6^8 
Reviews^  etc. 
\m  Jour.  Fharm. 
Dec,  1880 
Introduction  to  the  Study  of  Chemical  Reactions.  By  Dr.phil.  Edmund  Drechsel, 
Professor  of  Physiological  Chemistry  at  Leipzig  University.  Translated  with 
permission  of  the  author  and  of  the  publisher,  and  specially  adapted  to  the  use  of 
American  students  by  notes,  etc.  By  N.  Fred.  Merrill,  S.B., Ph.D.  New  York: 
John  Wiley  &  Sons.     1880.     izmo.,  pp.  138. 
Chemistry  cannot  be  mastered  without  a  thorough  understanding  of  chemical 
reactions.  A  work,  endeavoring  to  explain  these,  must  naturally  be  devoted  to  a 
theoretical  consideration  of  the  various  changes  which  take  place  under  different 
•conditions.  Such  is  the  case  with  the  little  work  before  us,  and,  as  might  be 
expected,  the  theories  at  the  present  time,  adopted  by  a  large  number  of  chemists, 
are  fully  considered  and  ably  explained.  The  book  will,  therefore,  be  found  very 
useful  to  those  who  enter  upon  the  study  of  chemistry,  or  who  desire  to  acquaint 
themselves  with  the  modern  theories  bearing  upon  composition  and  decomposition. 
The  translator  and  editor  has  performed  his  task  well,  and  the  numerous  foot-notes 
and  the  occasional  additions  to  the  text  enhance  the  value  of  the  book.  But,  in  a 
few  cases,  the  statements  are  not  quite  as  exact  as  nriight  be  desired.  We  select 
from  the  chapter  on  "  solution  of  the  metals  and  metallic  oxides,"  where  it  is  stated 
that,  *'  indeed,  iron  in  a  finely  divided  state,  such  as  that  resulting  from  a  reduction 
of  ferric  oxide  by  hydrogen,  is  pyrophorous,  taking  fire  at  once  in  the  air,  and,  glow- 
ing, burns  to  ferric  oxide."  This  sentence  certainly  deserves  to  be  rendered  with 
greater  precision. 
Proceedings  of  the  Convention  of  Druggists  and  of  the  North  Carolina  Pharmaceutical 
Association.     Munroe,  N.  C.    Pp.  25. 
Tlie  Convention  was  held  in  the  Senate  chamber  at  Raleigh,  August  iith,  and  at 
once  proceeded  to  organize  a  State  pharmaceutical  association,  a  constitution  and 
by-laws  being  adopted  at  the  afternoon  session  and  the  following  officers  elected  : 
President,  E.  M.  Nadal,  of  Wilson  5  Vice  Presidents—  S.  J.  Hinsdale,  of  Fayetteville, 
Wm.  Simpson,  of  Raleigh,  and  E.  H.  Meadows,  of  Newbern  ;  Secretary,  T.  C. 
Smith,  of  Charlotte  5  Treasurer,  J.  S.  Pescud,  of  Raleigh.  On  the  following  day 
the  draft  of  a  pharmacy  law  was  discussed,  and  among  the  committees  appointed 
was  one  for  memorializing  the  Legislature  in  relation  to  the  passage  of  the  pharmacy 
law. 
Proceedings  of  the  Ohio  State  Pharmaceutical  Association  at  its  second  Meetings  held  at 
Dayton,  O.,  May  19,  1880.    Cleveland,  O.     Pp.  32. 
A  brief  report  of  this  meeting  will  be  found  on  page  382  of  the  "Journal." 
Among  the  papers  read  was  one  by  Mr.  R.  C.  Clark  on  X.\\t  preparation  of  soft  paraj- 
fn,  similar  to  cosmoiin,  vaselin,  petrolina,  etc  ,  by  the  following  process  : 
Take  a  quantity  of  crude  paraffin,  such  as  settles  in  the  bottom  of  oil  tanks,  and 
whijh  is  known  in  the  oil  regions  as  B.  S.  oil,  and  add,  if  necessary  to  lower  the 
melting  point,  a  sufficient  quantity  of  crude  petroleum  rich  in  paraffin,  such  as 
Smith's  Ferry  oil;  place  the  whole  in  a  still  and  distill  off  at  as  low  a  temperature  as 
possible  all  oils  above  43°  Baume.  Filter  the  residuum  through  animal  charcoal  at 
a  temperature  of  from  150  to  i8o^F.    To  make  an  exceedingly  fine  article  it  will 
