AmMay?i9(Sfrm'}    Research  in  Manufacturing  Pharmacy.  217 
time  there  was  a  disposition  to  reason  by  analogy  concerning  the 
merits  of  every  new  compound  and  there  has  thus  resulted  confusion. 
"  It  should  be  gratifying  to  the  medical  profession  in  general,  but  especially 
to  the  scientifically  inclined,  to  learn  that  there  are  increasing  evidences  from 
many  quarters  that  new  agents  now  offered  are  submitted  to  a  far  more  critical 
preliminary  test  before  presenting  to  the  profession  for  trial  than  ever  before, 
because  the  profession  is  declining  to  accept  unsupported  overtures.  This  fact 
has  surely  had  a  wholesome  effect  on  those  who  would  press  forward  novelties 
before  establishing  their  worth  on  scientific  lines,  for  a  much  fewer  number  of 
products  have  been  presented  to  the  attention  of  physicians  than  ever  before. 
Those  which  have  come  forward  have  had  much  more  reason  to  exist  and  re- 
ceive attention,  even  though  they  may  finally  fail  to  accomplish  the  promised 
results.  The  profession,  therefore,  is  now  much  more  encouraged  to  take  up 
a  new  agent  when  presented  on  rational  lines." 
While  the  "  Ephemeris  "  by  Squibb  &  Sons  is  almost  entirely  de- 
voted to  a  review  of  the  progress  in  therapeutics,  there  are  some 
statements  of  general  pharmaceutical  interest.  Under  acetic  acid 
the  statement  previously  made  is  repeated,  viz.,  "  that  a  10  per 
cent,  acetic  acid  menstruum  is  quite  the  equal  of  a  41  per  cent, 
alcoholic  menstruum  for  the  extraction  and  preservation  of  the 
medicinal  properties  of  drugs."  Six  other  fluid  extracts  have  been 
experimented  with,  using  acetic  acid  as  a  menstruum.  Among 
these  is  opium,  which  has  been  standardized  to  contain  not  less  than 
13-5  percent,  of  morphine.  "As  a  concentrated  solution  of  opium 
containing  all  the  valuable  medicinal  constituents  without  any  of 
its  nauseating  or  odoriferous  properties,  it  has  much  to  commend 
it  and  deserves  the  attention  of  all  practical  workers." 
The  newest  publication  from  a  manufacturing  house  is  called 
Digest  of  Researches  of  Laboratory  Workers,"  and  is  published 
by  Smith,  Kline  &  French  Co.  It  has  been  edited  by  Joseph  W. 
England,  and  differs  from  the  previous  publications  referred  to,  in 
that  it  consists  almost  entirely  of  abstracts  of  the  published  papers 
of  those  employed  in  the  laboratory  of  this  firm.  The  statement  is 
made  that  upwards  of  200  "  papers,"  embracing  nearly  500  pages 
of  printed  matter,  have  been  published  in  the  various  technical 
journals  by  these  laboratory  workers.  The  range  of  subjects  is 
wide,  including,  besides  the  examination  of  pharmacopceial  drugs, 
curious  oils,  artificial  foods,  chemical  synonyms,  etc.  WThile  some 
of  the  conclusions  in  some  of  the  papers  should  be  criticized  on  the 
basis  of  the  facts  given,  nevertheless,  taking  the  collection  of  papers 
as  a  whole,  they  are  creditable.     This  pamphlet  will  appeal  par- 
