june,-^?95b^^^''"  }  Revision  of  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia.  383 
a  generous  sacrifice  of  time  and  energy  usually  transferred  from 
more  remunerative  work. 
The  most  unthinking  criticism  in  connection  with  pharmacopoeial 
revision  is  usually  directed  at  this  matter  of  time  taken  to  revise 
the  work.  It  generally  originates  in  quarters  where  unfamiliarity 
with  the  problem  is  the  principal  asset  of  the  critic.  So  far  as  any 
specific  reasons  may  be  given  for  the  long  period  consumed  in  the 
revision  of  the  U.  S.  P.  IX,  it  may  be  stated  primarily  that  this 
was  the  first  complete  revision  of  the  work  after  the  passage  of  the 
Food  and  Drugs  Act,  giving  it  authoritative  legal  standing,  and,  in 
consequence  of  this  fact,  every  standard,  every  phrase,  had  for  the 
first  time  in  the  history  of  a  revision  to  be  so  carefuly  framed  as  to 
afford  no  loop  hole  for  evasion  by,  or  escape  of  an  adulterator  on  the 
ground  of  indefiniteness.  American  lawyers  must  be  extraordinarily 
keen  or  most  be  more  in  the  habit  of  interposing  technical  objec- 
tions or  raising  technical  points  of  interpretation  than  are  the  law- 
yers of  other  countries,  for  forms  and  procedures  which  appear  to 
be  perfectly  practical  in  the  pharmacopoeias  of  many  other  nations 
were  objected  to,  criticised  and  revised  until  our  present  United 
States  Pharmacopoeia  seems  to  some  to  be  overbalanced  in  the  direc- 
tion of  academic  preciseness  and  to  have  lost  something  of  the 
spontaneity  and  practicality  of  some  of  the  earlier  editions.  This 
may  all  be  necessary  and  unavoidable,  but  the  present  Convention 
and  the  incoming  Committee  of  Revision  should  not  lose  sight  of 
the  fact  after  all  that  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia  should  be  a 
practical  guide-book  first  and  a  law-book  next.  The  European 
war,  which  began  just  as  the  revision  was  nearing  completion, 
brought  new  problems  to  be  solved  and  new  difficulties  to  confront 
the  revisers,  and  this  influence  was  also  of  a  nature  to  retard  the 
progress  of  the  work. 
Some  questions  consumed  much  time  in  discussing  and  were 
finally  decided  adversely,  so  far  as  admission  was  concerned.  Among 
these  were  the  following : 
The  inclusion  of  a  table  of  antidotes. 
The  introduction  of  a  standard  medicine  dropper. 
The  publication  of  ethical  rules  for  guidance 
of  physicians  and  pharmacists  in  their  relation  to 
each  other  and  to  the  public. 
The  admission  of  whisky  and  brandy. 
The  rules  of  procedure  entitle  every  member  to  a  reasonable 
