Am.  Jour.  Pharro.\ 
September,  1908.  ) 
United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 
431 
not  proven  successful,  and  as  physicians  persist  in  prescribing  these 
under  the  name  of  Cascara  Sagrada,  there  appears  to  be  no  reason 
why  our  Pharmacopoeia  should  not  follow  the  example  of  some  of 
the  other  national  pharmacopoeias  and  Latinize  the  title  of  Cascara* 
If  the  Pharmacopoeia  is  to  be  consistent  throughout  and  eliminate 
as  an  official  title  Cascara  Sagrada,  then  other  titles  such  as  Cusso 
should  likewise  be  changed  to  the  botanical  name  of  the  plant 
source. 
On  the  Admission  of  a  Drug  Without  Introducing  a  Preparation 
Thereof. — A  rule  should  be  established  that  a  drug  that  is  not 
administered  either  in  its  natural  state  or  pulverized  or  in  the  form 
of  an  infusion  or  decoction  should  not  be  admitted  into  the  Pharma- 
copoeia without  a  formula  for  the  preparations  in  which  it  is  com- 
monly exhibited.  This  would  have  either  excluded  Sabal  or  made 
the  inclusion  of  formulas  for  fluidextract  and  tincture  necessary. 
Gossypii  Cortex  is  commonly  administered  either  as  fluidextract  or 
as  solid  extract,  yet  no  preparation  is  given. 
Staphisagria  is  rarely  used  as  a  fluid  extract  but  is  quite  commonly 
used  as  a  tincture,  yet  a  formula  for  the  former  is  given  and  the 
latter  omitted. 
Drugs  of  Animal  Origin. — While  the  official  definitions  of  the 
drugs  of  vegetable  origin  very  generally  give  the  origin  and  family 
according  to  the  latest  botanical  classification,  the  reverse  appears 
when  we  examine  the  definitions  given  for  drugs  of  animal  origin. 
Here  we  note  that  the  zoological  classifications  are  generally 
omitted.  Uniformity  of  style  and  the  same  careful  method  ot 
description  should  characterize  the  treatment  of  the  drugs  derived 
from  both  kingdoms. 
Cera  Flava  is  described  as  "  A  solid  substance  prepared  from  the 
honeycomb  of  the  bee,  Apis  Mellifera  Linne."  A  more  correct 
definition  would  be  M  A  natural  secretion  forming  the  wall  of  the 
honeycomb  of  the  hive  bee  Apis  Mellifera  Linne  (Order  Hymen- 
opterd)  purified,  after  removing  the  honey,  by  melting  with  water, 
separating  and  straining." 
Cantharis. — This  should  be  accompanied  by  an  assay  process, 
and  the  percentage  of  active  principle  fixed  within  reasonable  limits 
attainable  in  commerce. 
Alcohol  Content  of  Official  Preparations. — The  National  Food  and 
Drugs  Act  and  many  of  the  State  laws  recently  enacted  on  the  sub- 
