Pharmacology 57 



for gain, as does the patent medicine interests. 

 The Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry of the 

 American Medical Association, against tremendous 

 but futile opposition, is routing out such practices 

 from medicine and pharmacy. 



Clinical standardization is a further step now 

 developing. 



These processes have been applied almost wholly 

 to official products; but the annual publication 

 "New and Nonofficial Remedies" of the American 

 Medical Association, and the Committee on Un- 

 official Standards of the American Pharmaceutical 

 Association, are attempting to cover the whole field. 

 Their efforts should be consistently upheld. Dr. 

 Stewart well says: "The argument that thera- 

 peutists must experimentally determine the proper 

 dosage of an agent to fit the needs of each particular 

 case is no excuse for the tolerance of variation in 

 the strength and potency of the remedy itself; 

 every possible variable should be eliminated in an 

 effort to reduce therapeutics as nearly to an exact 

 science as is possible." It may be noted that the 

 Government demands this of proprietary chemical 

 fertilizers, insecticides and mixed poultry and cattle 

 foods. Then why should not the physician demand 

 it of all remedies, official, unofficial, and proprietary? 



The United States Public Health Service, through 

 its Hygienic Laboratory at Washington, is legally 

 empowered to maintain standards in biologic rem- 

 edies, and to inspect and license concerns producing 

 them. Were the same supervision exercised over 

 the production of botanic remedies, they would 

 enjoy a professional confidence that would soon 

 quadruple the use of these agents by physicians. 



