364  Some  Pharmacopeia!  English.       {Am' a™t' iq^?™' 
glass  stoppered  cylinder  previously  rinsed  with  the  ether  under  ex- 
ami-nation."  Does  this  mean  that  the  operation  of  rinsing  the 
cylinder  must  be  under  examination?  If  so,  by  whom?  To  the 
initiated,  of  course,  it  is  plain  that,  with  the  ether,  which  is  being 
tested,  is  meant. 
There  is  one  direction  in  connection  with  the  preparation  of 
liquor  calcis  which  is  destined  to  become  famous :  "  Pour  the  liquid, 
holding  the  undissolved  calcium  hydroxide,  in  suspension,  into  a 
tightly-stoppered  bottle."  Unfortunately,  we  are  not  told  how  this 
difficult  feat  can  be  accomplished.  It  should  read:  into  a  bottle 
capable  of  being  tightly  stoppered. 
The  faulty  construction  is  particularly  noticeable  in  the  defini- 
tions of  many  of  the  newer  drugs  of  animal  origin.  Thus,  hypo- 
physis sicca  is  "the  posterior  lobe  obtained  from  the  pituitary  body 
of  cattle,  cleaned,  dried  and  powdered."  Why  is  it  necessary  to 
clean,  dry  and  powder  the  cattle  in  order  to  obtain  this  small  por- 
tion? Why  not  say,  The  cleaned,  dried  and  pozudered,  posterior 
lobe  of  the  pituitary  body  of  cattle? 
Suprarenalum  siccum  are  "the  suprarenal  glands  of  animals 
used  for  food  by  man,  cleaned,  dried,  free  from  fat,  and  powdered." 
Must  man  suffer  such  torture  in  order  to  be  medicated  with  supra- 
renal glands? 
It  is  also  noteworthy  that  all  the  animals  used  for  food  by  man 
are  included.  Fowl  and  fish  are  animals,  but  a  well-posted  veteri- 
narian informed  the  writer  that  there  is  no  mention  in  the  litera- 
ture of  their  having  suprarenal  glands.  If  they  have  such  glands, 
the  glands  are  not  used  medicinally. 
The  definition  of  thyroideum  siccum  is  constructed  on  similar 
lines :  "  the  thyroid  gland  of  animals,  which  are  used  for  food  by 
man,  freed  from  connective  tissue  and  fat,  dried  and  powdered." 
One  might  imagine  the  horror  in  the  soul  of  a  foreigner,  with  only 
an  academic  knowledge  of  English,  should  he  interpret  this  state- 
ment literally.  What  amazement  would  be  his  at  such  strange 
American  customs ! 
The  directions  for  preparing  albumen  test  solution  read: 
"  Carefully  separate  the  white  of  a  strictly  fresh  hen's  egg  from  the  yolk." 
In  the  directions  for  the  determination  of  the  ash  of  vegetable 
drugs,  the  following  is  given : 
