200 
ON IMPORTATIONS OF IODINE. 
gress. The standards of purity in medicinal preparations 
recognised by the statute, are those established by the 
various pharmacopoeias and dispensatories; construed by 
the circular instructions of (he Department of July 8th, 
1S4S, to intend in the case of such preparations — "the 
pharmacopoeia and dispensatory of the country of their 
origin" respectively. As the only importations under the law 
(as has already been mentioned) have been of British 
iodine — manufactured exclusively at Glasgow, the only 
legitimate authority by which the Examiner is to be gov- 
erened is of course the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia. This 
work unfortunately assigns no distinct degree of impurity 
as the limit of goodness. It recognises ** the almost uniform 
presence of water in commercial iodine," and its consequent 
unsuitableness " for making preparations of uniform 
strength," and lays down certain directions for drying it, 
" till it scarcely adheres to the inside of a dry bottle 
giving thereby a sanction to an article of considerable 
dampness, and by its direction to the pharmaceutist, a clear 
implication that he may have occasion to use it. From the 
fact that "pure iodine, diffused in water, forms a clear 
solution with a certain proportion of quick- lime," the 
pharmacopoeia has also given a method of detecting its 
moisture, when it exceeds two per cent. 
In the absence of any more direct standard, as well as of 
any specific regulations or instructions, it is not surprising 
that on a subject based ultimately on grounds of general 
expediency, there should have been a difference of opinion 
among the Examiners. However to be expected, such di- 
versity was doubtless much to be regretted, as interfering 
materially with both the estimation and the efficiency of 
the law. Finding that the practice at different ports had 
been marked by considerable discrepancy, and having no 
decisive rule by which to act, the Examiner at Philadel- 
phia could only exercise his best judgment, guided by the 
opinions of those on whose experience and information he 
could most rely. 
