100 
ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF A PHARMACOPEIA. 
rating all these compounds over and over again ? The printing of the Materia 
Medica would occupy at least double the space it now does, and, as far as I can 
judge, to no useful purpose, if simply to facilitate an acquaintance with the 
contents of the Pharmacopoeia. 
With regard to the nomenclature, I c^an scarcely be said to have an opinion 
exclusively my own, as it has been so ably expressed by others, and can there¬ 
fore simply say that I fear the consequences likely to occur from any changes 
which interfere with the recognized names of medicines, and may further refer 
to my article on k ‘ Names,” Yol. I. p. 112 of the ‘Pharmaceutical Journal,’ 
second series. 
The weights and measures, as at present arranged, answer well for all Phar¬ 
maceutical purposes, but I do not believe in the convenience of grains for pre¬ 
scribes; on the contrary, the well-established symbols for this country will 
undoubtedly be retained by the majority of those who prescribe, whilst, at the 
same time, physicians or surgeons writing for patients whom they knew were 
Continental travellers might, in such cases, prescribe in grammes or grains, etc. 
Amongst the preparations which have a good claim to admittance into the 
Pharmacopoeia there are none more worthy than the concentrated infusions and 
decoctions, some of the latter being, indeed, so represented,—to wit, extractum 
sarsss liquidum, extractum pareirse liquidum ; not that I would substitute con¬ 
centrated preparations of any kind for the simple ones, when they could be pre¬ 
scribed without inconvenience ; vide my article on “ Concentrated Infusions,” 
Yol. I. p. 7 of the ‘Pharmaceutical Journal,’ second series. But I think it is 
due to physicians and surgeons that they should, under certain circumstances, 
have the option and power of prescribing a concentrated infusion of uniform 
strength, when in their opinion they deem it desirable, with just as much 
reason as they do liquor cinchonse, liquor belse, and others, and with more claim 
to utility than succus conii or succus scoparii. But there is one point to which 
attention may be fairly drawn in all these preparations—are they not generally 
too highly concentrated, are they not constantly throwing down deposits from 
their solutions ? 
With respect to the combinations of glycerine, my experience leads me to 
think that in most cases it may be left to the prescriber; it is convenient for 
dispensers, where there is a steady demand, to keep tannic and gallic acids, 
quinine, and some others, in solution in glycerine ; but where it might be 
useful to employ it as a menstruum for the vegetable extracts in place of oil, 
the solution is quickly made; the combination of it with starch can be 
speedily done with the assistance of a spirit-lamp, and' as stated by others, it 
enters by no means well into the composition of ordinary ointments; any of 
the usual external applications of glycerine in combination with calamine, bis¬ 
muth, etc., can be prepared as readily as any other prescription, therefore it 
appears needless to keep any such ready. I should like to see the old spirits of 
the London Pharmacopoeia restored, and the spirits of the P. B. christened 
essences. Lozenges containing morphia and opium are at the best open to 
serious objection ; if left about by accident or design, children would be very 
likely to eat them freely, and serious consequences might result. A word or 
two upon the palatability of medicines: something might undoubtedly be accom¬ 
plished, but surely it rests as much or more with the prescriber than the phar¬ 
maceutist ; a freer employment of the Pharmacopoeia syrups, and the dilution 
of strongly flavoured medicines, would render them less nauseous; if prescribers 
would let aqua destillata figure a little more freely in their prescriptions the 
medicines would be more sightly, have fewer deposits, and be improved in 
flavour. 1 he bitter of quinine and bark can be rendered more agreeable by the 
addition of a light white wine ; powders generally may be administered in thick 
syrup of gum flavoured with orange-flower or lemon, with much less nausea 
