PHARMACEUTICAL MEETING. 
463 
not all seem to be aware of it. From his own experience he could say that a 
great many prescriptions were written by persons who were not even acquainted 
with the nomenclature of the British Pharmacopoeia, and contained manifest 
evidence that the prescribers intended them to be dispensed according to the 
London Pharmacopoeia, to which they were formerly accustomed. Therefore, 
although it was their duty to be loyal to the British Pharmacopoeia and to the 
Medical Council who had authority over them in that respect, there was one 
duty still greater, and that was to carry out the wishes of the physician. He 
certainly thought if they saw clearly that the prescriber intended a preparation 
according to the London Pharmacopoeia, it would not be right, where a mate¬ 
rial alteration had taken place, to follow the British Pharmacopoeia. Only re¬ 
cently he had got himself into a difficulty in this way. A prescription was 
brought to him containing tincture of calumba, which had been considerably 
increased in strength. He perceived that the prescription bore the stamp of a 
West-End house of considerable eminence, and concluded that it had been made 
up according to the British Pharmacopoeia. He therefore did the same, using 
the new tincture which was about two-fifths stronger. than the old, and the 
consequence was that his mixture was returned to him in an hour or two, with 
a not very polite message that it was so horribly bitter it was impossible to take 
it. He gave, of course, the best explanation he could, but it was not very satisfac¬ 
tory to the mind of his customer. He would also ask whether the authorities 
who imposed the Pharmacopoeia upon them could not exercise a little raoie 
sensitiveness as to the cost of such things as alcohol and ether. He thought 
where preparations were made unnecessarily costly or complex, the chemist had 
good reason for complaint, particularly in those preparations which were not so 
much used in dispensing prescriptions as in ordinary retail for domestic medi- 
cine. As to the linimentum potassii iodidi cum sapone, he did not think it 
would be a great loss to pharmacy if it were never seen again ; and in the ordi¬ 
nary soap-liniment, he believed if they were told to use, instead of the strong 
rectified spirit, a weaker spirit, the product would be much better, as they 
knew that rectified spirit was a fluid which refused to amalgamate with almost 
every fluid in the human body. Acetum scillse was now ordered to be made 
with the addition of so much spirit, but he was certain that so far from being 
improved, it was deteriorated, and would not keep for any length of time. 1 e 
had repeatedly made it with the full quantity of alcohol, as directed, but inva¬ 
riably found that in the course of a few weeks there was a leathery deposit, 
whereas be had some now in his possession, made more than two years ago, 
without spirit, which he believed was as good as on the first day. Again, he was 
quite at a loss to know for what reason the alteration had been made in the 
British Pharmacopoeia with regard to unguentum resinse, which was now to be 
made a mixture of white wax, yellow wax, almond oil, and lard. He shou ct 
much like to know in what respect it was superior to the less costly and more 
simple ceratum resinse of the London Pharmacopoeia, which was we nown o 
all who lived in poor neighbourhoods as a very popular .remedy, k or one ounce 
of unguentum resinse, which he used in obedience to the Pharmacopoeia, lie re¬ 
tailed some pounds of the cerate over the counter as a domestic mecLicine. 
The Chairman here suggested that, as it was past ten o clock, it would be 
better to adjourn the discussion to the next meeting, when he should be bappy 
to hear Mr. Bland in continuation. 
The meeting then adjourned. 
