Am.  Jour.  Phaim.  1 
March,  1896.  J 
Reviews. 
the  metric  system  in  the  united  states. 
We  have  received  a  communication  from  the  American  Metrological 
Society,  whose  headquarters  are  at  Columbia  College,  New  York,  concerning  a 
bill  which  is  now  before  Congress  for  the  compulsory  introduction  of  the  metric 
system  in  the  United  States. 
The  bill  has  passed  second  reading  in  the  House,  and  has  been  referred  to 
the  Committee  on  Coinage,  Weights  and  Measures.  The  following  is  a  copy  of 
the  bill  : 
"A  Bill  to  fix  the  standard  of  weights  and  measures  by  the  adoption  of  the 
metric  system  of  weights  and  measures. 
liBe  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United 
States  of  America  in  Congress  assembled,  That  from  and  after  the  first  day  of 
July,  1897,  all  the  departments  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States,  in 
transaction  of  all  business  requiring  the  use  of  weight  and  measurement,  shall 
employ  and  use  only  the  weights  and  measures  of  the  metric  system,  as 
legalized  by  Act  of  Congress  approved  July  28,  1866. 
"  SEC.  2.  That  from  and  after  the  first  day  of  July,  1899,  the  metric  system  of 
weights  and  measures  shall  be  the  only  legal  system  of  weights  and  measures 
recognized  in  the  United  States. 
"  Sec.  3.  That  the  tables  in  the  schedules  annexed  to  the  bill  authorizing  the 
use  of  the  metric  system  of  weights  and  measures,  passed  July  28,  1866,  shall 
be  the  tables  of  equivalents  which  may  be  lawfully  used  for  computing,  deter- 
mining and  expressing  in  customary  weights  and  measures  the  weights  and 
measures  of  the  metric  system." 
The  United  States  could  not  take  a  wiser  step  on  this  subject  than  make 
this  bill  a  law.  Unless  some  such  decisive  action  is  taken,  the  country  will 
drag  through  another  century  with  a  system  of  weights  and  measures  which  is 
as  inconvenient  as  it  is  unpractical. 
The  only  way  to  adopt  a  system  like  this  is  to  place  the  weights  and  measures 
in  the  hands  of  those  who  are  to  use  them;  the  whole  thing  then  becomes 
ridiculously  simple. 
Those  who  are  in  sympathy  with  this  movement  should  write  to  the  Hon. 
C.  W.  Stone,  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Coinage,  Weights  and  Measures, 
and  signify  their  approval  of  House  Bill  No.  2,758,  introduced  by  the  Hon.  Mr. 
Hurley. 
THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE  PHILADELPHIA  COLLEGE  OF  PHARMACY. 
Mr.  Howard  B.  French  has  recently  presented  to  the  Library  of  the  College 
some  2,500  volumes  from  the  library  of  the  late  Dr.  Ruschenberger.  This 
magnificent  donation  brings  the  total  number  of  volumes  in  the  Library  up  to 
about  10,000. 
REVIEWS  AND  BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 
Btidorhpa,  or  The  End  of  Earth.  By  John  Uri  Lloyd.  Second  edition. 
The  Robert  Clarke  Company,  Cincinnati,  1896. 
About  four  mouths  ago,  Professor  Lloyd  issued  the  author's  edition  of  this 
book  to  those  who  had  been  so  fortunate  as  to  previously  subscribe  for  it.  He 
soon  found,  however,  that  there  were  a  large  number  of  disappointed  people 
who  had  been  unable  to  secure  copies  of  the  work,  and  that  the  only  recourse 
left  for  him  was  to  issue  a  second  edition.    This  he  has  done,  and  the  result  is 
