Chemical and Physical Papers. 49 



edly this question will be considered, and in due time reported 

 upon. 



It should be stated in this connection that methods of assay or 

 examination should be agreed upon for preparations of the United 

 States Pharmacopoeia and National Formulary, for which there are 

 no prescribed tests. 



Take, for example, the fluid extract of taraxacum. It is well 

 known that there is upon the market an article which is sold as 

 the American dandelion, and this is known to have been sold for 

 taraxacum. The question occurs. How shall we assay the fluid ex- 

 tract of taraxacum to ascertain whether it has been adulterated 

 with fluid extract of chicory? There is a method known to the 

 pharmacist, but this is not mentioned in the pharmacopoeia, nor 

 have any tests been agreed upon for the purpose of standardizing 

 such a preparation. Take another example, where we have the 

 fluid extract of columbo. This has been adulterated with what 

 has been known as American columbo, but there has been no pre- 

 scribed method of assay or examination recognized in the pharma- 

 copcBia. The expert pharmacist is able to detect the presence of 

 American columbo, but, as I have stated, no recognized method of 

 examination has been adopted. It seems to us that cases of this 

 kind will have to be seriously considered if we are to make the Na- 

 tional Formulary and the United States Pharmacopoeia effective as 

 is intended by the pure food and drug law. 



It is unfortunate that there should exist any ambiguities or mis- 

 understandings as to standards, but this seems at the present stage 

 inevitable. Still, it is quite possible for the pharmacist to take 

 care of the medicinal preparations for which there is no test pro- 

 vided, by employing tests known to himself. This will have to be 

 done until a uniform process of examinations of such medicinal 

 preparations is agreed upon. 



Some of our large manufacturers are very much exercised as re- 

 gards the retroactive character of the law, which seems to be one 

 of its features. 



It is to be hoped that the manufacturers will find that they have 

 overestimated the difficulties in view of the retroactiveness of the 

 law. Under the guidance of such a man as Doctor Wiley, we feel, 

 while the law will be rigidly enforced, the spirit rather than the 

 letter will be made the principal feature; and if this is to be the 

 policy, it seems to us that we shall not have any clamor on the part 

 of manufacturers and wholesalers against it from this point of view. 

 It is unquestionably true that manufacturers have shown not only 

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