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THE BRITISH PHARMACOPOEIA. 
The new pharmacopoeia has become fully established not only by law, but in 
the good opinions of all classes of the medical profession. In the large dis¬ 
pensing establishments it is implicitly adopted as the law requires, and we 
believe there are now but few cases in which prescriptions indicate that the 
medicines are to be prepared according to the London Pharmacopoeia. Where 
such instructions are given, it is of course the duty of the dispenser to follow 
them, but in the absence of any such indication the dispenser incurs a heavy 
responsibility in disregarding the requirements of the law, and, as the Com. 
mittee of the Medical Council say, “ would certainly be held criminally respon¬ 
sible if the effect of his so compounding and dispensing should prove injurious 
to the health, or affect the life, of the person taking or using such medicine!.” 
To most of our readers we believe any appeal on this subject is unnecessary. 
The leading members of the Pharmaceutical Society have been among the fore¬ 
most advocates and promoters of the adoption of one Pharmacopoeia, applicable 
alike to every part of the British dominions. The Society, by its Council, 
and through many of its members, has assisted in effecting the amalgamation 
of the previously existing three Pharmacopoeias, and the establishment of one 
uniform guide for the preparation of medicines, by which, if full effect be 
given to the intentions of the Legislature and of the Medical Council, much 
good will be produced, the interests of medical science advanced, and the 
safety of the health of the public promoted. 
Immediately after the official publication of the Pharmacopoeia of 1867, a 
letter was sent to all the members of the Pharmaceutical Society, signed by the- 
President and Vice-President, directing attention to the steps that were required 
to be taken on such an occasion, and laying particular stress upon the benefits 
that would result from the general adoption of the British Pharmacopoeia, by 
which London, Edinburgh, and Dublin would be brought into uniformity. 
Several articles with a similar purport have appeared in this Journal, and it 
has been shown that all the important preparations of the London Pharma¬ 
copoeia are now contained in the British Pharmacopoeia, and, with very few 
exceptions, the strength of the medicines either remains unaltered or has been 
reduced ; so that, while the requirements of the law, and the injunctions of the 
Medical Council, are to the effect that all medicines ordered by names used in 
the British Pharmacopoeia should be compounded and dispensed in accordance 
with the instructions given in that work,—unless the prescriber clearly indicates 
the contrary,—the adoption of this practice, which is the clear duty of the dis¬ 
penser, may often contribute to the safety of the patient. Thus, Liquor Mor¬ 
phia Acetatis and Liquor Morphia Hydrochloratis , B. P., are only half the 
strength of those previously ordered in the L. P. ; so also Tinctura Aconiti and 
Tinctura Belladonna of the authorized formulae are one-third and one-half the 
strength respectively of the L. P. preparations. When these medicines are 
ordered, the use of those made by the obsolete London processes might prove 
dangerous if not fatal. It was with much surprise we found from a letter 
inserted in the ‘ Lancet ’ about two months ago, and transferred to this Journal 
in February, that at a first-class dispensing establishment at the west-end of 
London, a prescription ordering Liquor Morphia Hydrochloratis was dispensed 
according to the London Pharmacopoeia, and some injury done to the patient 
through the overdose that was in consequence given. Still greater was our 
surprise at the explanation given by the chemist, that he always dispensed 
according to the old forms unless otherwise directed. We feel sure that this 
must be an isolated case, for anything more opposed to the dictates of reason 
and sound policy could hardly be conceived. It is the duty of chemists gene¬ 
rally to protest against such a practice, and to endeavour to the utmost of their 
power, by example and precept, to render the old abrogated Pharmacopoeias, 
which have been superseded by the British Pharmacopoeia of 1867, really obso¬ 
lete, as it is now time they should be. 
