Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
October,  19 17.  > 
The  War  and  Pharmacy. 
445 
that  the  impending  shortness  of  cotton  would  no  doubt  require  the 
institution  of  some  "  dress-less  "  days. 
And  now  a  few  words  about  pharmacy  in  war  times  in  some  of 
the  countries  of  the  Allies.  The  war  has  brought  to  Russian  phar- 
macists a  realization  of  their  dependence  upon  German  products. 
This  is  shown  by  the  formation  of  a  number  of  new  chemical  and 
pharmaceutical  societies  created  for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing 
pharmaceuticals  formerly  obtained  from  Germany.  In  this  they 
have  been  quite  successful  and  they  are  now  manufacturing  in 
Tomsk,  for  example,  such  preparations  as  xeroform,  airol,  anti- 
febrin,  urotropine,  etc.  There  is  also  a  great  movement  on  foot  to 
cultivate  medicinal  plants,  for  example,  the  castor  bean  in  Selgirka. 
Other  parts  of  Russia  claimed  to  be  suitable  for  drug  cultivation  are 
Crimea,  Turkestan  and  the  Caucasus. 
Of  the  belligerents  which  have  been  in  the  war  for  almost  three 
years,  the  western  group  of  the  Allies,  England  and  France,  have 
been  least  affected,  comparatively  speaking.  The  importation  of 
drugs  into  England  especially  has  been  well  maintained.  This  ex- 
plains the  almost  complete  absence  of  formulae  for  substitutes  in  the 
English  and  French  publications.  In  the  issues  of  the  last  two 
months  there  is,  however,  clear  evidence  that  the  war  is  pinching 
the  English  pharmacist.  The  Army  Council  of  the  English  gov- 
ernment has  taken  possession  of  all  stocks  on  hand  in  a  wholesale 
or  retail  business  in  excess  of  quinine  sulfate,  100  oz.,  quinine  bisul- 
fate,  25  oz.,  quinine  hydrochloride,  25  oz.,  phenacetin,  7  lbs.,  for- 
maldehyde, 10  gallons. 
Trading  in  seeds,  oils  and  fats  is  being  closely  controlled  and 
no  dealing  in  these  substances  is  allowed  except  upon  permission  of 
the  Ministry  of  Munitions. 
Glycerin  is  now  no  longer  available  for  medicinal  purposes  and 
pharmacists  are  requesting  physicians  to  prescribe  glycerin  substi- 
tutes. Glycerin  also  may  no  longer  be  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
soft  gelatin  capsules,  except  in  a  few  specific  cases,  as  apiol,  creo- 
sote, guaiacol  and  a  few  others. 
The  use  of  rice,  wheat  or  rye  flour  in  toilet  preparations  is  pro- 
hibited. 
Another  commodity,  or  better,  necessity,  which  is  now  short  is 
sugar.  Physicians  are  requested  to  no  longer  prescribe  syrups,  and 
pharmacists  are  notifying  their  customers  that  preparations  con- 
taining sugar  will  be  no  longer  available.    I  cite  you  a  letter  of  a 
