120  New  Italian  Pharmacopoeia.  j 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
March,  1910. 
C    May,  1908  June.  1908  Good  0.26  Gm.  in  100  c.c. 
Jan.,  1909  Poor 
D    June,  1909  July,  1909  Good  0.55  Gm.  in  100  c.c. 
Alcoholic-drug  Dec,  1908  Good  0.56  per  cent, 
extract 
Glycerin-drug  Dec,  1908  Very  0.09  per  cent, 
extract  poor 
The  preparations  were  considered  of  "  poor  "  quality  when  they 
required  a  25  to  50  per  cent,  increase  in  the  dose  to  produce  the 
characteristic  reaction  of  a  preparation  passed  as  "  good."  Each 
preparation  was  tested  in  duplicate,  using  two  roosters  and  using 
the  roosters  for  only  one  test.  The  samples  marked  alcoholic  and 
glycerin-drug  extract,  were  prepared  and  used  for  comparison  of 
alcoholic  and  glycerin  menstruums  as  reported  by  me  in  a  paper 
published  in  the  Amer.  Jour.  Pharm.,  81,  p.  85,  Feb.,  1909. 
While  no  previous  assays  of  benzol  extract  were  made  on  the 
samples,  it  is  of  interest  to  note  that  they  contain  a  proportional 
lower  amount  of  extract  according  to  their  age.  It  is  also  noted 
that  the  preparations  after  eight  months'  aging  required  larger 
doses  to  produce  the  desired  action  upon  the  cock's  comb. 
Analytical  Department, 
Schieffelin  &  Co.,  New  York. 
THE  NEW  ITALIAN  PHARMACOPOEIA. 
By  M.  I.  Wilbert,  Washington,  D.C. 
Farmacopea  Ufficiale  del  regno  d'ltalia,  terza  edizione,  is  the 
official  title  of  the  new  Italian  Pharmacopoeia  bearing  the  imprint: 
"  Roma  Tipografia  delle  Mantellate,  1909,"  and  advertised  to  sell 
for  Lire  5  (about  one  dollar). 
Coming  as  this  book  does  shortly  before  the  convening  of  our 
own  Pharmacopoeial  Revision  Convention,  a  review  of  some  of 
the  more  characteristic  features  may  perhaps  be  of  interest  as 
suggestions  for  innovations  to  avoid  or  to  adopt. 
The  book  is  printed  in  Italian  with  Latin  sub-titles  and  con- 
tains a  total  of  xiv  and  452  pages,  8vo.  As  a  pharmacopoeia  it 
contains  an  innovation  in  the  shape  of  an  "  Elenco "  containing 
descriptions  of  proprietary  preparations,  including  a  total  of  91 
