•oo• •F.w•ws 271 That on Metal cans (A. F. Cowan) contains an excellent, and timely, description of sideseam construction. This chapter differs advantageously from that on Glass con- tainers by discussing whatever is significant to the user, rather than describing methods of manufacture and raw materials. The chapter on Aerosols (A. Simpson) is fairly good though somewhat superficial. In Table 15.1, concerned with properties of propellants, absolute pressures are given, whereas throughout the text, gauge pressures are quoted this could cause confusion. Surprisingly, bibliographies for future reading are lacking after all chapters such a bibliography is needed particularly after the Aerosols chapter. Some overlapping is inevitable in a book of this type, but is not too extensive. This book should prove very useful for anyone taking a course in packaging technology and as a brief introduction to the packaging industry. A.H. KINGZETT'S CHEMICAL ENCYCLOPAEDIA. 9th Edn. General Editor: D. H. Hey. Pp. xi q- 1002 q- Ill. (1066). Bailliere, Tindall and Cassell, London. 150s. For 47 years this work held the position of a standard reference book pro- viding information on the meaning of chemical terms, the nature of chemical oper- ations, and the properties of chemical substances and their industrial applications. The past decade has seen enormous advances in all branches of chemistry. Never- theless, some parts do not bear signs of recent revision, e.g. in the definition of aerosols. The information on pressurized packs reads like 1949, as the editors appear to know only of insecticides packed in this manner, nor is reference made to the many books covering aerosols whereas the use of FREON as propellants is acknowledged, no such privilege is accorded to A RCTON, only mentioned as refrigerants. If, therefore, the examples cited above are representative of the standard to be found in this (gth) edition, its purchase can hardly be recommended. A.H. MAIMONIDES. Vol. 2. TREATISE ON POISONS AND THEIR ANTIDOTES. Editor: $. Muntner. Pp. xxxviii q- 77 q- Ill. (1003). J. B. Lippincott, Philadelphia and Montreal. U.K. distributor: Pitman Medical Publishing Co., London. 65s. This was composed by Maimonides in the year 1198 at the behest of the vizier Abu-Rahim ben 'Ali el Beisani, known as A1-Fadhal, in whose honour the author entitled it Al-Fadhaliye. In all the manuscripts, the paper is named after its contents occasionally, because of the high rank of the man it was written for, it was also cited as the Treatise to the Honoured One (Maamar Hanikhbad). Ibn Abi Ozeibia, the Arab bibliobiographer and contemporary of Maimonides' son, refers to it as Poisons and cures against deadly medicines. This treatise is responsible for the numerous stories connected with the medical career of Maimonides, notably the mediaeval Virgil tale of homunculus. Apart from its importance for students of the history of culture, the paper is of practical value even today, especially when substituting sera for the theriacs that occur in it. It is no less important in the light of its prophylaxis, its etiology, diagnos- tics, and differential diagnosis as well as its therapeutics, apart from its advice to the vizier in matters of public health. Maimonides regarded this study as an introduction

272 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS to first aid before the arrival of a competent physician--a rather protracted affair in the circumstances prevailing at the time. This is essentially a book of first aid, and one marvels at the scientific and philosophical mind of this great medical teacher and practitioner. The advice given by Maimonides for the care of people bitten by snakes was naturally emphasized in his book because snake bite was a most serious problem in ancient Egypt, as it still is in many sections of the world. Reports indicate that as many as 20,000 deaths occur from this cause in India each year. Maimonides' inquiring brain reflecting on diseases anticipated many scientific discoveries of recent years. Certainly he recognized psychosomatic influences, par- ticularly in the allergies and in various diseases of the nervous system. His influence was deeply felt by such men as the famous Albertus Magnus (1193-1280) and who stressed the importance of observation and experiment. The book also contains the entire Paris 1211 manuscript in Arabic, written in Hebrew characters. A.H.