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EDITORIAL.  PEREIRA  S  MATERIA  MEDICA. 
As  a  general  rule  Dr.  Carson  has  introduced  the  formulas  of  the  United 
States  Pharmacopoeia,  but  many  exceptions  occur.  In  a  number  of  instances 
the  language  of  the  previous  edition,  based  on  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  1840,  has 
not  been  changed  to  accord  with  the  revised  code  of  1850.  For  instance 
the  formulae  for  syrup  of  garlic,  syrup  of  ginger,  stramonium  ointment  and 
syrup  of  ipecacuanha,  are  those  of  1840.  Whilst  the  U.  S.  P.  formulae  for 
compound  resin  cerate,  extract  of  dulcamara,  the  infusions  of  capsicum, 
and  of  ginger,  the  extracts  of  the  juices  of  stramonium,  belladonna, 
hyoscyamus,  aconite  and  conium,  (requiring  the  rejection  of  the  chlorophylle 
and  albumen,),  rosewater  ointment,  (cold  cream,),  extract  of  quassia  and 
rectified  oil  of  amber,  have  been  entirely  omitted. 
The  numerous  formulae  of  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia  to  be  inter- 
polated, the  urgency  of  the  publishers  to  issue  the  work,  too  long  delayed  by 
the  author,  and  the  desire  to  keep  the  size  of  the  book  within  reasonable 
limits,  are  circumstances  which  may  account  for  many  omissions  both  in 
the  American  and  English  editions  ;  and  perhaps  we  are  apt  to  expect  too 
much  from  Editors,  whose  duty,  at  best,  involves  an  amount  of  drudgery, 
unmitigated  by  pride  of  authorship,  known  only  to  those  who  have 
assumed  the  task  of  revision ;  yet  we  cannot  but  regret,  in  view  of  the 
manifest  inefficiency  of  the  English  Editors,  that  the  opportunity  was  not 
seized  upon  to  place  deeply  the  impress  of  American  research  upon  tne 
pages  of  this  great  English  masterpiece  of  materia  medica. 
In  expressing  candidly  our  opinion,  of  the  editorial  labors  of  Drs.  Tay- 
lor, Rees,  and  Carson,  we  acknowledge  no  motives  but  a  deep  interest  in 
the  improvement  of  the  literature  of  the  Materia  Medica,  and  sympathy  for 
the  reputation  of  the  lamented  author,  who,  more  than  any  other  English 
writer  in  the  last  two  decades  of  years,  has  labored  earnestly  and  success- 
fully in  his  favorite  field  of  knowledge ;  and  whilst  we  must  always  regret 
that  he  did  not  live  to  put  the  capping  stone  on  the  structure  he  had  erected, 
and  was  remodeling,  we  freely  admit  that  the  third  edition  of  his  Elements  of 
Materia  Medica,  although  completed  under  the  supervision  of  others,  is  by 
far  the  most  elaborate  treatise  in  the  English  language,  and  will,  while 
medical  literature  is  cherished,  continue  a  monument  alike  honorable  to  his 
genius,  as  to  his  learning  and  industry. 
