EDITORIAL. 
575 
pies.  4th.  Alcoholic  and  Ethereal  Principles.  5lh.  Sugars  and  their  Con- 
geners. 
The  descriptions  of  these  principles  are  very  brief,  and  they  extend  only 
to  the  more  prominent  articles.    The  following  extract  will  explain  . — 
{{  Gallic  Acid.  —This  acid  is  formed  from  tannin  by  a  kind  of  fermentation. 
It  is  obtained  from  the  gall  nut.  When  pure,  it  is  in  the  form  of  small, 
feathery  and  nearly  colorless  crystals,  which  have  a  fine  silky  lustre.  Its 
taste  is  slightly  acid  and  stiptic;  it  is  soluble  in  100  parts  of  cold  and  in  3 
parts  of  boiling  water.  Gallic  acid  does  not  precipitate  gelatin,  by  which  it 
is  distinguished  from  tannic  acid,  with  which  it  is  often  associated.  With 
a  proto  salt  of  iron,  no  change  is  produced,  but  with  a  per  salt  a  deep 
bluish  black  precipitate  falls,  which  disappears  when  the  liquid  is  heated, 
from  the  reduction  of  the  peroxide  of  iron  to  the  protoxide  at  the  expense  of 
the  gallic  acid.    With  bases  this  acid  forms  gallates." 
The  descriptions  of  the  alkaloids  are  even  more  brief.  "We  believe  this 
chapter  might  have  been  dispensed  with,  as  the  same  principles  are  noticed 
to  a  greater  or  less  extent  under  the  several  heads  of  drugs  producing  them, 
with  a  few  exceptions. 
The  following  is  the  author's  classification  of  remedies,  viz.  :  Emetics, 
Cathartics,  Anthelmentics,  Sialagogues,  Diaphoretics,  Expectorants,  Diuret- 
ics, Emenagogues,  Parturients,  Sedatives,  Refrigerants,  Demulcents,  Nar- 
cotics, [Anaesthetics  added  by  the  Editor,^]  Stimulants,  Nervines,  Tonics, 
Astringents,  Revulsives  and  Alteratives.  By  far  the  larger  portion  of  the 
work  is  devoted  to  therapeutics,  and  only  so  much  of  materia  medica  is 
brought  in  as  to  introduce  the  several  subjects  to  the  student's  attention, 
except  in  a  few  instances,  as  opium,  senna,  cinchona,  &c.  The  author 
makes  no  attempt  at  a  scientific  view  of  materia  medica,  and  many  of  the 
details  are  by  no  means  properly  brought  out.  For  instance,  in  speaking 
of  cinchona  he  does  not  describe  the  botanical  species  yielding  the  barks. 
Quinidia  is  not  named  ;  and  most  of  the  recent  discoveries  growing  out  of 
the  introduction  of  the  Columbian  barks  for  manufacturing  quinia  are  not 
noticed. 
In  regard  to  nomenclature  the  author  bestows  very  little  care,  as  he  con- 
fines himself  to  no  Pharmacopoeia.  The  chapters  are  sometimes  headed  with 
Latin  names  and  sometimes  with  English,  and  in  the  preparations  an  equal 
disregard  of  uniformity  is  exhibited,  of  which  the  following  is  an  example  : 
Calumba.  Morphine.  Pulvis  Opii  et  Ipecacuanha;  Compositus.  Hydrar- 
gyri  Nitrico-oxidum.  Castor  Oil.  Sulphas  Sodce,  &c.  The  author  does 
not  appear  to  have  had  much  regard  for  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia 
as  a  national  guide  in  this  respect. 
As  the  work  is  not  intended  for  the  pharmaceutist,  but  is  addressed  to 
the  medical  student  and  physician,  more  especially  the  student,  it  is  to  be 
regretted  that  the  nomenclature  of  our  Pharmacopoeia  was  not  employed. 
Such  omissions  are  one  cause  of  the  great  want  of  uniformity  in  the  lan- 
guage of  prescriptions.  As  a  text-book  for  the  materia  medica,  Dr.  Beck's 
work  falls  short  of  what  we  should  esteem  required  by  the  student,  unless 
