^Dec-y'iSo™'}  Resin  of  Podophyllum  and  Podophyllum  607 
recognition  of  that  fact — the  controversy  or  discussion  over  the 
name  was  resuscitated  and  continued  when  the  drug  knocked  at  the 
door  of  the  U.  S.  P.  As  early  as  185 1,  however,1  the  late  Edward 
Parrish  had  recognized  the  advent  of  these  products  (Resinoids  or 
Concentrations)  of"  Eclectic  Pharmacy,"  and  deprecated  their  names. 
He  said  :  "  As  well  might  the  Calisaya  Extract  of  Ellis  be  called 
quinia  as  the  impure  resinoid  substance  precipitated  from  a  tincture 
of  mayapple,  by  the  above  process,  podophyllum"  This  argument, 
however,  failed  to  impress  either  the  makers  or  consumers  of 
" Podophyllin"  and  when  it  became  officinal  in  the  United  States 
Pharmacopoeia  (i860)  as  "  Resina  Podophylli  "  the  title  of  the  com- 
mercial drug  remained  unchanged.  This  fact  was  commented  upon 
by  Dr.  Squibb,  in  1868.2  He  considered  it  "  unfortunate  that  those 
whose  aim  should  be  to  give  accuracy  and  precision  to  matters  con- 
nected with  medical  science  and  art  should  so  commonly  refuse  to 
this  substance  its  proper  and  correct  name,  and  adhere  to  the  inac- 
curate and  otherwise  objectionable  name  of  podophyllin."  He 
severely  criticised  the  names  affixed  to  the  class  (Resinoids  or  Con- 
centrations) of  which  Podophyllin  was  a  member,  stating  that  the 
termination  in  was  "  applied  to  this  and  other  substances  by  the 
Eclectics  through  ignorance  of  its  true  nature.  It  is  a  resin  proper," 
he  continued,  "  and  there  seems  no  good  reason  for  miscalling  it  by 
an  incorrect  name  which  has  attained  an  equivocal  popularity,  and 
the  common  pronunciation  of  which  is  so  vulgar  and  inelegant." 
Notwithstanding  this  stinging  criticism,  supported  indirectly  by 
the  writings  of  other  talented  and  enthusiastic  leaders  who,  in  regu- 
lar medicine  and  in  pharmacy,  confined  themselves  to  the  officinal 
appellation,  and  threw  their  influence  in  the  direction  of  the  name 
that  was  accepted  without  question  as  being  the  only  scientific  and 
proper  one,  little  impression  seems  to  have  been  made  on  either 
those  who  manufactured  or  consumed  the  drug.  The  United  States 
Pharmacopoeia,  in  each  subsequent  revision,  has  made  the  name 
"Resina  Podophylli"  officinal;  the  influence  of  the  majority  of  the 
instructors  has  been  continuously  added  thereto ;  but  with  so  little 
effect,  that  in  commerce  when  the  drug  is  specified,  and  when  it  is 
prescribed  by  physicians,  the  appellation  is  usually  podophyllin. 
1  Am.  Jour.  Pharm.,  1851,  p.  329. 
3  On  the  Preparation  and  Use  of  Resin  of  Podophyllum,  Am.  Jour.  Pharm.,. 
1868,  p.  1. 
