REVIEW 265 REVIEW. SOUTHALL’S MATERIA MEDICA. Revised and enlarged by ERNEST W. MANN, B.Sc. This is the eighth edition of this work, now brought up to date with the new British Pharmacopceia. It is frankly a compilation, and aims at presenting within a moderate compass the chief characters, important chemical properties, and practical uses, of the drugs of vegetable and animal origin, both official and unofficial.I t is divided into three sections, the first of which includes the organised drugs of vegetable origin, while the second deals with unorganised substances, such as juices, gums, resins, and volatile and fixed oils, and the third with the drugs which consist of animals, the parts of animals, and their derivatives, I n the first section the various substances are classified according to the parts of the plants from which they are obtained or of which they consist-seeds, roots, rhizomes, etc.-each having its allotted section, at the beginning of which is a short r6sum6 of the general botanical and chemical characters of the group.The value of this arrangement is obvious, especially from the histological point of view. I t would have been even of greater advantage had the scope of the work allowed the author to deal more thoroughly with the microscopical characters of the drugs dealt with, especially those that occur in the form of powder.Brief mention is made of the forms of adulteration to which the various drugs are liable, and in the case of substances mentioned in the British, United States, and Indian Pharmacopceias the oflicial descriptions and methods of analysis or standard- isation (if any) are given in full.In the case of the more out-of-the-way drugs there is a brief note on the important chemical and physical constants, where such are known. The work is obviously intended mainly for the pharmacist, as the very large number of substances dealt with puts any extended reference to chemical matters out of the question, At the same time it contains information gathered from many sources about a number of drugs not often used in this country, and in the absence of larger works will be found a useful book of reference on the subjects with which it deals.I t is excellently and most systematically arranged, well and clearly printed, and full advantage has been taken of the use of varied type to distinguish and give promi- nence to official substances and preparations. Pp. 244, with Glossary and Index. Price 7s. 6d. net. CECIL H. CRIBB.