AmjJu°i"'iS)8frDQ*}     The  Pharmacopoeia  of  Switzerland,  343 
apothecary  shop  have  been  considered.  Thus  the  revision  commis- 
sion thought  it  wise  to  omit  all  polarization  and  refractometer  tests, 
as  it  was  thought  inexpedient  to  compel  the  average  pharmacist  to 
equip  himself  with  the  necessary,  usually  expensive,  apparatus. 
The  permissible  variations  of  these  several  factors  have,  however, 
been  added  in  a  table,  as  an  appendix,  for  the  information  and 
guidance  of  such  dealers,  chemists  and  others  who  may  be  equipped 
with  the  apparatus  necessary  to  make  the  various  determinations  or 
tests. 
The  detailed  classification  of  crystals  has  also  been  omitted  for 
the  reason  that  pharmacists  do  not  usually  have  access  to  a  goni- 
ometer, and  the  commercially  obtainable  crystals  are  seldom  or 
never  perfectly  developed. 
The  history  of  the  Swiss  Pharmacopoeia  is  particularly  interesting 
in  that  it  was  originated  and  developed  by  pharmacists.  The  first 
of  the  distinctly  national  pharmacopoeias  of  Switzerland  was 
published  in  1865  as  a  private  enterprise  of  the  Swiss  Society  of 
Apothecaries.  This  first  edition  of  the  Swiss  Pharmacopoeia  appears 
to  have  been  little  more  than  a  formulary,  and  was  followed  in  1872  by 
a  second  edition,  also  elaborated  and  published  by  the  Society  of 
Apothecaries.  This  book  contained,  in  addition  to  formulas, 
descriptions  of  simples  and  crude  drugs. 
The  second  revision  of  the  Swiss  Pharmacopoeia  was  begun  by  a 
committee  of  five  members,  appointed  by  the  Swiss  Society  of 
Apothecaries  in  1884,  and  was  subsequently  completed  by  an  offi- 
cial Pharmacopceial  Commission  appointed  in  1888. 
This  Commission  consisted  of  twelve  apothecaries,  eight  physicians, 
nine  chemists  and  two  veterinarians,  who  completed  their  work  in 
1893.  The  resulting  pharmacopoeia  was  printed  in  the  three  official 
languages,  German,  French  and  Italian,  and  became  the  official 
standard  in  all  of  the  several  Cantons  but  one — Glarus. 
The  present,  fourth,  edition  of  the  Swiss  Pharmacopoeia  has  been 
revised  by  the  members  of  the  now  existing  official  Swiss  Pharma- 
copceial Commission,  comprising  two  divisions,  medical  and  phar- 
maceutical, subdivided  into  nine  committees,  each  presided  over  by  a 
chairman  directly  responsible  for  the  accuracy  of  the  work  done  by 
his  particular  committee.  This  edition  of  the  Swiss  Pharmacopoeia 
-is  particularly  interesting  in  that  it  is  the  first  to  be  generally 
recognized  by  all  of  the  several  Cantons. 
