274  Descriptions  of  Crude  Drugs 
chemical  estimation  is  out  of  question,  and  only  qualitative  tests 
and  the  microscopical  appearance  of  cells  and  the  cell  contents  are 
available,  by  means  of  which  we  may  recognize  this  drug  or  any  of 
its  possible  adulterations. 
These  six  drugs,  picked  at  random  from  those  contained  in  the 
Pharmacopoeia,  illustrate  very  well  the  needs  and  shortcomings  of 
the  present  descriptions  of  vegetable  drugs.  What  is  true  of  these 
is  true  of  almost  every  one  of  the  organic  drugs  used  or  sold  in  the 
apothecaries'  shop  at  the  present  time. 
While  the  present  Revision  Committee  has,  no  doubt,  given  con- 
siderable  time  and  thought  to  a  consideration  of  the  needs  and 
necessities  of  the  coming  edition  of  the  Pharmacopoeia,  and  has  also 
considered  the  advisability  of  including  descriptions  of  powdered 
drugs,  its  members  will  hardly  be  willing  to  make  any  radical  inno- 
vations, however,  unless  they  feel  that  these  changes  are  needed 
and  desired  by  a  fair  majority  of  the  people  for  whom  the  Pharma- 
copoeia is  intended.  Therefore,  it  remains  for  the  individual  phar- 
macist to  recognize  the  importance  and  the  necessity  of  his  being- 
able  and  willing  to  take  advantage  of  any  possible  chance  of 
improving  the  professional  side  of  his  calling,  unless,  of  course,  he  is 
willing  to  degenerate  more  and  more  into  being  a  vendor  of  some- 
body else's  pharmaceutical  specialties  and  other  so-called  patent 
medicines. 
The  Pharmacopceial  Revision  Committee  will,  no  doubt,  give  us 
the  kind  of  book  we  ask  for.  The  members  composing  that  com- 
mittee are  not  alone  eminently  practical,  but  they  are  also  scientific- 
ally able  to  give  us  a  book  that  will  compare  favorably  with  any 
that  has  been  published  in  Europe  during  the  past  five  years,  and  it 
is  quite  safe  to  say  that  they  are  willing  to  incorporate  the  most 
desirable  and  practical  information  in  the  coming  edition  of  the 
United  States  Pharmacopoeia. 
What  should  be  done,  however,  is  that  the  rank  and  file  of  the 
pharmaceutical  profession  recognize  the  necessity  of  making  scien- 
tific progress  and  demonstrate  their  willingness  to  adopt  and  to 
further  elaborate  any  improvements  in  their  official  standard.  A 
step  in  the  right  direction  will  be  taken  if,  at  the  coming  meetings 
of  local,  state  or  national  associations,  the  members  of  the  pharma- 
ceutical profession  will  declare  their  willingness  to  adopt  a  pharma- 
copoeia that  will  include  reliable  and  up-to-date  tests  for  articles  of 
f  Aru.  Jour.  Pharm 
I       June,  1902. 
