REPORT ON THE PHARMACOPOEIA, 
975 
mittee were governed in effecting the revision of the prepara- 
tions. To enable them systematically to promote the detail, 
a regular mode of proceeding was devised, and invested with 
the authority of by-laws for the control of the Committee. 
These by-laws were as follows: 
" In revising preparations, each committee shall be called 
upon for its report, in its proper turn. The preparations 
shall then be taken up in alphabetical order, be discussed, 
amended, and adopted or rejected, 
"The introduction of new preparations shall take place after 
all existing formulae shall have been considered, when the 
Committee will decide what new formulas shall be introduced. 
" New formulae, which may be reported in terms not sym- 
metrical with those of the Pharmacopoeia, shall be recommitted 
to the committee reporting them. The same shall be done 
with any preparation, not reported, in conformity with the 
resolution on that subject. 
"AH reports shall be in writing. 
"It shall require at least two-thirds of the whole Committee 
to alter an)^ amendment, or change any adopted substance 
after it has passed." 
By these self-imposed rules, the Committee was regulated 
during its action upon this branch of the subject, and the 
great despatch and convenience which were found to re- 
sult from the system, thus pre-arranged, fully justified 
the anticipations which had been formed of its effects. It 
will be utterly impossible here to show, how far the princi- 
ples before laid down for the action of the Committee have 
been carried out, as such a detail would require a minute re- 
view, and analysis, of the revised Pharmacopoeia, a comparison 
of all its formulae, with those not only of our own, but the 
English and French authorities, and a complete repetition and 
renewal of the labor through which your Committee has just 
passed. But while such an analysis, and comparison, and re- 
petition are impracticable, by which the fidelity of the Com- 
mittee to the established principles, may be proven; they 
would respectfully again call your attention to the crowd of 
