4SimbeJbi899m"}      Some  Phavmacopceial  Problems.  561 
ter  known  to,  or  "  more  popular  "  with,  the  physician,  unless  it  is 
made  worth  his  while  to  consult  it.  To  restore  the  Pharmacopoeia 
to  its  former  status  among  medical  men  is  a  task  which  requires 
their  co-operation  in  this,  that  the  next  Committee  of  Revision  may 
be  authorized  to  give  the  average  doses  in  connection  with  the 
several  drugs  and  preparations.  It  may  be  taken  for  granted  that 
the  Committee  will  exercise  its  best  judgment  in  arranging  this 
part  of  the  text  so  that  no  harm  can  result  to  either  profession. 
The  pharmacist,  particularly  at  his  prescription  counter,  also  often 
has  occasion  to  look  for  precisely  the  same  information  that  the 
physician  wants  and,  knowing  that  he  would  look  for  it  in  vain  in  the 
Pharmacopoeia,  he  at  once  consults  some  other  work  of  reference, 
preferably  one  which  will  give  him  at  the  same  time  all  other 
needed  information  regarding  physical  or  chemical  properties,  solu- 
bilities, incompatibilities,  etc.  Is  it  to  be  wondered  at  that  the 
Pharmacopoeia  is  not  a  "  popular  "  book  among  pharmacists  ? 
As  to  the  so-called  Newer  Remedies,  and  more  particularly  the 
"  patented  "  synthetics,  a  curious  anomaly  may  be  observed  in  the 
position  taken  with  reference  to  them  by  many  physicians,  who  in 
theii  daily  practice  freely  prescribe  such  as  trional,  sulfonal,  phena- 
cetin  and  others,  and  who  treat  of  them  and  advocate  them  in  their 
medical  writings  and  even  on  the  lecture  platform,  yet  who  are  dis- 
inclined to  vote  for  their  admission  into  the  Pharmacopoeia.  This  may 
be  regarded  as  an  ethical  riddle.  If  the  Pharmacopoeia  is  to  be  gradu- 
ally purged  of  old  and  useless  drugs  and  preparations,  and  not  to  be 
brought  up  to  date  by  the  introduction  of  the  newer  drugs  of  recog- 
nized value  used  universally  by  the  medical  profession,  it  might 
just  as  well  remain  unrevised  and  go  out  of  existence.  Medical  and 
pharmaceutical  schools  have  for  a-  number  of  years  past  found  it 
necessary  to  supplement  the  official  series  of  remedies  from  other 
text-books.  The  time  might  eventually  arrive  when  the  Pharma- 
copoeia would  cease  to  be  of  service  even  as  a  text-book  in  schools. 
In  view  of  all  this  it  can  hardly  be  doubted  that  the  next  Decennial 
Convention  will  authorize  the  new  Committee  of  Revision  to  intro- 
duce into  the  Pharmacopoeia  such  of  the  Newer  Remedies — irre- 
spective of  any  consideration  of  patent  rights,  etc. — as  shall  be  found 
worthy  of  a  place  therein.  It  will  not  be  very  difficult  to  decide 
their  respective  merits,  because,  if  the  following  conditions  are  ex- 
acted in  every  case,  the  number  that  will  deserve  consideration  will 
