Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
April,  1880. 
Reviews^  ete. 
^31 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  compounds  possessing  little  theoretical  interest,  but  inter- 
esting and  important  on  account  of  iheir  practical  application  in  medicine,  should 
be  treated  more  in  detail  than  is  usually  done  in  woiks  on  theoretical  chemistry. 
The  work,  the  first  volume  of  which  is  now  before  us,  aims  to  develop  the  recog- 
nized theories  and  the  accumulated  facts  of  chemistry  in  its  special  application  to 
pharmacy  and  medicinal  compounds  5  and  this  object  is  continually  kept  in  view  by 
the  author,  who  was  formerly  a  practical  pharmacist,  and  occupies  a  prominent 
position  as  teacher  of  chemistry. 
The  introductory  chapter  of  the  work  defines  the  domain  of  pharmaceutical 
chemistry  and  the  fundamental  theories  of  natural  philosophy,  which  are  further 
developed  in  the  chapter  on  the  physical  properties  of  bodies,  embracing  crystal- 
lography, alteration  by  temperature,  latent  and  specific  heat,  absolute  and  specific 
gravity,  influence  of  light,  electricity  arrd  galvanism.  The  next  chapter  treats  of 
the  chemical  properties  of  bodies,  explaining  the  nature  of  elements,  chemical  com- 
pounds, equivalents,  atoms,  molecules,  symbols,  chemical  equations  and  stcxchio- 
metric  calculations,  quantivalence,  formulas,  isomerism,  metamerism,  polymerismy 
chemical  constitution,  nomenclature  and  electrolysis. 
After  these  general  considerations,  which  occupy  one-fourth  of  the  present  vol- 
ume, the  author  proceeds  to  the  description  of  the  various  elements  and  their  com- 
pounds, reserving  what  is  known  as  organic  chemistry  for  a  separate  volume.  The- 
arrangement  of  the  elements  by  the  author  is  based  in  the  first  place  upon  the  electro- 
chemical afl[inities  of  hydrogen  and  oxygen,  with  which  two  all  other  elements  may- 
be arranged  in  two  series  5  considering,  at  the  same  time,  the  quantivalence  of  the 
elements,  they  are  placed  into  well-known  natural  and  simple  groups.  But  while 
these  are  generally  recognized,  the  majority  of  chemical  text-books  depart  in  their 
arrangement  from  these  groups,  to  which  the  author  adheres,  securing  thereby  the 
consecutive  consideration  of  those  elements  most  nearly  related.  While  pointing 
out  the  fact  that  the  definition  of  metal  is  based  upon  purely  physical  properties,, 
the  division  into  non-metallic  and  metallic  elements  is  adhered  to  because  con- 
venient, and  the  members  of  the  former  division  are  treated  of  in  this  volume  in 
the  following  order:  Hydrogen,  chlorine,  iodine,  bromine,  fluorine,  oxygen,  sul- 
phur, selenium,  tellurium,  nitrogen,  phosphorus,  arsenic,  antimony,  boron,  silicon 
and  carb'on. 
Throughout  the  book  the  familiarity  of  the  author  with  the  wants  of  the  pharm- 
acist is  evident,  the  definitions  and  descriptions  are  clear  and  to  the  point,  and  there 
is  a  detail  of  matter  which  renders  the  book  a  most  acceptable  one  as  a  text-book 
for  the  pharmaceutical  student  and  as  a  work  of  reference  for  the  practical  pharm- 
acist. Although  there  is  no  lack  in  the  English  language  of  good  works  on  sys- 
tematic chemistry,  we  are  not  acquainted  with  one  of  similar  scope  and  usefulness 
in  the  special  branch  to  which  it  is  devoted.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  remaining 
two  volumes  are  sufficiently  far  advanced  to  secure  their  early  publication. 
Report  on  the  Revision  of  the  U.  S.  Fharmacopceia  Preliminary  to  the  Convention  of 
18805  being  a  rough  draft  of  the  general  principles,  titles  and  working  formulas 
proposed  for  the  next  pharmacopoeia.  Prepared  and  compiled  by  Charles  Rice, 
chairman  of  the  committee.    New  York:    1880.    pp.  202. 
This  is  the  committee  report  which  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association 
