^"'May'"i875^'"''}    Rev'icws  afid  Bibliographical  Notices.  237 
titative  determination  of  the  more  commonly-occurring  organic  compounds.  By 
Albert  B.  Prescott,  Prof,  of  Organic  and  Applied  Chemistry  in  the  University  of 
Michigan.    New  York  :  D.  Van  Nostrand.  1875.  i^mo,  pp.  192.    Cloth,  price 
A  work  like  this  has  been  needed  for  a  long  time,  and  although  it  does  not  cover 
as  much  ground  as  we  should  have  desired  for  it,  yet  it  is  a  very  valuable  addition 
to  our  literaure,  and  will  prove  of  great  service  to  those  engaged  in  proximate  analy- 
sis, since  there  is  not,  to  our  knowledge,  another  work  in  the  English  language  in 
which  the  same  kind  of  information  is  given  in  such  a  comprehensive  and  conveni- 
ently-arranged style.  The  author  himself  states  that  "  this  compilation  is  frag- 
mentary and  very  brief,"  and  we  have,  therefore,  no  reason  to  find  fault  with  the 
absence  of  such  compounds  as  gentiopicrin,  arbutin,  &c.,  or  with  the  brevity  with 
which  a  number  of  the  alkaloids  and  neutral  principles  have  been  treated. 
In  examining  the  various  articles,  we  have  observed  little  that  would  seem  to  re- 
quire correction  or  modification  ;  as,  for  instance,  the  composition  of  colophony, 
which  is  abietinic  anhydride.  Many  facts  have  been  collected  together  in  tabular 
form,  and  the  reactions  of  identification,  of  separation  and  of  quantitative  determina- 
tion, though  briefly,  are  given  very  clearly,  so  that  they  may  be  readily  understood 
by  the  somewhat  advanced  student  of  analysis,  who  alone  is  capable  to  undertake 
proximate  analytical  investigations. 
We  heartily  recommend  this  little  volume,  and  hope  that  in  a  future  edition  the 
author  may  find  it  convenient  to  extend  it  and  to  add  thereto  an  outline  of  an 
analytical  course,  commencing  with  the  crude  material  as  may  be  found,  for  in- 
stance, in  the  very  valuable  work  by  Wittstein,  entitled  "Analyse  von  Pflanzen  und 
Pflanzentheilen,""  to  which  we  refer  those  of  our  readers  who  are  conversant  with  the 
German  language. 
Chemical  Examination  of  Alcoholic  Liquors.  A  manual  of  the  constituents  of  the 
distilled  spirits  and  fermented  liquors  of  commerce,  and  their  qualitative  and 
quantitative  determination.  By  Albert  B.  Prescott,  M.  D.,  Prof,  of  Organic  and 
Applied  Chemistry  in  the  University  of  Michigan.  New  York  :  D.  Van  Nostrand. 
1875.    i^mo,  pp.  108.  Cloth,  price  $1.50. 
The  title  explains  the  aim  of  this  manual.  The  directions  are  simple,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  design  to  make  them  not  more  elaborate  than  required  for  commercial, 
hygienic  and  legal  purposes.  The  work  is  well  adapted  for  the  purpose  for  which 
3t  was  written. 
Tear-book  of  Pharmacy :  Comprising  Abstracts  of  Papers  relating  to  Pharmacy, 
Materia  Medica  and  Chemistry,  contributed  to  British  and  Foreign  Journals,  from 
July  ist,  1873,  to  June  30th,  1874;  with  the  transactions  of  the  British  Pharma- 
ceutical Conference  at  the  Eleventh  Annual  Meeting,  held  at  London,  August, 
1874.    London  :  J.  &  A,  Churchill.    8vo,  pp.  664. 
The  issue  of  this  volume  was  delayed  through  the  protracted  illness  of  the  editor. 
The  arrangement  of  the  material  is  the  same  as  in  the  volumes  previously  published, 
and  which  has  been  adopted  for  the  last  volume  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  American 
Pharmaceutical  Association  in  so  far  that  the  Report  on  the  Progress  of  Pharmacy 
commences  the  latter,  as  the  volume  now  before  us  begins  with  the  Year-book," 
which  covers  380  pages,  the  abstracts  being,  as  usual,  rather  extensive.  Then  fol- 
lows the  list  of  members  and  the  minutes  of  and  papers  read  at  the  last  Annual 
Meeting,  of  which  we  have  given  a  brief  account  on  page  485  of  our  last  volume. 
A  list  of  objects  on  exhibition  during  the  meeting  and  the  index,  complete  the  volume. 
Note  on  Salicylic  Jcid.    By  Edward  R.  Squibb,  M.  D,,  of  Brooklyn.    8vo,  pp.  10. 
It  reviews  the  chemical  history  and  gives  an  account  of  the  various  uses  for  which 
this  interesting  compound  has  been  recently  recommended.  The  paper  was  read 
before  the  Medical  Society  of  the  State  of  New  York. 
