EDITORIAL. 
91. 
A  Contribution  to  the  Physiological  Study  of  Veratrum  Viride  and  Ve- 
ratria,  (with  Experiments  on  Lower  Animals,  made  at  La  Grange  La- 
boratory, 1869).  By  R.  Armory,  M.  D.,  and  S.  G.  Webber,  M.D. 
Reprinted  from  the  Boston  Medical  and  Surgical  Journal.  Boston, 
1869;  pp.  66,  12mo. 
The  authors  start  out  with  the  statement  that  *' Yeratrum  Yiride  was 
not  brought  into  notice  until  a  little  more  than  two  years  ago,"  which  is 
strange  when  it  is  recollected  that  Dr.  Tully  and  others  had  written  of  it, 
not  to  speak  of  the  great  advertising  its  properties  received  through  the 
exertions  of  Dr.  Norwood,  of  South  Carolina,  some  dozen  or  more  years 
ago,  who  claimed  for  it  unequalled  sedative  powers.  They  also  appear 
to  be  wholly  unacquainted  with  the  investigations  published  in  the  vol- 
umes of  this  Journal  for  1865-66,  showing  the  existence  of  two  alkaloids 
in  Yeratrum  Yiride,  and  evidence  that  neither  of  them  is  Yeratria.  The 
authors  do  not  state  whether  they  used  pure  Yeratria  or  the  mixed  alka- 
loids of  commerce  sold  under  the  name.  Some  of  the  physiological  expe- 
riments appear  to  have  been  loosely  performed.  ' 
A  Pharmacopoeia,  including  the  outlines  of  Materia  Medica  and  Thera- 
peutics ;  for  the  use  of  practitioners  and  students  of  veterinary  medi- 
cine.   By  Richard  Y.  Tuson,  F.C.S.,  Prof,  of  Chem.  and  Mat.  Med. 
at  the  Royal  Yeterinary  College,  «fec.    London  :  John  Churchill  & 
Sons,  1869  ;  pp.  311,  12mo.    From  the  publishers. 
The  reader  on  opening  this  work  might  readily  imagine  it  the  British 
Pharraacopceia,  until  he  came  to  some  classes  of  preparations  of  special 
veterinary  character.    Judging  from  the  men  on  whom  a  large  portion  of 
veterinary  practice  of  this  country  devolves,  we  think  this  work  is  far  too 
technical  and  scientific,  however  well  it  maybe  appreciated  by  the  gradu- 
ates of  foreign  veterinary  schools.    The  nomenclature  is  in  Latin,  and  is 
either  that  of  the  London  Pharmacopceia  or  shaped  on  the  same  principle. 
The  formulae  are  often  identical  for  preparation,  but  for  such  as  enemas, 
bolus,  etc.,  the  quantities  are  increased  to  suit  the  greater  demand  of  the 
animals  treated.    We  see  none  of  the  outlandish  mixtures  so  often  heard 
of  for   dosing  animals,  and  it  would  appear  that  modern  European 
veterinary  therapeutics  approximates  that  applied  in  human  practice. 
Annual  Report  of  the  Surgeon  General,  U.  S.  Army,  1869.  Printed  at 
the  Surgeon  General's  Office;  pp.  11,  octavo. 
This  report  of  Surgeon  General  Barnes  gives  an  account  of  the  health 
of  the  army  during  the  past  year,  and  especially  describes  the  occurrence 
of  yellow  fever  at  Key  West,  Florida,  in  June  la'st,  which  on  its  discov- 
ery was  greatly  mitigated  by  the  removal  of  a  part  of  the  troops,  and  the 
establishment  of  strict  quarantine  regulations.  The  disease  is  attributed 
to  refugees  from  Cuba.  Much  credit  is  given  to  the  medical  officers  in 
charge.    The  Army  Medical  Museum  continues  to  be  augmented,  and 
