586 
Pharmaceutical  Colleges,  etc. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pha 
\     Dec.  1, 1874 
himself  as  agreeing  in  principle  with  the  names  as  suggested  by  Prof.  Attfield, 
and  adopted  in  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia. 
Professor  Attfield  read  a  paper  on  the  same  subject,  in  which  the  chemical 
nomenclature  of  the  modern  pharmacopoeias  is  briefly  reviewed,  and  the  adop- 
tion advocated  of  a  nomenclature  reflecting  modern  unitary  ideas,  and  not  the 
old  binary  or  dualistic  hypotheses  ;  he  likewise  expresses  himself  in  favor  of  the 
basylous  constituent  of  the  salt  being  placed  first  in  the  name.  Speaking  of 
the  different  systems  in  the  chemical  nomenclature  of  pharmacopoeias,  the 
following  names  are  given  as  synonyms,  all  based  upon  the  unitary  system  : 
Nitras  potassicus,  Nitras  potassii,  Nitras  kalicus,  Nitras  kalii,  Potassium  nitri- 
cum,  Kalium  nitricum,  Kalii  nitras  and  Potassii  nitras.  For  an  Internationa- 
Pharmacopceia  the  author  advocates  for  the  heading  the  adoption  of  two  sysl 
terns  of  chemical  names,  to  be  placed  alongside  of  each  other  as  being  of  equal 
value,  namely,  the  system  adopted  in  the  United  States,  and  that  of  the  Aus- 
trian (which  to  some  extent  is  also  that  of  the  German)  Pharmacopoeia;  thus, 
Ammonii  chloridum  vel  Ammonium  chloratum  ;  Potassii  acetas  vel  Kalium 
aceticum  ;  Quinise  sulphas  vel  Chinium  sulphuricum,  etc.  A  general  alteration 
in  the.  whole  nomenclature  is  not  believed  to  be  acceptable  to  the  general 
bodies  of  medical  practitioners  and  pharmacists. 
In  the  interesting  discussion  which  followed,  Professor  Redwood  expressed 
very  similar  views;  Mr.  Groves  was  in  favor  of  the  nomenclature  of  the  Ger- 
man, Mr.  Ince  preferred  that  of  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia;  Mr.  Mar- 
tindale  spoke  against  the  Berzelian  nomenclature  as  headings,  though  he  fav- 
ored it  as  synonyms.  Mr.  Bland  considered  the  discussion  premature ;  but 
Mr.  Sutton  stated  that  the  whole  question  of  an  International  Pharmacopoeia 
was  open  for  discussion  and  would  remain  so  for  a  long  time,  the  Pharmaceu- 
tical Congress  probably  not  meeting  for  four  or  five  years. 
Mr.  Arthur  W.  Postans  read  a  paper  entitled  "  Suggestive  Notes  on  the 
Pharmacy  of  Amorphous  Phosphorus,"  in  which  this  substance  is  recommended 
as  preferable,  at  least  from  a  pharmaceutical  standpoint,  to  the  administration 
of  ordinary  phosphorus  in  the  usual  way.  During  the  discussion  Prof.  Red- 
wood stated  that  an  emulsion  of  phosphorated  oil,  made  with  yolk  of  egg, 
syrup  and  chloroform  water,  to  which  afterwards  a  little  liquor  potassse  is 
added,  will  keep  for  several  months,  and  is  a  very  elegant  preparation.  The 
phosphorus  pill  mass  of  the  British  Pharmacopoeia,  made  by  liquefying  under 
hot  water  and  mixing  two  grains  of  phosphorus  with  120  grains  of  tolu  balsam, 
and  then  incorporating  60  grains  of  yellow  wax,  will  keep  well  under  water, 
and  if  made  into  pills  with  some  powdered  soap,  will  afterwards  readily  disin- 
tegrate in  water  and  consequently  dissolve  in  the  stomach. 
Mr.  Martindale  prefers  for  a  phosphorus  pill  a  mass  recommended  by  him 
in  1870,  and  which  is  made  by  dissolving  phosphorus  in  cacao  butter;  this,  by 
a  skilful  dispenser,  may  be  easily  rolled  out  into  pills,  which  may  be  varnished, 
when  they  will  keep  unaltered,  but  still  dissolve  readily  at  a  low  melting 
point. 
Pharmaceutical  Society  of  Paris. — M.  Regnauld  presided  at  the  meeting 
held  October  7th.    Amongst  the  contributions  to  the  cabinet  was  a  sample  of 
