Am.  Jour.  Pharii.. 
June,  1892. 
Reviews. 
333 
to  time.  In  view  of  these  facts  it  was  obviously  advisable  to  take  cognizance 
of  all  such  matters,  and  include  also  descriptive  terms,  as  well  as  such  relating 
to  the  classification  of  the  remedial  substances.  It  is  for  these  reasons  that 
this  pharmaceutical  dictionary  is  also — within  the  limits  indicated — a  dictionary 
of  the  sciences  accessory  to  pharmacy.  Reference  has  already  been  made  to 
the  fact  that  the  different  items  are  treated  very  briefly  or  more  fully,  in  pro- 
portion to  their  importance  in  pharmacy,  and  in  looking  over  the  long  list  of 
names  and  terms  presented,  there  are  very  few,  if  any,  for  which  either  greater 
brevity  or  more  extended  notices  would  be  deemed  preferable  for  a  work  of 
lexical  character.  In  this  connection  we  venture  to  make  the  suggestion  that 
in  explaining  the  abbreviations  of  authors'  names  as  met  with  in  botanical 
descriptions,  it  would  be  a  very  welcome  information  for  many,  if  in  a  brief 
manner  it  was  indicated  whether  the  botanist  was  still  living  or  deceased,  in 
the  latter  case  by  simply  stating  the  year  in  which  he  died.  Necessarily  the 
information  given  must  be  brief ;  but  even  the  outlines  of  processes,  reactions, 
uses,  etc.,  are  very  clearly  stated,  and  corrections  are  scarcely  ever  needed,  as 
for  instance,  for  -Acalypha  indica,  which  is  said  to  be  a  North  American  plant, 
but  is  in  reality  indigenous  to  India.  To  expedite  the  work  and,  comprehen- 
sive as  it.  is,  to  render  it  as  nearly  accurate  as  possible,  the  labor  is  performed 
by  some  forty  or  more  contributors.  Inconsistencies,  which  are  almost 
unavoidable  under  such  circumstances,  have  been  very  rarely  observed  by  us. 
A  case  in  point  is  furnished  by  the  article  on  Alkaloids  (p.  48),  which  are 
described  to  be  organic  bases,  and  to  have  not  been  observed  (among  others) 
in  the  order  of  Compositse  ;  yet  argyrcescin,  a  glucoside,  is  defined  (p.  137)  as 
an  alkaloid,  and  Anthemis  arvensis  is  stated  (p.  107)  to  contain  an  alkaloid. 
In  summing  up  our  view  concerning  this  work,  it  affords  us  great  pleasure 
to  state  that  we  can  heartily  recommend  it,  as  one  of  great  utility  and  exact- 
ness, and  at  the  same  time  of  such  a  comprehensive  scope  that  scarcely  a  term 
applicable  to  pharmacy  will  be  missed  from  it. 
The  Pharmacal  Calendar  for  1892  ;  being  an  exhibit  of  pharmacy  in  the 
United  States  as  related  to  Colleges,  Associations  and  Pharmacy  Laws, 
together  with  synopses  of  drugs  with  their  strengths,  doses  and  synonyms. 
By  C.  S.  Hallberg.    Chicago.    Price,  $1. 
This  is  a  very  handy  work  and  very  useful  to  all  those  who  take  an  interest 
in  pharmaceutical  matters.  The  title  page  gives  to  some  extent  an  idea  of  its 
contents,  but  it  cannot  indicate  the  convenient  arrangement,  nor  the  great 
labor  that  was  necessary  for  the  compilation  of  the  numerous  facts  and  dates. 
That  some  errors  have  crept  in,  is  not  to  be  wondered  at ;  but  they  are  few 
and  do  not  detract  from  the  general  accuracy  of  the  statements,  and  will 
doubtless  be  corrected  in  the  next  edition.  Among  the  German  names,  given 
with  a  list  of  synonyms  of  domestic  remedies,  are  many  which  are  locally  used 
only,  or  which  are  provincial  corruptions  of  the  proper  German  names.  It 
should  be  stated  yet  that  the  information  concerning  associations  is  not  con- 
fined to  pharmaceutical  associations  and  examining  boards,  but  extends  also 
to  medical  associations,  and  to  the  American  chemical,  microscopical  and 
science  associations  ;  and  lists  of  medical  and  veterinary  colleges  are  likewise 
given.  In  the  pharmacal  calendar  proper,  which  extends  from  March  1,  1892, 
to  February  28,  1893,  the  dates  of  birth  and  death  of  many  prominent 
