126 
Progress  in  Pharmacy . 
Am.  Jour.  Phariu 
March,  1907. 
(3)  A  solution  of  fatty  acids.  This  will  be  acid  in  reaction  and 
will  be  precipitated  by  the  addition  of  water,  in  which  the  fatty 
acids  are  not  soluble. 
An  examination  of  one  of  these  preparations,  e.  g.y  Waterbury's 
Metabolized  Cod-Liver  Oil,  which,  it  is  claimed,  "  contains  the  me- 
tabolized product  obtained  by  the  action  of  ferments  on  cod-liver 
oil,"  shows  that  it  is  neither  an  emulsion,  a  solution  of  soap,  nor  a 
solution  of  fatty  acids,  and  more  careful  analysis  shows  that  it  con- 
tains no  fat  or  fat  acids  (except  the  merest  traces).  No  intelligent 
physician  should  be  misled  by  the  extravagant  and  unfounded  claims 
made  for  this  preparation. 
Hagee's  Cordial  of  Cod-Liver  Oil  is  a  representative  of  a  class  of 
preparations  which  claim  to  "  represent  the  oil,  but  contain  no  fat," 
and  are  therefore  practically  worthless.  The  claims  of  therapeutic 
value  for  such  preparations  can  not  be  substantiated.  Some  such 
remedies  are  advertised  as  extracts  of  cod-liver  oil,  when,  in  fact, 
they  are  made  from  cod  livers,  but  not  from  cod-liver  oil.  These 
preparations,  if  honestly  made,  might  be  worthy  of  a  trial,  but  they 
are  not  preparations  of  cod-liver  oil,  and  should  not  be  so  termed. 
So  far  as  we  know,  however,  no  satisfactory  evidence  is  forthcoming 
that  such  extractives  have  any  therapeutic  value. 
The  attempt  to  modify  cod-liver  oil  for  therapeutic  purposes  may 
be  pronounced  a  failure  and  the  large  variety  and  extensive  sale  of 
these  preparations  appear  to  be  owing  to  the  fact  that  physicians, 
do  not  recall  the  ordinary  facts  of  chemistry,  but  accept  too  readily 
the  statements  of  the  manufacturers. 
PROGRESS  IN  PHARMACY. 
A  QUARTERLY  REVIEW  OF  SOME  OF  THE  MORE  IMPORTANT  ADVANCES 
IN  PHARMACY  AND  MATERIA  MEDICA. 
BY  M.  I.  WII3ERT, 
Apothecary  at  the  German  Hospital,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
The  Food  and  Drugs  Act,  June  jo,  icjo6,  continues  to  be  the 
leading  topic  for  discussion  in  pharmaceutical  journals  and  in  phar- 
maceutical circles  generally.  In  many  of  the  larger  cities  special 
meetings  have  been  held  at  which  the  probable  effect  of  the  law, 
