86 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
"i    February,  1902. 
the  use  of  the  "  micrometer  ocular  "  for  measuring  starch  and  aleu- 
rone  grains.  The  series  of  chemical  tests  usually  include  assay 
processes  for  ipecac,  cinchona,  hydrastis  and  nux  vomica,  and  also 
the  determination  of  the  saponification  and  iodine  numbers  of  fixed 
or  fatty  oils. 
The  Deutschen  Apotheker-Verein  published  during  the  year  its 
"  Homeopathic  Pharmacopoeia."  This  book  was  published  by  the 
society  with  a  view  of  securing  greater  uniformity  in  homeopathic 
preparations.  It  has  not  been  officially  recognized  by  the  Imperial 
Government  nor  any  of  the  smaller  states  outside  of  Prussia  and 
Wurtemberg.  Dr.  William  Schwabe  has  also  published  a  new  edi- 
tion of  his  "Homeopathic  Pharmacopoeia."  As  might  be  expected, 
there  is  considerable  difference  of  opinion  between,  the  followers  of 
Schwabe  and  the  Society  of  Apothecaries  as  to  which  book  is  the 
more  reliable  and  trustworthy  interpreter  of  homeopathic  principles. 
The  eighth  edition  of  the  "  Swedish  Pharmacopoeia  "  (Svenska 
Farmakopen)  has  recently  come  from  the  press.  This  is  the  first 
revision  of  this  book  since  1879,  and,  as  may  be  expected,  the  book 
presents  many  marked  changes.  Following  the  example  set  by 
other  leading  works  of  this  kind,  the  text  of  the  book  is  in  the  ver- 
nacular, while  the  titles  of  the  various  articles  are  in  Latin.  The 
work  appears  to  be  thoroughly  up  to  date,  and  includes  among 
other  innovations  qualitative  and  quantitative  chemical  tests  for 
digitalis,  cinchona,  opium,  belladonna,  hyoscyamus,  lobelia,  ipecac, 
and  nux  vomica.  The  essential  or  volatile  oils  have  had  consider- 
able attention,  and  a  variety  of  tests  are  given  for  possible  adulter- 
ations. For  the  fatty  oils  the  saponification  and  iodine  numbers  are 
given.  The  drugs  of  animal  origin  are  restricted  to  wax,  lard,  sper- 
maceti, and  suet.  An  innovation  for  this  pharmacopoeia  is  the  intro- 
duction of  fluid  extracts. 
At  the  end  of  the  work  appear  various  appendices,  including 
lists  of  the  reagents  mentioned  in  the  text,  maximum  doses  of 
potent  remedies,  atomic  weights  (O  —  16)  and  two  indexes.  One  of 
these  tables  deserves  particular  attention  :  it  is  a  maximum  dose-list 
of  active  drugs  for  domestic  animals  ;  it  includes  thirty-five  titles  of 
drugs  and  preparations  and  the  maximum  doses  for  horses,  cattle, 
sheep,  swine  and  dogs. 
The  "  Swiss  Pharmacopoeia  "  is  undergoing  a  revision,  and  the 
revision  committee,  consisting  of  eleven  members,  five  apothecaries, 
