i a  Changes  in  Formulas  of  Galenicals.  {  ArP-  J°ur-  Pnarm- 
t  u  1  K    January,  1917. 
THE  REASONS  FOR  SOME  OF  THE  CHANGES  IN  THE 
FORMULAS  OF  GALENICALS  MADE  IN  THE  NINTH 
REVISION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 
PHARMACOPOEIA.1 
By  George  M.  Beringer,  Ph.M. 
Compliance  with  the  legal  standards,  if  there  was  no  other  rea- 
son, would  necessitate  a  study  of  the  changes  made  in  the  Ninth  Re- 
vision of  the  Pharmacopoeia.  As  my  assignment  in  the  symposium 
of  this  evening  has  been  restricted  primarily  to  Extracts,  Fluid- 
extracts  and  Tinctures,  I  will,  necessarily,  limit  my  remarks  very 
largely  to  the  changes  made  in  the  formulas  for  certain  of  these 
galenical  preparations.  To  the  pharmacists,  these  are  of  the  first 
importance  and  the  users  of  the  book  should  certainly  understand 
why  the  changes  have  been  made. 
While  the  reasons  for  some  of  the  changes  may  be  apparent,  the 
writer  is  aware,  from  the  criticisms  and  queries  propounded,  that 
the  reasons  for  many  of  these  are  not  generally  understood.  Hence, 
it  appears  that  this  phase  of  the  subject  is  worthy  of  special  con- 
sideration and  that  an  explanatory  paper  on  pharmacopceial  changes, 
even  though  it  may  sound  elementary  to  some  of  my  hearers,  may 
not  be  an  undesirable  subject  to  present  to  this  audience  and,  at  the 
least,  it  may  be  of  some  assistance  to  students. 
The  changes  in  the  titles  of  fluidextracts,  extracts  and  tinctures 
have  not  been  very  numerous  or  important.  The  changing  of  the 
title  Fluidextractum  Rhamni  Purshianae  to  Fluidextractum  Cascarae 
Sagradse  was  in  recognition  of  the  almost  universal  practice  of  phy- 
sicians in  using  the  latter  title.  The  custom  of  physicians  in  pre- 
scription writing  not  infrequently  determines  changes  in  pharma- 
copceial titles. 
The  adoption  of  Cardamom  Seed  instead  of  Cardamom  Fruit 
necessitated  a  reduction  in  the  amount  of  Cardamom  directed  in 
several  of  the  formulas,  such  as  Compound  Extract  of  Colocynth, 
and  in  Tincture  of  Cardamom  and  Compound  Tincture  of  Car- 
damom, as  the  inert  capsule  is  eliminated. 
Economic  reasons,  at  times,  have  decided  changes.  An  instance 
of  this  is  seen  in  the  official  oleoresins,  which,  with  the  exception 
1  Read  at  the  meeting  of  the  Philadelphia  Branch  of  the  A.  Ph.  A.,  No- 
vember 14,  1916. 
