Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1880. 
Reviews^  etc. 
383 
The  advantage  that  can  and  ought  to  accrue  fron^.  these  various  State  societies  are 
many,  but  their  realization  will  depend  largely  upon  the  wisdom  and  devotion  of 
those  who  are  the  active  workers  in  them.  A  few  subjects  that  ought  to  claim  their 
attention  are  the  enactment  of  laws  for  the  regulation  of  pharmacy  where  nonesuch 
€xist,  and  the  amendment  of  those  now  in  force  where  they  are  inadequate  to  the 
public  or  oppressive  to  those  engaged  in  the  practice  of  pharmacy.  The  co-opera- 
tion of  these  various  societies  ought  to  be  secured  in  an  endeavor  to  modify  the 
laws  and  rulings  of  the  general  government  where  they  oppress  the  true  liberty  of 
those  engaged  in  our  business.  This  is,  in  fact,  a  duty  which  a  body  of  men,  pos- 
sessed of  proper  self-respect,  should  require  of  the  respective  representatives  in  Con- 
gress. We  have  the  right  to  claim  the  same  respectful  consideration  and  attention 
that  any  other  class,  equally  respectable  in  education  and  general  usefulness  to  the 
public,  have  almost  always  had  accorded  to  them. 
The  reports  of  the  various  societies  are  noticed  in  this  department  of  our  Journal, 
and  we  would  earnestly  urge  all  our  readers  to  use  their  best  endeavors  to  increase 
the  success  and  usefulness  of  these  organizations. 
REVIEWS  AND  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 
Practitioners''  Reference  Book.    By  R.  J.  Dunglison,  M.D. 
That  a  second  edition  of  a  work  of  this  kind  and  size  should  be  demanded  in  three 
years  is  proof  of  considerable  merit.  It  will  be  seen  by  a  glance  at  a  few  of  the  sub- 
jects treated  of  that  are  mentioned  below,  how  useful  a  volume  it  is,  viz.,  weights  and 
measures  of  the  U.  S.  P.  5  the  weights  and  measures  of  the  metrical  system  5  the 
relation  these  sustain  to  each  other  j  the  approximation  of  ordinary  measures  to  metri- 
cal, metrical  measures  to  fluidrachms. 
Solubilities  of  medicines  in  the  most  used  menstrua,  abbreviations  in  common  use 
among  medical  writers,  and  tables  of  specific  gravity,  posological  tables,  baths  and 
their  medication. 
Incompatibles,  with  hints  as  to  the  best  forms  for  different  remedies  to  be  pre- 
scribed in  5  tables  of  diagnostic  signs  of  many  diseases  ;  rules  for  examination  of 
urine  5  poisons  and  their  treatment  5  directions  for  restoring  persons  apparently 
drowned  5  the  hypodermic  use  of  remedies}  dietetic  rules  j  and  directions  for 
conducting  the  last  office  of  a  physician  on  his  patient,  that  of  a  post  mortem.  The 
above  partial  list  will  indicate  how  much  that  is  valuable  to  physicians  and  pharma- 
cists, and  some  that  can  be  learned  only  by  a  great  deal  of  reference,  is  contained 
in  the  treatise.  The  work  is  published  by  Lindsay  &  Blakiston  in  a  style  that  is 
worthy  of  the  reputation  of  the  house. 
Water  Analysis  for  Sanitary  Purposes.    By  E.  Frankland,  Ph.D.,  F.R.S.  Presley 
Blakiston,  1012  Walnut  street.     i2mo,  pp.  149.     Price  ^i. 00 
The  well  known  experience  of  Dr.  Frankland  is  a  guarantee  of  the  value  of  this 
treatise  upon  a  subject  that  demands  far  more  attention  than  it  has  received  j  that 
