382 
OBITUARY. 
of  Dr.  Bigelow,  any  remarks  in  that  direction  would  be  out  of  place,  but 
we  may  be  warranted  in  saying  that  Dr.  Simpson's  views  of  the  claims  of 
Dr.  Horace  Wells,  as  initiating  the  series  of  experiments  and  arguments 
that  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  anaesthesia,  as  a  great  ameliorator  in 
surgical  operations,  agrees  with  our  own  ;  for  though  dentistry  is  a  dis- 
tinct profession,  yet  the  extraction  of  teeth  is  as  much  a  surgical  opera- 
tion as  any  other  act  that  excises  or  removes  an  organ  or  part  of  the 
human  body,  involving  pain.  The  failure  of  Wells  at  first  to  manipulate 
satisfactorily  with  nitrous  oxide,  lead  Morton  to  look  around  for  a  better 
agent,  and  in  doing  so  to  seek  the  chemical  aid  of  Dr.  Jackson.  The 
new  agent,  ether,  was  successful,  and  surgical  anaesthesia  was  proclaimed 
to  the  world  as  a  great  fact  and  was  duly  acknowledged.  Practical 
anaesthesia  having  thus  become,  through  American  minds,  the  property 
of  mankind,  it  was  just  and  proper  that  all  the  world  should  strive  to 
extend  its  benefits,  and  certainly  one  of  the  greatest  and  most  earnest  of 
these  strivers  was  Dr.  Simpson  ;  first,  in  his  application  of  ethereal  anges- 
thesia  to  midwifery,  and  then,  in  the  pursuit  of  this  idea,  his  recognition 
and  application  of  the  anaesthetic  properties  of  chloroform.  That  anaes- 
thesia should  be  effected  more  through  chloroform  than  ether,  in  Europe, 
is  not  surprising,  or  that  ether,  or  a  mixture,  should  be  most  used  here. 
Certainly  the  record,  as  regards  accidents,  is  against  chloroform  and  in 
favor  of  the  safety  of  ether. 
Cyclopcedia  OF  Quantitative  Chemical  Analysis,  by  Frank  H.  Storer. 
— The  first  sheet,  as  a  sample  of  this  work,  has  been  received.  No  pro- 
gramme or  explanation  came  with  it.  The  presumption  is  that  the  Au- 
thor proposes  its  publication.  If  carried  out  in  the  manner  of  the  sheet 
sent  it  will  be  a  valuable  compendium  of  analytical  information,  arranged 
alphabetically. 
Dr.  Attfield's  Saturation  Tables. — The  Editor  acknowledges  the 
reception  of  a  copy  of  these  tables  from  Mr.  H.  Silverlock,  92  Black- 
friars  road,  London.  This  chart  is  copied  from  Attfield's  Pharmaceutical 
Chemistry,  and  is  a  useful  aid  to  the  dispenser  when  placed  in  a  position 
for  ready  reference. 
OBITUARY. 
Charles  B.  Notson,  pharmaceutist,  formerly  of  Philadelphia,  died  at 
St.  Josephs,  Missouri,  on  the  morning  of  the  17th  of  April  last,  in  the 
31st  year  of  his  age,  of  a  severe  affection  of  the  throat.  Mr.  Notson  wa3 
the  son  of  Dr.  Wm.  Notson  of  this  city.  He  studied  pharmacy  here  and 
graduated  at  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  in  March,  1865. 
He  settled  in  St.  Josephs  in  18G8,  in  the  drug  business,  in  partnership 
with  Mr.  Brokaw,  with  decided  success.  On  the  formation  of  the  Phar- 
maceutical Association  of  St.  Josephs,  in  February  last,  Charles  B.  Notson 
