350         Changes  in  United  States  Pharmacopeia.  {An\J™r^h„arm- 
efficiency  of  the  products  is  in  evidence  throughout  the  U.  S.  P. 
IX.  As  examples,  chloroform  water,  creosote  water,  orange  flower 
water  and  rose  water  are  directed  to  be  prepared  with  recently 
boiled  distilled  water. 
In  aqua  hamamelidis,  the  impractical  and  inaccurate  formula 
of  the  U.  S.  P.  VIII  has  been  omitted.  The  production  of  this 
preparation  can  not  be  undertaken  by  the  pharmacist  and  it  can 
only  be  carried  on  as  a  commercial  operation  in  favorable  localities. 
The  Pharmacopeia  has  rightly  eliminated  the  process  and  standard- 
ized the  product  so  far  as  possible  and  supplied  appropriate  tests 
for  adulterants. 
The  readiness  with  which  the  public  accepts  and  the  drug  trade 
adapts  itself  to  the  legal  pronouncements  of  the  pharmacopeia  has 
been  shown  by  the  universal  acceptance  of  the  official  standard  for 
poison  tablets  of  corrosive  sublimate.  The  prompt  disappearance 
from  the  drug  stores  of  the  formerly  extensively  used  white  disk 
shape  of  sublimate  tablets  has  minimized  the  danger  of  accidental 
poisoning  from  this  source,  which  was  for  a  time  so  prolific  of 
fatalities. 
The  number  of  cerates  has  been  reduced  from  six  to  three  and 
the  formulas  of  two  of  these  retained  are  notably  improved.  The 
U.  S.  P.  VIII  directed  20  per  cent,  of  white  petrolatum  to  be  used 
in  the  formula  for  cerate.  Petrolatum  in  this  mixture  of  wax  and 
lard  did  not  prove  to  be  satisfactory  or  yield  a  uniform  smooth 
product;  hence,  the  return  in  the  formula  to  white  wax  and  benzoin- 
ated  lard  was  decided  upon. 
In  the  U.  S.  P.  VIII  formula  for  cantharides  cerate,  the 
powdered  cantharides  was  directed  to  be  macerated  "in  a  warm 
place  for  forty-eight  hours  with  the  liquid  petrolatum."  Liquid 
petrolatum  is  not  a  good  solvent  for  cantharidin  and  no  attempt 
was  made  by  this  formula  to  liberate  the  combined  cantharidin  or 
to  obtain  the  maximum  effect  from  the  cantharides  used.  In  the 
improved  formula  of  the  ninth  revision  glacial  acetic  acid  is  directed 
to  liberate  the  cantharidin  and  likewise  to  aid  in  its  solution  in  the 
turpentine.  The  formula  is  very ,  satisfactory  and  with  good  can- 
tharides will  yield  an  efficient  epispastic. 
In  cantharidal  collodion,  we  note  another  improved  formula 
based  upon  our  knowledge  of  cantharides  and  the  proper  solvents 
for  its  constituents.  In  the  U.  S.  P.  VIII  formula  for  this,  the 
cantharides  was  directed  to  be  exhausted  with  chloroform  and  the 
