Amjuner'i9warm'}     ^ -      Pharmacopceial  Convention.  267 
U.  S.  PHARMACOPCEIAL  CONVENTION  OF  1910. 
The  ninth  decennial  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeial  Convention  convened 
on  the  morning  of  May  10  in  the  large  auditorium  of  the  New 
Willard  Hotel,  Washington,  D.  C.  It  was  a  gathering  represen- 
tative of  the  varied  interests  in  the  professions  of  medicine  and 
pharmacy  and  the  drug  trade  as  well. 
The  Convention  was  called  to  order  by  Prof.  Otto  A.  Wall, 
the  Second  Vice-President,  upon  whom  devolved  the  duties  as 
presiding  officer  owing  to  the  illness  of  the  President,  Dr.  H.  C. 
Wood,  and  the  death  of  the  First  Vice-President,  Prof.  A.  B. 
Prescott. 
Nearly  every  one  present  recognized  that  the  deliberations  of 
the  few  days  furnished  an  opportunity  for  the  expression  of  opinions, 
which  would  not  recur  again  for  ten  years.  Delegates  and  alter- 
nates representing  158  institutions — 80  medical  and  78  pharma- 
ceutical and  chemical  organizations — were  in  attendance.  The  total 
number  of  311  accredited  delegates,  included  140  medical  and  171 
pharmaceutical  and  chemical  representatives.  While  there  may 
be  some  question  as  to  the  limit  and  scope  of  the  U.  S.  Phar- 
macopoeia it  is  quite  certain  that  the  principle  of  general  use  of 
an  article  will  not  be  the  sole  criterion  for  its  admission.  The  last 
ten  years  have  seen  the  recognition  of  a  principle  that  is  surely 
in  the  direction  of  progress.  Ten  years  ago  the  President  of  the 
Convention  stated  that  "  if  powdered  brickdust  was  employed  by 
the  medical  profession  then  it  should  be  admitted  into  the  Phar- 
macopoeia." At  the  Convention  of  1910  the  principle  was  discussed 
that  not  only  must  a  substance  be  in  general  use,  but  that  it 
must  also  have  some  value  as  a  remedial  agent  in  order  to  be 
admitted  into  the  Pharmacopoeia.  After  having  been  acceded  to 
by  a  good  majority  this  principle  was  subsequently,  on  motion  of 
Dr.  Solis  Cohen  and  without  any  additional  discussion,  eliminated 
and  we  believe  that  this  was  due  to  a  misunderstanding  of  the 
purport  of  the  recommendation  from  the  outgoing  Committee  of 
Revision. 
The  address  of  welcome  by  Secretary  Charles  Nagel  of  the 
Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor  was  appropriate  and  indirectly 
suggestive  of  the  motive  and  spirit  which  should  dominate  the  de- 
liberations of  a  convention  which  concerns  the  protection  of  the 
