218 
BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL CONFERENCE. 
gravity is really the monohydrate according to the old notation, or the true 
acid of modern chemists. Dr. Redwood, however, on the authority of Ma- 
rignac, states that this specific gravity indicates a slight excess of water. 
Whether such be the case or not, the term “ monohydrated ” is objectionable, 
and should be expunged from the definition. The formula given for the so-called 
arsenious acid might be advantageously replaced by the explanatory words 
“anhydrous arsenious acid, or arsenious anhydride containing 75’76per cent, 
of metallic arsenic.” The compound does not strictly come under the head of* 
acids, but, as it is generally spoken of as “ arsenious acid,” it would be un¬ 
wise to alter its pharmaceutic name. The formula given in the definition of 
“sulphurous acid” represents sulphurous anhydride; but, if it were omitted, 
the description of the ofiicinal liquid as “ sulphurous acid dissolved in water” 
would accord equally well with old and new theories. With regard to “ bo- 
racic acid,” mentioned in the Appendix, the substitution of the word “ crys¬ 
tallized ” for the formula given would leave no doubt as to the body pre¬ 
scribed. 
Oxygen-Salts. —Thirty-three normal salts derived from oxygen-acids have 
names which are sufficiently distinctive without the addition of chemical for¬ 
mulae. These are the hypochlorites of soda and lime; chlorate of potash; 
iodate of potash; the nitrates of soda, potash, and silver; permanganate of 
potash; the acetates of soda, potash, ammonia, copper; zinc, and lead ; the 
valerianates of soda and zinc ; the sulphates of potash, ammonia, copper, 
magnesia, zinc, lime, beberia, and quinine; hyposulphite of soda; the car¬ 
bonates of soda, potash, lithia, and lime ; oxalate of ammonia ; tartrate of 
potash ; and the citrates of potash and lithia. Many of these salts are for¬ 
mulated with water of crystallization; but, if the formulae were omitted, 
there would be but few cases in which it would be necessary to express the 
degrees of hydration by percentages. In place of the formula for the phar¬ 
maceutic “nitrite of soda,” there should be a statement to the effect that the 
compound contains a variable amount of carbonate of soda; The mercuric 
nitrate and sulphate, which are simply called “ nitrate of mercury ” and 
“ sulphate of mercury,” are distinguished from the lower or mercurous salts 
by the tests and methods of preparation. The name “ pernitrate of iron ” 
indicates with sufficient clearness the ferric salt, and there is also a test 
whereby the presence of ferrous nitrate would be at once detected in the 
solution. The name “ sulphate of iron ” is applied to the well-known green 
ferrous sulphate, and the characters and tests given in connection with this 
salt prevent us confounding it with the ferric &alt called “ persulphate of 
iron.” Again, there can be no doubt as to the ferrous carbonate called 
simply “ carbonate of iron,” as ferric carbonate does not appear to exist. 
The composition of ferrous arseniate called simply “ arseniate of iron ” is 
accurately indicated by the quantitative test. The acid salts called “ bisul¬ 
phate of potash;” “bicarbonate of soda,” “bicarbonate of potash,” “bichro¬ 
mate of potash,” and “ acid tartrate of potash ” are well-known definite com¬ 
pounds, and do not need distinctive formulae. The term “ acid ’’ introduced 
in the pharmaceutic name for by dropotassic tartrate is preferable, on scientific 
grounds, to the prefix “ hi but it is scarcely likely to displace this prefix 
in the familiar names “ bicarbonate ” and “ bichromate ” for years to come. 
It is a question whether the officinal “ benzoate of ammonia,” which is repre¬ 
sented as a neutral salt by the Pharmacopoeia formula, ought not to be 
termed “ acid benzoate of ammonia,” for, according to Watts’s ‘ Dictionary 
of Chemistry,’ the process by which it is prepared gives the acid salt. The 
names of the phosphates need not be altered. The officinal phosphate of 
soda might be defined as “the ordinary or disodic phosphate.” The officinal 
phosphates of ammonia, lime, and iron appear to be the noi mal triamraonic, 
