236 
Editorial. 
[Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
V       April,  19 1 8. 
munications  have  appeared  in  the  pharmaceutical  journals  advocat- 
ing substitutes  for  alcohol,  glycerin  and  sugar  directed  as  solvents 
and  vehicles  in  formulas  of  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia  and  the  Na- 
tional Formulary.  While  appreciating  the  spirit  actuating  the  propo- 
sitions, we  cannot  believe  that  the  conditions  in  the  United  States 
either  now  or  in  the  future  are  likely  to  be  comparable  with  those 
existing  in  England  regardng  the  substances  named.  The  amount  of 
alcohol,  glycerin  and  sugar  used  in  medicines  is  but  a  very  small  por- 
tion of  that  produced  and  this  bears  but  a  small  ratio  in  comparison 
with  the  amount  consumed  in  other  industries  of  far  less  importance 
to  human  welfare.  Consequently,  based  upon  relative  importance, 
the  formulas  of  the  official  preparations  should  be  altered  only  for 
improvements  or  in  case  of  such  absolute  necessity  for  conserving 
the  basic  solvents  as  we  trust  never  will  exist. 
The  formulas  of  the  U.  S.  P.  and  the  X.  F.  are  based  upon 
many  experiments  and  in  some  cases  tests  of  therapeutic  activity 
and  permanency  of  preparation  extending  over  years  and  before  ad- 
vocating changes  in  these  we  should  be  very  certain  that  the  alter- 
natives proposed  will  yield  not  preparations  appearing  similar  in 
viscosity,  color  or  taste  but  that  these  will  be  of  equal  stability  and 
therapeutic  activity.  The  reduction  of  the  amount  of  alcohol  below 
what  has  been  determined  by  such  careful  experimentation  as  neces- 
sary for  exhaustion  of  a  drug  or  the  preservation  of  its  prepara- 
tions will  result  in  less  stable  and  efficient  products.  The  substitu- 
tion of  diluted  commercial  glucose  for  syrup  made  from  cane  sugar 
is  likewise  questionable  as  the  proneness  of  glucose  solutions  to  un- 
dergo fermentation  is  well  unkown  and  moreover  it  is  doubtful  if 
such  a  change  would  prove  to  be  acceptable  to  consumers  or  any  real 
economy  at  the  present  value  of  starch  and  materials  made  there- 
from. There  can  be  no  economy  in  unstable  formulas  with  the  at- 
tending waste  and  danger  of  contamination. 
We  are  impressed  with  the  fact  that  many  of  the  suggestions 
made  have  not  been  tried  out  practically  and  appear  to  be  largely 
academic.  Wherein  is  the  economy  in  using  "powdered  glucose" 
or  "saccharin"  in  place  of  sugar?  Consistent  conservation  must 
consider  the  possibility  of  obtaining  the  substitute  as  a  generally 
distributed  article  of  merchandise  and  that  its  use  would  be  a  real 
economy. 
We  are  not  prepared  to  believe  that  tragacanth  paste  or  irish 
moss  jelly  flavored  by  the  addition  of  chloroform  are  acceptable 
