258  Solution  of  Chlorinated  Soda,  \^'z^;vm£va' 
sion  shall  or  shall  not  comply  with  the  instructions  of  the  body  to  whose 
action  they  owe  their  existence,  and  whose  mandates  they  were  created  to  put 
into  execution. 
While  the  process  of  revision  has  been  actively  progressing,  an 
important  movement  for  an  International  Pharmacopoeia  of  potent 
remedies  met  in  Brussels  in  1903,  and  drew  up  a  schedule  of 
strength  for  "  Medicaments  Heroique."  As  it  is  most  desirable 
that  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia  should  act  in  harmony  with 
this  body,  and  thus  in  time  bring  about  international  uniformity, 
the  strengths  of  some  of  the  important  galenical  and  pharmaceuti- 
cal preparations  in  the  new  Pharmacopoeia  will  be  changed ,  for 
instance,  tincture  of  aconite  will  be  reduced  to  10  per  cent,  in 
strength,  syrup  of  ferrous  iodide  will  be  reduced  one-half  to  5  per 
cent.,  while  other  minor  changes  will  be  made.  The  International 
Congress  adopted  the  standards  of  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia 
lor  arsenical  liquids,  namely,  I  per  cent. 
In  conclusion,  it  may  be  said  of  the  new  Pharmacopoeia  that 
while  it  contains  a  number  of  what  may  be  called  innovations, 
these  have  not  been  inserted  without  weighty  reasons,  and  for  the 
purpose  of  representing  the  spirit  of  progress  which  must  ever  re- 
main the  principal  reason  for  revision.  A  consideration  of  the 
amount  of  labor  made  necessary  by  the  principles  above  outlined 
should  go  far  to  account  for  the  delay  of  one  year  in  issuing  the 
book. 
SOLUTION  OF  CHLORINATED  SODA. 
By  H.  V.  Arny  and  J.  F.  Wagner. 
Noting  that  samples  of  this  official  solution  prepared  by  the  class 
in  practical  pharmaceutical  chemistry  invariably  proved  deficient  in 
chlorine  when  assayed,  the  writers  undertook  an  investigation  of 
the  causes  leading  to  this  deficiency,  the  object  first  sought  being  to 
learn  whether  the  manufacture  of  the  small  quantity  assigned  to  each 
student  (100  grammes  finished  solution)  was  a  source  of  error, 
whether  the  manufacture  of  1,000  grammes  would  yield  a  stronger 
product. 
A  preliminary  analysis  of  the  method  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  of 
1890  revealed  at  least  one  fault  to  which  deficiency  of  chlorine  con- 
tent of  the  finished  prcduct  is  due. 
