Am.  ]ovir.  Pharm.  1 
Feb.  187J.  X 
Reviews,  etc. 
93 
value  of  a  drug  is  in  direct  proportion  to  the  amount  of  extract  obtainable,  can  have 
no  better  commentary  or  find  a  more  thorough  refutation. 
Therapeutics  and  Materia  Medica.  A  Systematic  Treatise  on  the  Action  and  Use 
of  Medicinal  Agents,  including  their  Description  and  History.  By  Alfred  Stille, 
M.  D.,  Professor  of  the  Theory  and  Practice  of  Medicine,  and  of  Clinical  Med- 
icine, in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  &c.  Fourth  edition,  thoroughly  revised 
and  enlarged.  In  two  volumes.  Philadelphia:  Henry  C.  Lea,  1874.  8vo,  I944 
pages.    Price,  in  cloth,  $105  in  leather,  ^12. 
The  rapid  exhaustion  of  three  editions,  and  the  universal  favor  with  which  the 
work  has  been  received  by  the  medical  profession,  are  sufficient  proof  of  its  excel- 
lence as  a  repertory  of  practical  and  useful  information  for  the  physician.  The  edi- 
tion now  before  us  fully  sustains  this  verdict,  as  the  work,  has  been  carefully  revised, 
and  in  some  portions  rewritten,  bringing  it  up  to  the  present  time  by  the  admission 
of  chloral  and  croton-chloral,  nitrite  of  amyl,  bichloride  of  methylene,  methylic 
ether,  lithium  compounds,  gelsemium,  and  other  remedies,  among  which  the  author 
has  even  not  neglected  to  sketch  the  brief  career  of  that  short-lived  medical  wonder 
cundurango,  which  will  forever  retain  a  well-deserved  celebrity  for  the  unusual 
amount  of  fraudulent  misrepresentation  attending  the  attempt  to  introduce  it  into 
medical  practice. 
It  has  evidently  not  been  the  author's  aim  to  discuss  the  action  and  remedial  em- 
ployment of  e^ery  drug  mentioned  in  the  Pharmacopoeia  5  indeed,  we  observe 
accounts  of  a  number  of  medicinal  agents  not  mentioned  in  the  Pharmacopoeia  5 
many  of  the  secondary  list  and  a  few  of  the  primary  list  (Pareira)  have  been  omitted, 
likewise  pepsin,  the  manufacture  of  which,  in  a  reliable  and  uniform  condition,  has 
made  such  marked  progress  within  the  last  few  years. 
Intended  as  a  work  of  practical  utility  to  the  medical  practitioner,  and  as  a  repos- 
itory of  the  observations  of  others  at  the  bedside  mainly,  the  pharmacognostical, 
chemical  and  pharmaceutical  portions  have  been  but  briefly  treated,  insufficient  to  be 
of  much  usefulness  to  the  pharmacist,  but  sufficient  in  most  cases  to  suggest  to  the 
practising  physician  suitable  forms  for  administration  and  combination. 
Proceedings  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association  at  the  Twenty-second  Annual 
Meeting,  held  in  Louisville,  Ky  ,  September,  1874.  Also  the  Constitution  and 
Roll  of  Members.  Philadelphia:  Sherman  &  Co.,  Printers.  1875.  8vo,  pp.  655. 
Price  in  paper,  ^5  j  bound  in  cloth,  $5.50. 
Although  one  of  the  largest  volumes  published  by  the  Association,  it  will  be 
earlier  in  the  hands  of  the  members  than  the  preceding  ones.  This  is  in  a  great 
measure  due  to  the  different  arrangement  now  adopted,  and  the  main  features  of 
which  are,  that  the  Report  on  the  Progress  of  Pharmacy  during  the  preceding  year 
is  printed  first,  followed  by  the  reports  of  committees,  the  volunteer  and  special 
reports,  and  finally  by  the  minutes  of  the  last  meeting.  If  this  new  arrangement 
proves  as  satisfactory  as  is  hoped,  it  will  very  materially  shorten  the  time  of  publi- 
cation, and  if  no  unforseen  accidents  happen,  the  annual  volume  may  hereafter  be 
expected  to  reach  the  members  by  about  January  ist  following  the  meeting. 
In  the  October  number,  1874,  we  have  reported  the  transactions  at  this  meeting 
in  full,  and  hope  to  be  enabled  to  lay  before  our  readers,  in  a  future  number,  an  ab- 
