304 
The  Pharmacopceial  Standard. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharni. 
June,  1896. 
Per  Cent, 
KOH. 
October  i,  1895,  fresh  opened  bottle. 
80-95 
80*91 
r  75-35 
J  77-98 
1 76-29 
[77*24 
f  74-96 
1  74-93 
89-60 
J  86-02 
C86-o8 
82-74 
76*50 
October  4,  1895,  different  sticks  of  another  bottle 
December  9,  1895,  new  pound-bottles 
December  10,  1895,  bulk,  thick  sticks  .... 
January  23,  1896,  new  lot,  bulk,  thinner  sticks 
February  20,  1896,  10-pound  can  
February  24,  1896,  sample  
(4)  Caustic  Soda — "  90  per  cent.  NaOH." — U.  S.  P. 
Per  Cent.  NaOH 
October  nth,  from  bulk,  hard  sticks 
October  nth,  same,  soft  surface  .  . 
February  20th,  pound  bottles    .  .  . 
85-54 
82-77 
91-8 
These  experiences  will  tend  to  show  that  manufacturers  of  such 
chemicals  as  caustic  potash,  find  difficulties  in  supplying  products 
which  will  meet  the  requirements  of  the  U.  S.  P.,  or  else  do  not 
wish  to  disturb  the  preparation  demanded  in  trade,  and  are  espe- 
cially indifferent  in  cases  such  as  chlorinated  lime,  where  the  stand- 
ard given  by  the  previous  edition  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  has  been 
raised  in  the  subsequent  edition. 
And  still  another  class  of  variations  should,  in  the  opinion  of  the 
writer,  be  recognized,  notwithstanding  that  in  this  direction  many 
persons  will  assuredly  differ.  A  certain  liberal  allowance  should  be 
made  for  deviations  that  result  in  the  manipulation  of  simple  phar- 
macopceial  preparations.  In  the  opinion  of  the  writer,  apothecaries 
should  not  be  held  to  the  exactness  that  follows  the  manipulation 
of  expert  analysts,  or  men  who  have  every  facility  for  precision. 
Even  such  preparations  as  tinctures,  solutions,  syrups  and  other 
preparations  of  a  similar  nature  made  by  apothecaries  should  be 
permitted  to  vary  within  proper  restrictions.  The  physician  cannot 
prescribe  these  with  any  certainty  when  it  comes  to  distinguishing 
between  the  effects  of  doses  that  vary  in  moderate  amounts,  and 
conditions  exist  in  different  drug  stores  that  render  it  improbable 
in  the  mind  of  the  writer  that  ordinary  care  can  prevent  marked 
variations  from  exact  analytical  standards. 
