Rocks and Minerals, Jul 2001
This somewhat unusual work contains an overwhelming approximately thirty thousand synonyms, varietal names, discredited names, antiquated names, and discarded names, each linked to the correct mineral and referenced to a fundamental source of information on that obsolete name. As the first sentence of the preface indicates, the book contains essentially all names used for mineral substances throughout history that are no longer considered valid or current. This includes those in English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Afrikaans, Norwegian, Swedish, German, and possibly others hidden in the massive listing of names. Only original names are used, including the original endings, which in many cases indicate the original language. Diacritical marks are also shown. Where appropriate, structural formulas and group-type designations are given' using the systematic approaches of Smith and others (American Mineralogist 83:126 [1998]; Advances in X-ray Analysis 41 [1998]).
The book is arranged alphabetically by the first letter of the obsolete name. This name is followed by an "=" sign, which is in turn followed by the accepted name of that mineral species as per Fleisher's Glossary of Mineral Species. The listing ends with an important reference. A typical example taken from the first page reads: "Acier volcanique = iron, Egleston, 165 (1892)." One can then check the list of references to find the source is Egleston's 1892 Catalogue of Minerals and Synonyms.
When one ponders the list of references, the enormous effort put into this book becomes clear. Imagine checking each page of the sixth, seventh, and eighth editions of Dana's System and all volumes of Deer, Howie, and Zussman's Rock-Forming Minerals for obsolete terms. Now add forty-nine other similarly intense references, and you get the picture. Of what value is this carefully done piece of work? In the first place, almost all collections have old mineral labels, some of which contain names that cannot be found in the indexes of modern mineralogical reference works. One can be confident that the name will appear in this book, and the accurate identity of the specimen can be determined. For those who collect mineral books, particularly the antiquarian variety, it makes a fine companion and is equally useful when coupled with the latest edition of the Glossary of Mineral Species. In short, this is simply a good reference work, a dictionary of sorts. The listings that I spot-checked were correct, and there were no obvious omissions. An alphabetical compilation of valid mineral names with their obsolete equivalents listed beside them would have made an interesting appendix. As with all Mineralogical Record publications, the editing is very good, and the printing, paper, and binding are of high quality. The Glossary of Obsolete Mineral Names is a welcome addition to my personal library and should be to yours as well.
-Robert B. Cook
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