmaceutical  student,  with  sj^ecial  reference  to 
the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia. 
After  a  short  but  well-arranged  chapter  on  chemical  manipulations,  the 
different  metals  and  their  compounds  with  mineral  and  a  few  organic  acids 
are  taken  up,  commencing  with  the  alkalies  and  terminating  with  the 
metals,  the  sulpbides  of  which  are  soluble  in  ammonium  sulphydrate. 
The  compounds  selected  are  all  easily  obtainable,  and  for  the  most  part 
quite  familiar  to  most  students,  such  as  sodium  chloride,  carbonate  and 
sulphate,  potassium  nitrate,  ammonium  chloride,  Rochelle  salt,  etc. ;  they 
are  tested  first  in  the  solid  state  by  the  application  of  heat  with  or  without 
the  use  of  a  blow-pipe,  and  next  in  solution,  tests  for  the  base  and  acid 
being  applied..  This  chapter  concludes  with  the  examination  of  some 
rarer  compounds  like  gold  chloride,  and  others  requiring  certain  precau- 
tions, like  potassium  iodide,  sodium  hyposulphite,  etc.,  or  which  are  insol- 
uble in  water  and  acids,  like  barium  and  strontium  sulphate. 
Chapters  on  the  systematic  course  of  analysis  follow  next,  with  sub- 
stances containing  a  single  base,  and  such  which  contain  two  or  more 
bases ;  those  which  are  insoluble  in  water  and  acids  being  considered  sepa- 
rately. The  detection  of  the  common  and  rarer  mineral  and  organic  acids 
and  the  analysis  of  silicates  and  cyanides  conclude  this  chapter. 
Next  follow  examples. for  practice  in  analysis  of  organic  substances,  viz., 
alcohol,  chloroform,  chloral  hydrate,  glucose,  cane  sugar,  phenol,  mor- 
phine, quinine,  cinchonine,  strychnine  and  atropine.  The  last  40  pages 
are  devoted  to  volumetric  analysis,  the  methods  for  estimating  acids  and 
alkalies  being  considered,  followed  by  determinations  by  means  of  oxida- 
tion and  by  precipitation. 
The  matter  is  conveniently  arranged,  and  the  typography  is  such  as  to 
attract  the  eye  to  the  more  important  facts  ;  the  wood-cuts,  12  in  number, 
and  a  spectrum  chart  explain  and  facilitate  the  use  of  the  various  appara- 
tus, and  the  instructions  for  making  the  necessary  calculations  from  the 
