192  Drug  and  Food  Inspection  Decisions.     { AmAprUn,"i907^rrn* 
DRUG  AND  FOOD  INSPECTION  DECISIONS. 
NATIONAL  FORMULARY  APPENDIX. 
The  National  Formulary  is  one  of  the  standards  recognized  under 
the  law.  The  question  has  been  asked  a  number  of  times  whether 
the  appendix  of  this  authority  would  be  construed  as  part  and  parcel 
of  the  book  itself.  On  page  IV  of  the  preface  it  is  distinctly  stated 
that  the  formulae  collected  in  the  appendix  of  the  National  Formu- 
lary are  "  no  longer"  designated  as  4  N.  F.'  preparations."  This  shows 
that  these  formulae  are  not  integral  parts  of  the  book  under  the  law, 
which  covers  only  those  products  of  the  National  Formulary  recog- 
nized as  such  by  this  authority.  By  this  it  is  understood  that  if  a 
drug  product  is  sold  under  a  name  contained  in  the  appendix  of  the 
National  Formulary,  it  will  not  be  necessary  for  such  product  either 
to  conform  to  the  standard  indicated  by  the  formula  or  to  declare 
upon  the  label  its  own  standard  strength,  quality,  and  purity  if  a 
different  formula  is  employed  in  its  manufacture.  Such  articles  are, 
however,  subject  to  the  law  in  every  other  respect,  as  is  the  case  of 
other  medicinal  products  not  recognized  by  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia 
or  National  Formulary. 
James  Wilson, 
Secretary  of  Agriculture. 
Washington,  D.  C,  March  13,  1907. 
DECLARATION    OF    THE    QUANTITY  OR    PROPORTION  OF  ALCOHOL 
PRESENT  IN   DRUG  PRODUCTS. 
The  question  of  stating  the  percentage  of  alcohol  present  in  drug 
products  has  caused  a  multitude  of  inquiries.  The  following  ques- 
tions along  this  line  serve  as  examples  : 
"  Is  it  necessary  to  give  the  amount  of  alcohol  present  in  U.  S. 
Pharmacopceial  or  National  Formulary  products  ?  It  seems  to  me 
that  such  a  requirement  is  absurd,  and  not  contemplated  within  the 
spirit  of  the  act.  None  of  them  are  patent  medicines.  Will  I  be 
compelled  to  tell  how  much  alcohol  is  present  in  such  goods?" 
"  If  we  apply  for  and  obtain  a  serial  number,  must  we  in  addition 
to  putting  this  number  on  our  labels  state  the  per  cent,  of  alcohol  ? 
"  Will  it  be  necessary  to  give  the  per  cent,  of  alcohol  present  in 
such  products  as  ether,  chloroform,  collodion,  spirit  ot  nitrous  ether, 
and  similar  preparations  ?" 
