636  Editorial  {'^'^D^risS!"'"' 
The  Publication  of  the  Pharmacopceia. — We  have  thus  far  refrained 
from  alluding  to  the  awarding  of  the  contract  for  the  publication  of  the  new 
Pharmacopoeia  in  the  hope  that  something  might  turn  up  which  would 
convince  us  of  the  incorrectness  of  our  views  in  relation  to  the  award. 
Having  waited  in  vain,  we  shall  put  on  record,  as  a  matter  of  history,  the 
facts  in  as  brief  a  manner  as  possible,  and  make  only  such  explanations  a& 
may  seem  to  be  necessary  for  correctly  understanding  the  figures. 
The  Pharmacopoeia  Convention  of  1880  instructed  the  Committee  of  Revi- 
sion to  award  the  publication  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  to  the  publishing  house 
offering  the  terms;  the  committee  to  hold  the  copyright;  the  price  of 
the  book  to  be  limited,  and  the  book  to  be  sold  through  the  ordinary  trade 
channels.  A  sub-committee  on  copyright  was  appointed  by  the  Chairman 
of  the  Committee  of  Revision,  comprising  the  Finance  Committee,  Drs. 
Rob.  Amory,  E.  L.  Wood,  and  Thos.  Doliber,  of  Boston,  and  in  addition, 
Dr.  H.  G.  Piffard,  of  New  York,  and  Dr.  W.  S.  W.  Ruschenberger,  of  Phila- 
delphia ;  the  latter,  for  domestic  reasons,  was  unable  to  attend  the  meetings. 
In  the  draft  of  a  contract  the  clause  "  to  be  sold  through  the  ordinary  trade 
channels"  was  not  inserted,  but  in  its  place  it  was  stipulated  that  the 
market  shall  be  kept  fully  supplied.  Nearly  all  the  members  of  the  com- 
mittee regarded  the  two  sentences  as  equivalent,  and  voted  in  favor  of  the 
draft,  which  also  contained  various  blanks,  one  of  the  most  important  of 
which  was  the  price  at  which  the  book  was  to  be  sold.  The  Committee  on 
Copyright  fixed  the  price  at  $4,  and  invited  bids,  which  were  received  a& 
follows : 
Houghton,  Mifain  &  Co.,  Boston,  royalty  offered,  one-half  the  profits. 
Hall  &  Whiting,  Boston  :  15  per  cent,  on  15,000  copies  in  first  year ;  afterwards  20  per  cent. 
Wm.  Wood  &  Co.,  New  York:  10  per  cent.,  first  year's  guarantee  on  10,000  copies. 
J.  B.  Lippiucott  &  Co.,  Philadelphia:  41  per  cent.,  first  year's  guarantee  on  2,000  copies. 
or  34  per  cent.,    "       "  "  "  5,000  " 
H.  C.  Lea's  Son  <fe  Co.,  "  303^  per  cent.,  "       "  "  "4,000 
P.  Blakiston,  "  26  per  cent.,    "       "  "  "  3,000 
The  sub-committee  awarded  the  contract  to  Wm.  Wood  &  Co.,  and  in 
informing  the  general  committee  merely  stated  the  names  of  the  bidders, 
and  that  the  successful  firm  had  offered  10  per  cent,  royalty,  but  requested 
permission  to  withhold  information  as  to  the  guarantee  for  the  first  year, 
nor  did  they  furnish  any  details  as  to  the  other  bids,  until  after  several 
members  of  the  general  committee  obtained  the  facts  from  the  different 
firms.    The  contract  was  finally  approved  by  the  following  vote : 
Ayes—n.  Amory,  Mass. ;  P.  W.  Bedford,  N.  Y. ;  F.  A.  Castle,  N.  Y. ;  T. 
Dohber,  Mass.;  L.  Johnson,  N.  Y.;  J.  F.  Judge,  O. ;  G.  F.  H.  Markoe, 
Mass. ;  O.  Oldberg,  Mo. ;  H.  P.  Parsons,  N.  Y. ;  H.  G.  Pifiard,  N.  Y. ;  A. 
B.  Prescott,  Mich. ;  C.  Rice,  N.  Y. ;  O.  A.  Wall,  Mo. ;  E.  S.  Wood,  Mass., 
and  T.  F.  Wood,  N.  C— 15. 
Nays—C  L.  Diehl,  Ky. ;  L.  Dohme,  Md. ;  D.  L.' Huntingdon,  D.  C. ;  J. 
M.  Maisch,  Pa. ;  J.  P.  Remington,  Pa.  W.  S.  W.  Ruschenberger,  Pa. ;  E. 
Scheffer,  Ky. ;  A.  B.  Taylor,  Pa.,  and  W.  S.  Thompson,  D.  C— 9. 
Why  the  committee  adjudged  that  particular  bid  to  be  the  best  remains 
a  mystery  to  the  present  day.  It  cannot  be  on  the  ground  of  the  royalty 
offered  for  the  largest  number  of  copies  during  the  first  year ;  for  in  this 
