REPORT ON THE PHRMACOPCEIA. 
271 
The reasons which have induced this change are set forth 
in their Journal of Amendments, and it is hoped will be found 
sufficiently cogent to induce a concurrence in their views 
by the Committee of the National Convention. The Com- 
mittee also adopted, as a general principle, the removal of 
all substances to the Materia Medica list from the prepara- 
tions which are usually made by the manufacturing chemist 
and not by the apothecary. Among substances thus removed 
are all the essential oils, most of which are imported from 
foreign countries, none of which owe their preparation to the 
apothecary. In determining the botanical nomenclature of all 
plants placed on the officinal list, the Committee have adopted 
as a standard authority the Prodromus of De Candolle, and 
have excluded the references now existing in the Pharma- 
copoeia, many of which were found to be incorrectly ascribed, 
and all of which were deemed unnecessary and superfluous. 
Chemical substances found in the lists, have attached to them 
their appropriate symbolic formulae, as their descriptive phrase, 
derived from the last edition of Turner's Chemistry, which 
indeed has been relied on as the standard of authority of all 
chemical substances and principles contained in the work. 
Governed by the principles above detailed, the Committee 
commenced the revision of the Materia Medica, and after each 
substance had been called up, examined, amended, or removed, 
such new substances also being introduced, as in their own opi- 
nion or from acknowledged authorities appeared to be needed, 
the whole subject was referred to a sub-committee of three, 
carefully to scrutinize, revise and perfect. From this sub- 
committee the amended list came, with its parts reduced to 
symmetry, its excesses lopped off, and its deficiencies sup- 
plied, and after having again been submitted to the ordeal of 
the whole Committee, the list now reported as the Standard 
Officinal List of Materia Medica for the U. S. Pharmacopoeia, 
was adopted. 
The list of indigenous and naturalized plants, having been 
also prepared with equal care, was in like manner adopted. 
