5 16  Revision  of  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia.  {AmN0TNl£arm- 
that  in  the  Linnsean  herbarium  the  names  of  Cerastium  viscosum  and 
C.  vulgatum  were  transposed,  and  that  Linnaeus  Alius  mixed  the 
plants  yielding  Balsam  of  Peru  and  Balsam  of  Tolu.  By  thorough 
study  of  genera  or  orders  by  monographers,  changes  in  accepted 
names  became  necessary.  An  instance  is  found  in  Aloes,  where  the 
studies  of  J.  G.  Baker,  on  Aloinae,  have  made  him  an  authority,  whose 
determinations  are  to  be  accepted.  Changes  are  likewise  necessi- 
tated by  newly-discovered  materials  and  information  regarding  the 
true  source  of  drugs,  especially  if  these  are  obtained  from  countries 
whose  flora  has  been  but  imperfectly  studied.  Examples  of  this  are 
found  in  Illicium,  which  E.  M.  Holmes  proved  to  be  derived  from 
Illicium  verum,  Hook.  fil.  ("see  Pharm.  Journal  and  Transactions, 
August  II,  1888)  and  in  Pernambuco  Jaborandi,  which  the  same 
author  decides  is  from  a  previously  unnamed  species  of  Pilocarpus. 
These  names  are  rightly  adopted  in  the  Pharmacopoeia,  and  it  is  a 
matter  for  congratulation  that  Mr.  Holmes  had  published  this  paper 
on  Jaborandi  before  the  appearance  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  (Pharm. 
Journal  and  Transactions,  June  10,  1893,  p.  1005;  see  also  Amer.  Jour. 
Pharm.,  July,  1893,  p.  351)  so  that  the  (iined"  after  Pilocarpus 
Jaborandi,  Holmes,  on  p.  301,  can  be  eradicated,  as  unpublished 
matter  is  not  accepted  as  authority. 
The  citation  of  authors  might  be  likewise  simplified.  If  the 
authority  of  the  maker  of  the  new  binomial  (or  as  he  has  been 
called  the  synonym  manufacturer  !  is  to  be  accepted,  let  us  be  con- 
tent, for  the  Pharmacopoeia,  with  the  statement  of  such  author's 
name,  which  is  sufficient  to  designate  the  plant  intended.  For  the 
student  of  pharmacy,  Hedeoma  pulegioides,  Persoon,  is  as  good  as 
Hedeoma  pulegioides  (Linne),  Persoon  :  if  Persoon  and  not  Aiton 
(U.  S.  P.,  1 8 So  1  is  author  of  Gelsemium  sempervirens,  then  it  is 
sufficient  to  write  Gelsemium  sempervirens,  Persoon,  not  Gelsemium 
sempervirens  (Linne),  Persoon.  If  O.  Kuntze's  name  is  correct  for 
Sassafras,  why  not  write  Sassafras  variifolium,  O.  Kuntze,  and  not 
Sassafras  variifolium  (Salisbury),  O.  Kuntze?  It  is  to  be  observed, 
that  the  latter  form  continually  implies  the  authority  of  earlier 
botanists  to  names  which  they  would  never  have  accepted.  The  true 
aim  of  science  is  to  simplify  not  to  involve. 
The  changes  in  the  titles  of  official  preparations  are  not  very 
numerous.  In  a  number  of  extracts  and  tinctures  it  has  been 
deemed  advisable  to  designate,  in  the  title,  the  part  of  the  plant  used 
