ON  THE  REVISION  OF  THE  U.  S.   PHARMACOPOEIA.  59 
should  be  added  until  the  alcohol  retains  a  brown  color  after 
shaking  and  digestion.  Transfer  the  contents  of  the  bottle  to  a 
paper  filter,  and  when  the  colored  alcohol  has  drained  off  wash  the 
iodide  with  the  remainder  of  the  alcohol,  and  dry  it  by  a  gen- 
tle heat.    The  yield  is  ten  hundred  and  sixty-two  grains. 
It  is  thought  that  the  simplicity  and  convenience  of  this  for. 
mula  adapt  it  better  to  the  practice  of  the  pharmaceutist  than 
any  yet  tried,  whilst  it  yields  a  preparation  not  inferior  to  that 
of  the  officinal  formula. 
Morphice  Sulphas. 
Upon  a  comparison  of  the  medicinal  activity  of  this  prepara- 
tion as  made  by  the  officinal  formula,  and  as  found  in  the  market 
from  the  largest  manufacturers,  it  becomes  evident  that  a  much 
larger  dose  of  the  latter  is  required  to  produce  similar  effects. 
This  same  deficiency  in  the  commercial  preparation  is  indicated 
by  the  circumstance  that  of  late  years  very  much  larger  doses 
are  commonly  prescribed.    The  dose  indicated  by  authoritative 
works  on  therapeutics  is  one-sixth  to  one-third  of  a  grain,  this 
being  medicinally  equivalent  to  one  and  two  grains  of  opium. 
But  whilst  opium  itself  has  been  reduced  in  medicinal  value 
by  the  various  new  expedients,  such  as  yolks  of  eggs,  &c,  till 
the  effective  dose  has  been  very  materially  augmented,  sulphate 
of  morphia  is  now  rarely  prescribed  in  less  than  quarter  grain 
doses,  often  in  doses  of  three  quarters  of  a  grain,  and  some- 
times in  one  grain  doses,  to  obtain  its  legitimate  sedative  effect ; 
and  this  exclusive  of  those  cases  wherein,  from  habitual  use  or 
idiosyncrasy,  large  quantities  are  required.  There  must  be  some 
reason  for  this,  and  the  subject  is  referred  to  in  order  to  suggest 
investigation  and  research.    The  author  having  made  no  re- 
search, must  rest  satisfied  with  stating  the  fact,  upon  his  own 
and  his  professional  friends'  observation,  that  the  preparation  of 
the  Pharmacopoeia  is  more  active  than  that  of  commerce  ;  and 
farther,  that  he  believes  that  the  deficiency  of  the  latter  in  ef- 
fective value  is  not  due  to  fraudulent  admixture  or  adulteration, 
but  to  faulty  manipulation,  whereby  a  portion  of  soluble  but  in- 
ert, and  for  the  most  part  uncrystallizable  matter,  is  entangled 
in  the  crystals  with  the  mother  liquors,  and  dried  and  sold  with 
them,  thus  increasing  the  percentage  yield.  Within  the  past  seven 
