191 1] Editor ials iS7 



as would be of value to the profession; this book to be kept up 

 to date by Supplements and by annual revision. The book is known 

 as "New and Nonofficial Remedies," or abbreviated " N. N. R." 



How may teachers in medical schools help? By pointing out 

 how progress in therapeutics is retarded and how the health or 

 lives of patients may actually be jeopardized by the use of unscien- 

 tific names for medicinal substances. For instance, dangerous 

 doses of acetanihd repeatedly have been prescribed by combining 

 in one prescription two or more acetanihd preparations, the names 

 of which gave no indication of their nature. It might also be 

 pointed out that the superiority claimed for proprietary protected 

 products does not, in fact, exist. Thus, Professor Base reported 

 {Journal of the American Medical Association, Oct. 12, 1907, p. 

 1295) that the non-proprietary brands of hexamethylenamin were 

 of good quality, notwithstanding the contrary assertion of the 

 Promoters of certain proprietary brands of this drug. 



The medical Student should be made familiär with the scientific 

 names of drugs. This can he accomplished by reqiiiring a better 

 knozvledge of chemistry and by insisting on the intelligent use of 

 chemical and pharmaceutical names by all teachers in medical 

 schools. 



If one were entirely dependent on the advertisements of drug 

 houses for his Information concerning iron therapy he would form 

 the following conclusions : 



Failacies in I. That inorganic iron is absorbed with diffi- 



Iron Therapy culty and is prone to cause gastric indigestion. 



2. That organic iron is more easily absorbed, that it is imme- 

 diately available for use in enriching the blood ; that therefore it is 

 vastly superior to inorganic iron for therapeutic purposes. 



These conclusions, however, are not founded on fact. It is at 

 present believed by most authorities that a great excess of iron is 

 maintained by the body in the liver, marrow, spieen and other 

 " storehouses " ; that all iron ingested, whether inorganic or organic, 

 is first carried into these depots and there converted into organic 

 iron. It is generally admitted by pharmacologists that the inor- 

 ganic iron salts are as readily absorbed and assimilated as the or- 



