Notices respecting New Books. 291 



teen years, would seem to imply some decided improvement in 

 one or more of the departments of Pharmaceutical Science : 

 and if we take a retrospective view of the several branches of 

 science which the Materia Medica involves, we find abundant 

 reasons for a revision at least of the former Pharmacopoeia, if 

 not for the production of a new one altogether. The Royal 

 College was unquestionably warranted in publishing a new 

 Pharmacopoeia in 1809, and in revising the same in 1815; but 

 we see no grounds for regarding the present one as new, it 

 being in fact no more than a second revision and correction 

 of the edition of 1809, with some additions. 



The practitioner in medicine having to abide by the direc- 

 tion of a certain body of men, in his compounding and making 

 use of such medicines as constitute a sort of national Phar- 

 macopoeia, must naturally feel anxious that these should not 

 only be fully adequate to the purposes for which he may wish 

 to administer them ; but also that they should allow of being 

 prepared without difficulty or uncertainty ; whilst the 

 physician who can claim no direct interference with the 

 concerns of the College, must necessarily exercise his un- 

 doubted right of criticising its measures ; authorized as it is 

 to propound what medicines may be employed, and thus in a 

 manner to confine the means of cure within certain limits. 

 We are aware that the physician is qualified to prescribe 

 whatever he may think proper : but inasmuch as the dispenser 

 of medicines need not have more or other remedies in his pos- 

 session than are ordered by the College, this privilege is ren- 

 dered of no avail, as must be felt, more especially? by such as 

 are not resident in the Metropolis. Under these circumstances, 

 therefore, we cannot be surprised at individuals undertaking 

 to review and to translate the Pharmacopoeia of the College ; 

 and to recommend new remedies, accordingly as science and 

 experience discover and confirm their utility. This will also 

 account for the appearance of new Pharmacopoeias from time 

 to time, or for new and improved editions ; and both the 

 College and private individuals are highly justified in their 

 respective exertions for attaining greater perfection in this most 

 important branch of the ars medendi. 



The present Pharmacopoeia owes its improvement and com- 

 parative perfection, we may say, to accumulated experience in 

 general, and to several individuals in particular : among the 

 latter Mr. Phillips stands very conspicuous. This gentleman, 

 in his" Experimental Examination of the last Edition of the 

 Pharmacopoeia Londinensis" was unquestionably too severe in 

 his remarks, both on the original, and on Dr. Powell's transla- 

 tion and annotations: but there was nevertheless so much of 

 O o 2 truth 



