THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
MAY,  i8go. 
STANDARDIZED  PREPARATIONS. 
By  H.  H.  Rusby,  M.  D. 
In  accordance  with  the  kind  invitation  of  the  editor  of  this 
journal,  and  with  the  assurance  that  the  discussion  is  to  be  conducted 
in  a  manner  befitting  the  importance  and  dignity  of  the  subject,  I 
offer  my  last  suggestions  previous  to  the  meeting  of  the  Convention 
on  the  subject  of  the  extension  of  standardization  in  the  next  edi- 
tion of  the  Pharmacopoeia,  directing  attention  particularly  to  the 
effects  of  standardization  upon  the  business  of  the  retail  pharmacist. 
Such  extension  must  depend  upon  the  will  of  the  physicians  of 
the  United  States.  Whether  the  conclusion  is  or  is  not  satisfactory 
to  anyone  concerned,  it  is  indisputable  that  if  the  physicians  of  the 
country  desire  standardized  preparations,  and  anyone  is  ready  to 
furnish  such  preparations,  they  will  have  them.  The  conclusion 
seems  unavoidable  that  such  is  their  desire.  The  use  of  standard- 
ized preparations  is  not  an  untried  experiment.  They  have  been 
used  by  many  physicians  with  such  satisfaction  that  there  is  a  grow- 
ing call  for  them,  and  we  cannot  escape  the  conviction  that  the 
demand  will  shortly  become  general.  Just  how  strong  is  this  feel- 
ing at  the  present  time  cannot  be  determined  until  the  voice  of  the 
physician  is  heard  upon  the  floor  of  the  Convention.  But  if  my 
impression  is  correct,  then  it  can  be  set  down  as  a  fact  that  standard 
ized  preparations  of  such  drugs  as  admit  of  standardization  are  going 
to  be  very  generally  prescribed  before,  one-half  of  the  next  decade 
shall  have  passed  away.  If  pharmacists  do  not  blind  themselves  to 
this  fact,  they  will  be  compelled  to  ask  the  question  that  naturally 
arises,  "  Shall  we  furnish  these  preparations  ?"  What  else,  let  us 
ask,  can  they  do  ?    Which  way  will  their  decision  most  certainly 
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