274 
Editorial. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharru. 
1       June,  1900. 
thinks  it  a  cyclic  compound,  and  notes,  as  a  striking  reaction,  the 
blue  color  produced  when  it  is  treated  with  glacial  acetic  acid,  an 
iron  salt  and  sulphuric  acid.  No  other  observed  sugar  gives  this 
reaction. 
Digitoxigenin  forms,  with  concentrated  hydrochloric  acid,  a  char- 
acteristic anhydride,  which,  on  oxidation  with  chromic  acid,  yields 
a  ketone. 
Digitalin  (C35H53014)  hydrolyzes  to  digitaligenin  (C22H30O3),  digi- 
talose  (C7H1405)  and  dextrose.  Discussing  Adrian's  statement 
(Nouv.  Rem.,  1897,  7%)  tnat  tne  French  digitalin  (Nativelle)  is 
identical  with  digitoxin,  the  author  finds  that,  while  closely  simi- 
lar, they  are  not  identical.  H.  V.  A. 
EDITORIAL. 
THE  U.  S.  PHARMACOPCEIAL  CONVENTION. 
In  another  part  of  this  Journal  is  given  a  concise  account  of  the 
salient  features  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  National  Convention  of 
1900  for  revising  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia.  There  are 
several  features  of  the  Convention  which  may  be  gleaned  by  read- 
ing between  the  lines  of  the  account  of  the  Proceedings  which  are 
worthy  of  mention,  at  least,  at  this  time.  One  of  these  features  is 
the  universal  appreciation  of  the  services  of  those  who  have  con- 
tributed to  the  success  of  the  previous  editions  of  the  Pharma- 
copoeia. The  resolution  of  appreciation  of  the  eminent  services 
rendered  to  pharmacy  and  medicine  by  Dr.  E.  R.  Squibb  was  only 
equalled  by  the  intense  pleasure  of  the  members  upon  hearing  the 
message  read  by  the  President  that  the  crisis  in  the  illness  of  Dr. 
Charles  Rice  was  passed,  and  that  he  would  continue  as  Chairman 
of  the  Committee  of  Revision.  These  were  little  things  apparently, 
and  yet  who  will  doubt  but  that  they  were  the  greatest  encomiums 
that  could  be  given  those  whose  labors  have  been  characterized  by 
unselfish  devotion  to  the  professions  of  medicine  and  pharmacy,  and 
whose  reward,  in  a  measure,  must  consist  in  such  expressions  fiom 
representative  bodies  of  this  kind  ? 
Another  feature,  notwithstanding  the  nearly  uniform  representa- 
tion of  the  medical  and  pharmaceutical  societies  (fifty-seven  to 
fifty-nine)  as  at  the  last  revision  (fifty-four  to  fifty-four),  was  the 
