Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June, 1877. 
Editorial. 
33 1 
use  the  "  Pharmacopoeia,"  physicians  as  well  as  pharmacists,  should  have  a  weighty 
and  controling  influence  in  its  revision.  The  plan  suggested  by  Mr.  Taylor  (see 
page  294)  leaves  the  final  revision  to  a  larger  Committee  appointed  for  that  purpose, 
and  we  think  that  it  could  likewise  be  made  to  work  satisfactorily.  We  do  not  be- 
lieve that  the  revision  could  be  accomplished  by  occasional  meetings,  if  the  committee 
was  to  be  appointed  so  as  to  secure  a  fair  representation  of  all  sections  of  our  coun- 
try;  the  members  would  either  have  to  be  placed  so  as  to  be  able  to  leave  their 
homes  for  the  place  of  meeting  of  the  committee,  and  there  to  devote  all  their 
time  to  the  revision  of  the  "Pharmacopoeia;"  or  what  appears  to  us  to  be  the  more 
practicable  course,  the  labor  of  the  Executive  Committee  residing  at  and  near  the 
place  of  meeting,  should  be  at  once  communicated  to  every  member  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  Revision  for  their  critical  examination  This  would  be,  substantially^ 
equivalent  to  the  course  of  the  preceding  plan,  inasmuch  as  the  members  of  the 
Committee  would  doubtless  be  selected  from  the  delegates  of  those  societies  who 
have  actually  gone  to  the  trouble  of  the  preliminary  revision  of  the  "  Pharmaco- 
poeia," and  could,  whenever  desirable,  consult  the  society  in  whose  name  they  act. 
Both  plans  avoid  that  centralization  of  power  which  is  likely  to  produce  unsatis- 
factory results,  such  as  in  our  opinion  might,  on  close  analysis,  be  expected  if  Dr. 
Squibb's  plan  was  followed.  This  does  not  contemplate  the  active  co  operation  or 
physicians  and  pharmacists  5  or  if  it  seeks  it,  will  most  likely  not  obtain  it,  because 
the  voice  of  these  bodies  or  their  representatives  will  have  no  direct  bearing  upon 
the  construction  of  the  "  Pharmacopoeia."  It  is  indeed  a  delegation  of  almost 
absolute  power  to  a  few,  and  a  plan  admirably  adapted  to  secure  a  local  "  Pharma- 
copoeia "  for  the  whole  country,  or  as  it  has  been,  privately  at  least,  stated,  a  one 
man's  "  Pharmacopoeia,"  secured  through  the  preponderating  influence  of  one  indi- 
vidual. 
We  do  not  claim  originality  for  either  of  these  plans.  They  are  simply  modifi- 
cations, adapted  to  our  country,  of  the  plan  followed  in  the  creation  of  the  "Swiss 
Pharmacopoeia,"  or  at  the  present  time,  in  the  elaboration  of  an  appendix  to  the 
French  Codex,  containing  the  formulas  and  processes  for  new  medicaments.  In 
both  cases  the  formulas  have  been  published  as  fast  as  selected,  so  as  to  secure  the 
critical  examination  of  the  largest  possible  number  before  their  final  adoption. 
We  believe  that  all  who  feel  interested  in  a  good  and  complete  "  Pharmacopoeia," 
should  feel  themselves  indebted  to  Dr.  Squibb  for  the  candor  with  which  he  has 
brought  up  this  important  subject;  although  we  believe  many  of  his  reasonings 
faulty,  and  his  conclusions  objectionable,  yet  we  have  to  thank  him  for  having 
aroused  the  attention  of  the  medical  and  pharmaceutical  professions  to  the  great 
importance  of  the  work  entrusted  to  their  care. 
The  following  communication,  referring  to  the  same  subject,  was  received  after 
the  above  was  in  type  j  it  comes  from  a  medical  gentleman,  at  present  residing  in 
New  Hampshire. 
Tfi  the  Editor  of  the  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy  : 
Sir — Referring  to  the  able  review  of  this  subject  by  Mr.  Alfred  B.  Taylor,  in  your  May  issue,  T 
respectfully  submit  the  following  as  covering  the  objectionable  features  in  the  plans  already  suggested  : 
"That  the  National  Convention  for  the  revision  of  the  U.  S  Pharmacopoeia  shall  be  composed  of 
one  delegate  from  each  State  medical  society  represented  in  the  American  Medical  Association,  one 
