508 
PHARMACEUTICAL MEETING. 
Dr. Redwood believed that, as Mr. Wood had stated, by the sublimation of 
mercurous iodide a change of composition takes place, for he had always 
observed that there was a separation of globules or mercury. It was also 
observable that the sublimed iodide bore exposure to the light very much better 
than it did in its previous state. 
Mr. Waugh thought they were bound to make the article which the Phar¬ 
macopoeia ordered, without regard to whether it was a good chemical composi¬ 
tion or not. The authors of the Pharmacopoeia, having tried the experiment, 
had specified what the dose should be, finding this combination a useful one. 
Now when he looked at the Pharmacopoeia, uuder “ green iodide of mercury,” 
he did not find one word about yellow iodide of mercury, or about the perma¬ 
nent yellow or green ; but he was told to do certain things, and having done 
that he freed himself from all responsibility. 
Mr. Wood said they would probably find it of some convenience if he men¬ 
tioned a method which he had adopted for keeping the green iodide of mercury. 
Having been asked for green iodide of mercury, the difficulty of obtaining it 
when it was wanted led him to the experiments which he had detailed. He 
found that he could, as the Pharmacopoeia says, make a green iodide of mercury, 
but it was an iodide which remained good for only a few hours. Now, as it was 
inconvenient to make a preparation every three or four hours if it was wanted, 
he was anxious to obtain some method by which he could make green iodide, 
and keep it green if he wished it. They might get that result if they made the 
powder and washed it with ether ; by washing it in ether, they would remove 
everything soluble, and leave the green powder which was permanent. 
Mr. Waugh said that that was the very thing they wanted. They wanted 
to make what the medical men wished them to have in their shops ; and now 
Mr. Wood had told them how to make the veritable green iodide of mercury 
permanent. 
NOTICE PROM THE MEDICAL COUNCIL RESPECTING THE 
BRITISH PHARMACOPOEIA. 
The Chairman said an interesting and important discussion had arisen out 
of the subject introduced by Mr. Wood, in the course of which some remarks 
had been made which had a direct bearing on another subject, namely, that of 
an advertisement which had appeared in the Medical and Pharmaceutical 
Journals, warning druggists against dispensing medicines according to any r 
other than the British Pharmacopoeia of 1867. It might be well to take that 
opportunity of drawing the attention of members to this subject by eliciting 
some discussion upon it. He thought the very significant notice which had 
emanated from the Medical Council could not be too widely disseminated among 
all branches of the medical profession. 
Mr. Waugh thought it would be well for this Society, not in opposition to, 
but in furtherance of the notice alluded to, if they took such a stand as would 
gain for them the consideration to which they were entitled from the writers of 
prescriptions. Every one present knew that in dispensing they had to exercise 
their own judgment over and over again ; and he really thought the chemists 
and druggists were entitled to great sympathy. They had prescriptions every 
day in which the old names were mixed up with the new names ; and, therefore, 
he thought they might ask the medical profession, and especially those members 
of it, who, being old like himself, did not take the trouble to learn the new 
Pharmacopoeia, to be gracious enough, if they wished the old Pharmacopoeia to 
be followed, to state that upon their prescriptions. 
Mr. Hills said that in their house (Messrs. Bell and Co.) they always fol- 
