386  Treatment  of  Contusions  and  Wounds.  {Am^|usM?o2rm' 
and  that  customers  prefer  the  kind  made  of  the  strength  of  one 
ounce  in  the  gallon,  and  besides  it  is  cheaper.  It  is  needless  to 
refer  in  extenso  to  the  various  excuses  which  are  given  for  not 
adhering  to  the  Pharmacopoeia.  But  it  may  be  said,  "  Has  not  the 
advance  in  pharmaceutical  knowledge  shown  that  many  improve- 
ments can  be  made  in  the  processes,  and  can  I  not  take  advantage 
of  these  improvements  ?  "  The  answer  which  can  be  made  to  this 
is,  that  first  it  must  be  proved  absolutely  that  it  is  an  improvement, 
and  produces  a  finished  product  identical  with  that  of  the  Pharma- 
copoeia, for  physicians  have  a  right  to  demand  that  official  prepara- 
tions must  be  uniform  throughout  the  country.  It  cannot  be  urged 
with  propriety  that  a  so-called  "  improved  "  preparation  is  made 
according  to  the  U.S.  Pharmacopoeia ;  but  of  course,  if  it  is  not  claimed 
to  be  made  according  to  the  Pharmacopoeia,  or  dispensed  or  sold 
as  such,  and  the  doctor  or  customer  is  not  misled,  there  can  be  no 
fault  found  with  the  procedure.  But  the  writer  earnestly  deprecates 
the  habit  which  many  fall  into  of  systematically  replacing  and 
cheapening  pharmacopceial  products,  and  defending  this  course  of 
action  by  various  excuses  which  are  often  absurd  and  irrational, 
when  the  real  reason  is  that  a  greater  profit  is  made  by  such  devia- 
tions from  this  standard. 
The  query  is  therefore  answered  by  saying  that  pharmacists,  in 
making  official  preparations,  should  always  follow  out  the  rules  laid 
down  in  the  Pharmacopoeia,  exceptions  being  made  only  where  some 
error  has  been  found,  which  renders  the  following  out  of  the  rule  an 
impossibility. 
THE  TREATMENT  OF  CONTUSIONS  AND  WOUNDS  BY 
THE  APOTHECARY.1 
By  Clement  B-.  Lowe. 
It  is  hardly  necessary  to  argue  the  question  whether  this  work 
should  be  done  by  the  apothecary  or  not.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  there 
are  times  when  it  will  be  thrust  upon  him  by  the  absence  of  the 
physician.  If  he  is  competent  to  do  this  work  in  an  intelligent 
manner  his  reputation  will  be  greatly  enhanced  thereby. 
1  Read  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Pennsylvania  Pharmaceutical  Associa- 
tion, June,  1902 
