494 
THE NEW EDITION OF THE BRITISH PHARMACOPCEIA. 
of the body. Thus Gum is no longer Acacia, but Acacim (jummi ; Hips are 
JRoscc canincc fructus. Chamomile flowers are Antliemidis Jiores, Caraway 
fruit is Carui fructus, etc. These alterations are somewhat numerous, but 
they do not at all afiect the preparations, while they increase the general 
accuracy of the work. The nomenclature of chemical substances has not 
undergone much change. The Chlorides of Mercury have become Sydrar^yri 
JPercliloridum and Hydrargyri Suhchloridum respectively, while the vulgar 
names Calomel and Corrosiv^e Sublimate are retained among the synonyms. 
Hydrochlorate of Ammonia is now Ariimonii cliloridum or Chloride of Am¬ 
monium, and Hydrosulphate of Ammonia is Sulphide of Ammonium. Mo¬ 
dern chemists will be glad to And that the term “ Sulphuret ” is now ex¬ 
punged : Sulphuret of Iron has become Sulphide of Iron, and Sulphuret of 
Antimony is Antimonium Higrum or Black Antimony. A reversion to vulgar 
or common names has also taken place in the cases of Ferrocyanide of Potas¬ 
sium and of Potassio-Tartrate of Soda, these salts being now called Fotassce 
Frussias Flava and Soda Tartarata. On the other hand Lithargyrum is 
changed to Flumbi Oxidum, and Bismuthum Album to Fismuthi Subnitras. 
The name Plumbi Oxidum is chemically correct, and well known; it cannot 
lead to any error, while it possesses the advantage of bringing the substance 
among the other compounds of lead, in alphabetical arrangement. The intro¬ 
duction of Carbonate of Bismuth is a sufficient reason for reverting from the 
term White Bismuth—a name which has been but little used—to that of Bis¬ 
muth! Subnitras. The moist Peroxide of Iron is now called Ferri Feroxidum 
FLumidum, and Peroxide of Iron is changed to Ferri Feroxidum Hydratum. 
It must be admitted that these names do more correctly describe the real 
nature of these substances. The solutions of Acetate of Ammonia and of 
Perchloride of Iron of the first British Pharmacopoeia are now named Liquor 
Ammonice Acetatis Fortior and Liquor Ferri Ferchloridi Fortior, because 
weaker solutions of the same substances are also introduced, and these bear 
the simpler name, probably for the reason that they are more likely to be 
ordered in prescriptions. The names of four galenical preparations have been 
modified so as to avoid any indication of the presence of opium in them. 
Thus Pilula Opii is changed to Filula Saponis Composita, Pulvis Ipecacu- 
anhae cum Opio to Fulvis Ipecacuanhce Composita, Pulvis Kino cum Opio to 
Fulvis Kino Composita, and Tinctura Camphorae cum Opio to Tinctura Cam¬ 
phor ce Composita. Changing the name of Calomel has involved an alteration 
in the names Pilula Calomelanos Composita and Unguentum Calomelanos; 
these preparations are now called Filula Hydrargyri Siibchloridi Composita 
and Ungiientuin Hydrargyri Subchloridi. For a like reason Emplastrum 
Lithargyri is altered to Fmplastrum Flumbi. The Infusum Gentianae Com- 
positum of 1864 is now named Mistura Gentiance Composita ; and the Com¬ 
pound Infusion of Gentian of the London Pharmacopoeia is introduced under 
the name Infusum Gentiance Compositum. Thus both preparations have 
become officinal. Linimentum Cantharidis has been changed to Liquor 
Cantharidis, principally, we presume, because it would not admit of being 
rubbed on the skin like other liniments. These are all the changes in no¬ 
menclature which the new Pharmacopoeia will be found to comprise; it will 
be seen that they are by no means numerous, and that they have not been 
made without good warrant. 
In the case of definite chemical compounds, the symbolic formulae repre¬ 
senting their composition are given. Chemical formulae were introduced for 
the first time into the edition of 1864 for the purpose of defining certain sub¬ 
stances, and their use has given rise to considerable discussion. It is well 
known that at the present time the opinions of chemists regarding the con¬ 
stitution of salts, and the combining proportions of the elements, are under- 
