380  EDITORIAL. 
and  it  is  proposed  to  obtain  an  act  of  Parliament  rendering  the  use  of  the 
new  Pharmacopoeia  obligatory  on  all  engaged  in  the  preparation  of  medicines, 
for  regular  practitioners,  within  the  British  Empire. 
In  regard  to  the  numerous  changes  in  the  strength  of  preparations  con- 
sequent on  a  fusion  of  the  three  British  Pharmacopoeias,  the  committee 
deem  it  necessary  "  to  publish  a  warning  to  all  pharmaceutic  chemists 
and  druggists,  that,  on  the  publication  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  it  will 
be  impossible  for  them  to  discharge  their  duties  to  the  public  safety 
unless  they  destroy  or  alter  all  pharmaceutic  preparations  they  may  have 
in  store  which  have  been  made  according  to  present  formulae,  and  the 
strength  of  which  is  altered  in  the  new  Pharmacopoeia.  And  a  further 
caution  must  be  given  to  all  medical  practitioners,  that  it  will  be  hazardous 
for  them  to  exercise  their  profession  without  making  themselves  acquainted 
with  all  changes  made  in  the  strength  of  officinal  preparations,  which 
changes  will  be  carefully  noticed  under  each  article." 
It  is  greatly  to  be  desired  that  this  work  should  be  published  early, 
that  our  own  revised  Pharmacopoeia,  which  is  rapidly  being  fitted  for  the 
press,  may  be  benefitted  by  any  valuable  suggestions  it  may  offer,  and  may 
be  modified  in  those  instances  where  important  preparations  of  the  same 
name  may  vary  but  slightly  from  that  authority. 
Prices  of  Drugs  and  Chemicals  at  the  South. — The  following  letter 
from  Dr.  Bache,  Surgeon  of  General  Butler's  Expedition,  to  the  Editor, 
was  received  just  as  we  were  going  to  press,  and  is  inserted  here  as  a  curious 
matter  of  history.  It  is  presumed  that  the  prices  mentioned  have  refer- 
ence to  Confederate  notes,  and  not  to  U.  S.  Currency. 
Head  Quarters,  Department  of  Gulf,  June  12th,  1862. 
My  dear  Sir, — You  have  probably  heard  many  wild  stories  concerning 
the  prices  of  drugs  lately  sold  in  this  city  (New  Orleans.)    As  an  inter- 
esting piece  of  information,  I  have  taken  care  to  get  at  the  truth,  and  en- 
close the  statement  to  you: 
Chloroform  per  pound         .  .         .     24.00  dollars. 
Opium  u       tt  m 
Calomel        "       "  . 
Mass  Pil.  Hydrargyri,  per  pound,  . 
Magnesias  Sulphas  " 
Ether  "  "  . 
Alum  "  " 
Potassii  Iodidum  " 
Tannin  u  .40  to  50.00  u 
Sulphate  of  quinia  per  ounce  .  10.00  u 
Sulphate  of  morphia    "       .  .  16.00  " 
Castor  oil  per  gallon  .         .  12.00  u 
One  apothecary  told  me  he  is  sure  there  was  plenty  of  quinia  sulph. 
in  the  Confederacy,  about  4500  ounces.  That  he  knew  of  one  person 
who  recently  had  about  1000  ounces. 
The  prices  above,  refer  to  the  period  before  our  arrival. 
Yours  truly,  T.  H.  Bache. 
35.00 
6.00 
6.00 
0.75 
2.50 
0-75 
20.00 
