Amjune,r'x8P77arm  }  Proposed  Change s  in  the  Pharmacopoeia.  285 
paths  of  discovery  ;  it  should  gather  up  and  hoard  for  use  what  has 
been  determined  to  be  positive  improvement,  without  pandering  to 
fashion  or  to  doubtful  novelties  in  pharmaceutical  science," 
Dr.  Squibb's  main  plea  for  this  innovation  is  the  value  which  such 
an  "  Ephemeris  "  or  "  Fasciculus  " — if  ably  edited,  would  have  to  the 
physician  and  the  apothecary.  u  My  impression  is  that  such  a  book  as 
that,  would  be  really  more  useful  both  to  medicine  and  pharmacy,  than 
the  Pharmacopoeia  as  it  is.  The  Pharmacopoeia  would  still  be  essential 
and  indispensable,  because  it  is  the  standard  ;  but  for  obtaining  current 
information,  a  work  such  as  the  book  I  have  described  would  be  more 
useful  to  physicians  and  to  the  pharmacist  than  the  Pharmacopoeia 
itself.  Prom  it  could  be  obtained  information  quite  inappropriate  to  a 
a  standard  Pharmacopoeia."  (p.  21.) 
There  appears  to  be  here  some  confusion  of  idea.  The  u  utility  " 
of  a  Pharmacopoeia  is  remote  and  consequential  :  the  ultimate  utility 
to  the  professions  of  a  common  and  uniform  standard  of  reference. 
The  u  utility  "  of  practical  manuals  of  medicine  and  pharmacy — recent 
and  thorough,  is  immediate  and  absolute  :  the  utility  to  individuals  of  a 
trustworthy  source  of  progressive  information  and  instruction.  The 
two  are  entirely  incommensurable.  We  might  as  well  attempt  to  com- 
pare the  relative  values  of  a  lexicon  and  a  grammar. 
The  unquestionable  utility,  then,  of  such  an  annual  resume  of  the 
Progress  of  Pharmacy,  constitutes  no  reason  for  associating  this  work 
with  the  Revisers  of  the  Pharmacopoeia.  Rather  should  such  a  con- 
tribution furnish  the  extraneous  material,  supplied  by  diligent  and  un- 
connected investigators,  upon  which  the  revising  tribunal  is  called  in 
proper  time,  to  sit  in  independent  and  impartial  judgment.  Such  an 
annual  history  and  epitome  has  for  years  past  furnished  a  very  consider- 
able and  valuable  portion  of  the  published  "  Proceedings "  of  the 
American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  And  in  this  body  and  in  its 
congener,  the  American  Medical  Association,  (its  elder  brother)  can 
such  "Fasciculi"  be  best,  be  most  skilfully,  be  most  appropriately 
gathered  and  bound  into  a  sheaf.  It  is  believed  that  such  a  work,  pub- 
lished at  cost,  under  the  joint  auspices  of  the  two  Associations,  and 
under  the  inspiration  of  a  generous  emulation,  would  supply  to  the 
medicinal  professions  a  Guide,  fully  realizing  Dr.  Squibb's  ideal  of  an 
annual  Ephemeris  of  Pharmacology. 
The   project  above   animadverted  upon  appears  to  be  partly  based 
