OFFICIAL INSPECTION l8. I9I 



given in the metric system of weights and measures, many drug- 

 gists do not use them. The translation from the metric system 

 to apothecaries weights and measures is a fruitful source of 

 mistake. Even in some of the better establishments the regis- 

 tered pharmacist makes up the preparations without referring 

 to the Pharmacopoeia and merely trusting to memory. It is 

 needless to say that such a method would never be tolerated in 

 a well regulated chemical laboratorj'. 



Druggists are urged to give careful attention to all these 

 essential details. Use only carefully graduated narrow meas- 

 uring apparatus. Be sure that the scales are right and that 

 the set of weights has not become inaccurate from rust or other 

 reasons. Use only metric weights and measures. Never make 

 even the simplest preparations without having the authority 

 directly before your eyes. Be sure that all alcoholic prepara- 

 tions are kept in well stoppered bottles. Ground stoppers 

 which are especially fitted to the individual bottle can usually 

 be depended upon, but selected cork stoppers are far safer for 

 most volatile preparations. 



The executive officer has endeavored to act with a large 

 amount of patience and charity concerning the shortcomings of 

 the drug trade, but it would seem after the law has been in 

 effect for two years as though a druggist ought to be held 

 srictly responsible for the reasonable accuracy of preparation 

 of materials which involve comparatively little technical knowl- 

 edge and chiefly an ability to weigh, to measure and to mix. 

 It is not his intention to in any way threaten the trade but the 

 druggist must remember that the executive officer is responsible 

 to the public for his actions in the matter and that he has no 

 moral right to continue to pass over unnecessary and entirely 

 unjustifiable violations of the law. The plea that the dniggist 

 does not intend to defraud his customer is not an adequate one, 

 nor is the appeal that the goods are too strong and hence an 

 indication that the druggist had no pecuniary motive, an ade- 

 quate plea. It hardly seems unduly severe to hold a druggist 

 as responsible for the strength of his preparations as the maker 

 of a chemical fertilizer is held. There are departures from 

 strength in the case of medicines reported in this number of 

 Official Inspections that cannot be paralleled in any fertilizer 

 report made by this Station in 20 years. The detection of such 



