Am  Jour.  Pbarm.\ 
March,  1904.  j 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
How  the  better  class  of  English  pharmacists  feel  about  the  coming 
revision  of  their  national  standard,  is  evidenced  by  a  paper  on 
"  The  British  Pharmacopoeia,"  by  J.  W.  Turner  (Phar.  Jour.,  1 904, 
page  96).  This  writer  not  only  recommends  that  the  General  Medi- 
cal Council  adopt  the  metric  system  only,  in  the  formulas  of  the 
Pharmacopoeia,  but  also  that  the  doses  be  given  in  metric  quantities 
alone. 
The  Bureau  of  Standards  of  the  Department  of  Commerce 
and  Labor,  under  date  of  December  15,  1903,  has  issued  a  circular 
in  reference  to  the  testing  of  clinical  thermometers,  that  will  no 
doubt  be  of  interest  to  such  pharmacists  as  sell  or  handle  these 
very  essential  requisites  for  the  sick-room. 
The  series  of  tests  that  have  been  devised  by  this  bureau  will 
insure  satisfactory  instruments  under  all  conditions,  as  no  thermom- 
eter that  is  defective  or  that  exceeds  the  allowable  limits  of  error 
will  be  given  a  certificate  by  the  Bureau.  The  proposed  charges 
are  quite  reasonable,  and  are  according  to  quantity : 
(1)  In  lots  up  to  8,  each  $  25 
(2)  Any  number  between  8  and  12,  total  fee  '.  ...    2  00 
(3)  In  lots  of  1  dozen  or  over  and  less  than  4^  dozen,  per  dozen  2  00 
(4)  Any  number  between  \l/z  and  6  dozen,  total  fee  9  00 
(5)  In  lots  of  6  dozen  or  over,  per  dozen  1  50 
In  this  connection  it  may  be  of  interest  to  give  some  extracts 
from  a  circular  letter  issued  by  the  bureau,  under  date  of  December 
J,  1903: 
"  The  functions  of  the  Bureau  of  Standards  are  as  follows  :  The 
custody  of  the  standards;  the  comparison  of  the  standards  used  in 
scientific  investigations,  engineering,  manufacturing,  commerce  and 
educational  institutions,  with  the  standards  adopted  or  recognized 
by  the  Government;  the  construction,  when  necessary,  of  stand- 
ards, their  multiples  and  subdivisions;  the  testing  and  calibration 
of  standard  measuring  apparatus ;  the  solution  of  problems  which 
arise  in  connection  with  standards ;  the  determination  of  physical 
constants  and  the  properties  of  materials.  The  Bureru  will  also 
furnish  such  information  concerning  standards,  methods  of  measure- 
ments, physical  constants,  and  the  properties  of  materials  as  may  be 
at  its  disposal,  and  is  authorized  to  exercise  its  functions  for  the  Gov- 
ernment of  the  United  States,  for  State  or  municipal  governments 
