THE BRITISH PHARMACOPOEIA. 335 
changes which will be effected in the practice of pharmacy by the operation of 
the ‘ British Pharmacopoeia.’ 
Weights and Measures. —Our readers are already aware—for it has long been 
publicly known—that the avoirdupois ounce and pound are to supersede the 
troy weights of those denominations in pharmacy, while the troy grain is still to 
be retained, and the scruple and drachm to be abolished. The measures will 
remain as heretofore, but not their symbols. 
“ The weights and measures of the 1 British Pharmacopoeia,’ with their symbols, 
will now stand as follows :— 
Weights. 
1 pound.lb. = 1G ounces 
1 ounce . oz. = . 
1 grain .gr. = . 
7000 grains 
437-5 grains 
1 grain 
Measures. 
1 gallon. C ...... = 8 pints . O viij 
1 pint . O . = 20 fluid ounces . fl. oz. XX 
1 fluid ounce.fl. oz.... = 8 fluid drachms. fl. drs. viij 
1 fluid drachm ... fl. drm. = 60 minims . min. LX 
1 minim. min. ... = 1 minim. min. j.” 
If it had been proposed that these weights and measures, with their symbols, 
should be used in the ‘ British Pharmacopoeia,’ and their use extend no further, 
the change would, no doubt, have been submitted to without a murmur ; but 
when prescribers and dispensers are enjoined to adopt this system, and to dis¬ 
continue the use of the drachm and scruple weights, we predict that the change 
will not be effected without some opposition. The new system of weights ap¬ 
pears to us to be inconvenient, and the symbols for both weights and measures 
by no means so convenient or explicit as those hitherto used. The drachm and 
scruple, with their well-known characteristic symbols, which are so easily written 
and distinguished, and the values of which form such convenient integers in 
extemporaneous prescriptions, cannot surely be superseded by the grain for re¬ 
presenting quantities up to 437-5 grains. But not only are the drachm and 
scruple, with their symbols, to be abolished, but the symbol for the apothecaries’ 
ounce ( 3 ) is also to be discarded, and the new ounce is to have the much less 
easily written and distinguished symbol, oz. These changes, which we were pre¬ 
pared for, are bad enough ; but we certainly were not prepared for the change to 
be made in the mode of representing the measures. What have the symbols for 
the fluid ounce and drachm done to offend the Medical Council, and to cause 
them to be abolished with the drachm and scruple weights ? The fluid ounce is 
in future to be written fl. oz., and the fluid drachm, fl. drm. 
Chemical Nomenclature. —There are some changes in the names of chemical 
compounds which are deserving of particular notice. The scientific names ap¬ 
plied to calomel and corrosive sublimate have been changed with almost every 
new edition of the ‘ Pharmacopoeia,’ to reconcile them to the altered views or 
prevailing practices of scientific chemists. Thus calomel, which in 1721 and 
1746 was called “ Mercurius dulcis sublimatus ,” in 1788 was changed to 
“ Hy dr argyrus muriatus mitisf in 1809 to ‘‘ Hydrargyri submurias ,” and in 
1836 to “ Hydrargyri chloridum .” We have now another change. In the 
‘British Pharmacopoeia’ calomel is called calomel, its Latin name being u calo- 
melas ,” but it is also called “ Hydrargyri subchloridum ; ” and corrosive sub¬ 
limate, which is latinized into '’''Hydrargyrum corrosivum sublimatum ,’’ is 
designated “ chloride of mercury ,” the name formerly given to calomel. Red 
precipitate is now “ Hydrargyri oxidum rubrumf and iodide of mercury 
“ Hydrargyri iodidum viride .” 
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