August, 1918 C. U. C. P. ALUMNI JOURNAL 133 



Other evidence of harmonious action may be found in the consideration of 

 "collective advertising" by the pharmacists of the city of Liverpool. By common 

 agreement of the pharmacists in Dover all drug stores are closed between 1:15 

 and 2:15 p.m. daily. Furthermore there has been no relaxation in the efforts of 

 the English pharmacists to have a pharmaceutical corps established in the army, 

 which fact should be an incentive to us to keep on trying in spite of opposition 

 and discouragement to get the Edmonds Bill enacted into a law. United and 

 continued efforts will and must win in the end. 



The question of supplies, especially of such substances as may be used as 

 foodstuffs, for medicinal uses is a trying one. The sugar ration of the English 

 pharmacist has now been cut to 25^ of the amount used in 191 5 and every 

 pound used must be accounted for. To save sugar and glycerin a great number 

 of preparations of the British Pharmacopoeia have been made unofficial and sub- 

 stitute formulas have been sanctioned. After some hesitation the British Govern- 

 ment has recently permitted the use of saccharine as a sweetening agent in foods 

 and, wisely, has fixed the price of saccharine. This has resulted in a tremendous 

 mcrease in the use of saccharine. One manufacturer advertises that he could 

 dispose of six million tablets per hour if he had the machinery to manufacture 

 this number and regrets that he cannot fill all his orders as he can manufacture 

 only six million tablets per week. 



Glycerin is no longer available for medicinal uses as the government has 

 need of every ounce it can get. 



A serious development of the last year is the increasing scarcity of oils and 

 fats. In times of war, the first consideration of a nation is food, and ammunition 

 is the second one. All other commercial interests must suffer from any lack of 

 raw materials. It is absolutely essential, therefore, that the use of edible sub- 

 stances as components of medicines be either prohibited, restricted or controlled 

 as the case may be and so we find that the use of edible oils and fats for medicinal 

 purposes is no longer permitted; some small amounts may be obtained upon ap- 

 plication. There have been withdrawn from the British Pharmacopoeia a num- 

 ber of preparations, notably camphor liniment, chloroform liniment and others 

 and permission has been given to modify all such preparations. Lard, olive oil, 

 castor oil may no longer be dispensed, even in prescriptions. Whenever ben- 

 zoated lard is prescribed, an official substitute, which must contain 3% of benzoin 

 must be dispensed. 



In consequence of this scarcity of oils, soap is becoming more and more ex- 

 pensive, indeed some retailers complain that they cannot get it at all. Small 

 wonder that the hydrogenation of fixed oils to render them suitable for the man- 

 ufacture of oleomargarine is becoming a process of the utmost importance. Ger- 

 many and Norway have attained high perfection in making edible fats* out of fish 

 oils, such as cod liver oil, whale oil and also out of linseed oil and cottonseed oil, 

 the origin of which cannot be detected in the finished product by smell and taste. 

 The manufacture of such fats is receiving a great deal of attention in England 

 and the total output in that country will be trebled during the coming year. It 

 may be of interest to you to know what the English pharmacists use in place of 



