and other base metals. The pure chloride of silver, after drying, is mixed with an equal weight of crystallized carbonate of sodium, to which previously one-eighth of its weight of pure nitrate of potassium has been added, the mixture is desiccated by gentle heat to drive off the water of crystallization and adherent moisture, and then placed in a covered crucible and heated to the fusing point of silver. When cold, the metallic silver is removed, washed in hot water to free it from adhering flux, and the silver is dissolved in pure nitric acid as directed for making nitrate of silver.

WAWRINSKY has proposed the following method in freeing silver solutions from copper: After having made a solution of the metallic silver in nitric acid, drive off with the aid of heat the excess of acid, and make a solution of the residue in water; to the solution add sufficient quantity of carbonate of magnesium in fine powder, until the copper has all been thrown out of solution; then filter through paper, wash the filter with water, and evaporate the clear solution to the point of crystallization.

BOOK REVIEWS AND NOTICES.

Half-yearly Compendium of Medical Science. Edited by D. G. Brinton, M. D. Part 15. January, 1875.

Transactions of the Medical Society of District of Columbia. January, 1875.

Report of the South Park Commissioners. 1874. Chicago.

From Dec. 1, 1873, to Dec. I,

A New and Improved Standard French and English and English and French Dictionary. By A. G. Collot, Editor. Published by Schæfer & Koradis. Philadelphia and Leipsic.

The National Bureau of Education: Its History, Work and Limitations. Prepared under the direction of the Commissioner of Education. By Alex. Shiras, D. D. Washington. 1875.

A Statement of the Theory of Education in the United States of America, as approved by many leading Educators. Washington. 1875.

The Dental Science and Art Journal. Edited by Dr. A. P. Merrill. New York. Vol. I., No. I.

A Retrospect of the Struggles and Triumphs of Ovariotomy in Philadelphia, with some Additional Remarks on Allied Subjects. The Annual Address before the Philadelphia County Medical Society. By Washington L. Atlee, M. D.. retiring President. Delivered February 1, 1875. Published by order of the Society. Philadelphia. 1875.

[Abstract from a Thesis presented to the Chicago College of Pharmacy.]

The subject of this paper was chosen with the view of determining to what extent phosphorus is dissolved in alcohol. A search through various authorities as to the solubility of phosphorus in this fluid revealed but one statement, namely, that of BUCHNER in STORER'S DICTIONARY OF CHEMICAL SOLUBILITIES, who states that 320 parts of alcohol sp. gr. 0.977 will take up one part of phosphorus. My own experiments showed at once that the solubility of phosphorus varies greatly with the temperature of the alcohol. If it is saturated at the melting point of phosphorus, and filtered, it will, on cooling, deposit a considerable quantity of the phosphorus. The various tinctures of phosphorus mentioned in this paper were allowed to cool down to 60° F., or thereabout, before being filtered, in order to avoid, as much as possible, the errors growing out of the variation in solubility before mentioned; also, the results stated are the mean products of several assays on each specimen, these varying but slightly in any instance.

My first intention was to determine the amount of phosphorus by direct experiment, by taking of phosphorus, say 12 grains, alcohol a certain quantity, and dissolving until the alcohol was saturated, which would take, say 5 grains, which could be determined by freeing the alcohol of all undissolved phosphorus and weighing the undissolved portion, which we find to be 7 grains. But this method had so many sources of error, and so many practical difficulties presented themselves, that it was abandoned in favor of one which would determine the actual amount of phosphorus in a given quantity of solution.

The first problem that presented itself was in regard to the conversion of the phosphorus into phosphoric acid. Nitric acid somewhat diluted. was first tried, but with unsatisfactory results. Then, at the suggestion of my preceptor, bromine water was used, (made by saturating water with

bromine,) with complete success. The reaction here involved takes place, doubtless, in two stages, as the following formula would indicate: (Br2)10+P4=4PBг, and 4PBr¿+(H2O)16=20HBr+4H ̧PO.

To insure complete oxidation of the phosphorus to phosphoric acid, an excess of bromine water was used, and this excess expelled by boiling the solution. After cooling, the fluid was neutralized with ammonia, and the phosphoric acid determined volumetrically, with uranium nitrate, according to the method laid down in Fresenius' Quantitative Analysis. Having thus obtained the amount of phosphoric acid in a given specimen, the corresponding quantity of phosphorus was found by a simple calculation.

Specimen No. I was prepared by heating phosphorus to fusion in alcohol sp. gr. 0.822 and shaking until cooled to about 60° F., and filtering off the clear liquid. This specimen yielded 0.25 per cent. of phosphorus.

Specimen No. 2 was made by the same general formula as the first specimen, only substituting alcohol sp. gr. 0.835. This yielded o.17 per cent. of phosphorus.

Specimen No. 3 was obtained from a stock bottle which had long been in use. This tincture was prepared by placing a stick or two of phosphorus in a bottle nearly filled with commercial alcohol of sp. gr. (about) 0.820. It was allowed to stand in this state for an indefinite time, the tincture, as required, being decanted from the phosphorus. This was tested as the above specimens were, and the result, when calculated into phosphorus, indicated 0.62 per cent.

This excess over the other specimens was so great as to raise a question as to the cause. The tincture was tested with litmus paper, which showed a decided acid reaction. The conclusion seemed inevitable that the tincture contained phosphoric acid as well as phosphorus, the acid resulting from gradual oxidation of the dissolved phosphorus by contact with the air forming phosphoric acid; the alcohol losing a part of its phosphorus, is again in condition to dissolve a fresh amount from the excess of phosphorus, equal in quantity to that which was oxidized, the change constantly going on so long as phosphorus remains in excess.

To be fully assured of this, I took 60 grains of the tincture and neutralized it with spirit of ammonia, and added an alcoholic solution of chloride calcium to it, which in a short time produced a dense precipitate of phosphate of calcium. After the solution of chloride of calcium had ceased to produce a precipitate, the solution was filtered; the precipitate on the filter was washed first with alcohol, then with water. I then poured upon the precipitate remaining in the filter a dilute solution of acetic acid until all the precipitate was dissolved, and finally washed with water until the filter contained, if any, only a trace of the precipitate. The liquid I then tested with uranium nitrate, and found it indicated the presence of 0.34 per cent. of phosphorus, which amount, deducted from the first result, left a residue of 0.28 per cent. of phosphorus, almost exactly the same as that obtained from specimen No. 1.

Then to find how soon oxidation commenced, and to see if the tinctures I had prepared had also undergone a change, I treated them in

the same manner with chloride of calcium, a precipitate being formed in the same manner as in specimen No. 3, but not nearly so dense. I then prepared a fresh tincture by the same formula as specimen No. 1; filtered it and added spirit of ammonia and a solution of chloride of calcium, filling the bottle and corking tighly, setting it aside in diffused daylight. Another specimen was treated in the same manner, and placed in the dark. The specimens were allowed to stand for several days, then finding no precipitate in either, a small portion was taken of each specimen, put in separate bottles of considerable capacity, corked and again placed, one in the dark, the other in diffused daylight, as before. After standing a week or ten days, a change was noticed, a slight cloud of the phosphate of calcium being formed in both specimens, but less readily in the specimen placed in the dark, which, I think, would tend to prove that the phosphorus was oxidized by contact with the air, notwithstanding the presence of the alcohol vapor; also, that the best method of keeping tincture of phosphorus is to put it in vials of convenient size, excluding air as much as possible, corking tightly and placing in the dark; and it should have some phosphorus in excess, so that as fast as the phosphorus which is in solution is converted into phosphoric acid, it may re-dissolve more, and in this way be a preparation having a standard strength which can be relied on; the phosphoric acid which is thus formed being but very slightly, if at all, objectionable.

The tincture of phosphorus is incompatible with syrup or any other aqueous solution, and it should not, therefore, be administered in such vehicles. I have experimented with and found that glycerin dissolves as much phosphorus as alcohol of sp. gr. 0.820, and I would, therefore, suggest it as a solvent, or at least as one of the best vehicles for its administration.

From the foregoing experiments and observations the following conclusions have been drawn.

I. Alcohol of sp. gr. o.822 dissolves, at common temperatures, 0.25 per cent. of phosphorus, equal to 0.93 grains in each fluid ounce. Alcohol sp. gr. 0.835 dissolves, at common temperature, o. 18 per cent. of phosphorus, equal to 0.64 grains in each fluid ounce. Glycerin sp. gr. 1.26 dissolves 0.17 per cent. of phosphorus, equal to 0.12 grains in each fluid drachm, or 0.96 grains in each fluid ounce.

2. Phosphorus in alcoholic solution undergoes oxidation when in contact with air; light has a tendency to facilitate oxidation, therefore it should be protected as much as possible from the light, dark colored bottles being preferred for its keeping.

3. When an excess of phosphorus is kept in the tincture, the fluid will always contain practically the same amount of free phosphorus ; phosphoric acid, on the contrary, will vary in amount with the exposure of the tincture.

4. The liquid is precipitated by aqueous liquids, but mixes in all proportions with glycerin.

5. The tincture is best prepared as follows: Take of phosphorus, scraped clean, one stick; commercial alcohol, thirty-two fluid ounces. Allow to remain in contact a week at least, at medium temperature, and decant as needed, and keep in dark or in the dark colored bottles.

BOLUS VERSUS PELLETS.

BY BOLUS THE GREAT.

If I may be permitted to prescribe for your correspondent who conceals himself under the nom de plume of "Reformer," I would suggest a bolus of blue mass, which, though it may not act upon the liver-which is denied now-a-days-nevertheless has a magical effect upon a jaundiced brain, as multitudes will testify; or, if he fears a bolus, suppose he take ten grains of mercurius dulcis, first attenuation, which will be equally efficacious if he only keeps in mind its homogeneity. After the medicine has had its effect, if he reviews his communication to the PHARMACIST he will observe that his first proposition is very defective, viz., that medical schools are becoming so numerous as to justify him in becoming a critic. Each State of the American Union is in itself a sovereignty as distinct as any one of the principalities which go to make up the great German Empire, and excels them in point of area and population. German schools are established by the Government according to the actual needs of the empire; why then should not each one of our larger and more populous States have its professional schools-theological, legal and medical? These schools multiply just in proportion to the growth and increase in number of the great cities or centers of education, and differ in superiority just in proportion to the wealth and character of these communities. It is so in Germany, the home of learning, so that we see there schools differing in importance from the minor one at Kiel and Greifswald to the greater of Vienna and Berlin. There is no reason why a Chicagoan, for instance,should be compelled to travel a thousand miles or more to attend a medical course, when competent teachers—teachers becoming more and more competent with years and experience may be found at home, even though distant institutions may have attained to a higher degree of excellence. This in itself is a justification of the formation of one or two medical colleges in each one of our States; and there are no more than two general medical colleges in any State, though there may be one or two special schools devoted to the promulgation of some exclusive medical dogma or other.

Proposition second is to the effect that graduates from medical colleges should compare favorably with those of the other learned professions in general education, and in having a specific knowledge of the technical branches of study taught therein. I think if our Luther will take the trouble to consult the catalogues of medical colleges, he will find as many graduates of colleges among the students as in the catalogues of other professional schools, and by comparing former catalogues with recent, he will learn that the number of these is steadily increasing every year. And many of them who have never been dubbed A. M. and B. S. have at least received a high-school or academic training. This hardly helps them in practice, for it is noteworthy that the "biggest fools get the largest practice," which is a commentary not upon the medical profession, but upon the public at large. The pulpit montebanks, the legal shysters and the medical quack ride rapidly into public favor and patronage, till a long pull, a