DIGEST OF COMMENTS ON THE PHARMACOPOEIA OF THE UNITED 
STATES OF AMERICA. 
EIGHTH DECENNIAL REVISION. 
I. GENERAL COMMENTS. 
To facilitate reference and to avoid unnecessary repetition in con- 
nection with a number of the questions involved, the following 
“general principles to be followed in revising the pharmacopoeia” 
are here reproduced from the “ abstract of the proceedings of the 
national convention of 1900 for revising the Pharmacopoeia of the 
United States.” 
These principles were, in the main, embodied in the draft of a plan 
for revising the pharmacopoeia of 1890 presented by the committee 
of revision created by the convention of 1890. They are important 
in connection with a digest of the comments on the pharmacopoeia 
in that the} 7 indicate the lines along which the U. S. P., VIII, was 
revised, and tend to suggest the modifications that should be em- 
bodied in the draft of a plan for revising the U. S. P., VIII, to be 
presented and discussed at the forthcoming convention in 1910. 
1. GENERAL PRINCIPLES TO BE FOLLOWED IN REVISING THE 
PHARMACOPOEIA. 
In accordance with the instructions of the convention of 1890, the 
committee of revision created by this body herewith presents a draft 
of a plan for revising the pharmacopoeia of 1890. 
1. SCOPE OF THE PHARMACOPOEIA. 
The committee of revision is authorized to admit into the pharma- 
copoeia any product of nature of known origin ; also any synthetized 
product of definite composition which is in common use by the med- 
ical profession, the identity, purity, or strength of which can be 
determined. No compound or mixture shall be introduced if the 
composition or mode of manufacture thereof be kept secret, or if it be 
controlled by unlimited proprietary or patent rights. 
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