364  Pharmacy  of  British  Pharmacopoeia,    {A™ag°T  fms™' 
corresponds  closely  to  the  tincture  of  iodine  of  the  international 
agreement.  The  tincture  of  iodine  of  the  British  Pharmacopoeia  of 
1898  contained  only  2.5  Gm.  each  of  iodine  and  potassium  iodide 
per  100  millilitres ;  hence  this  is  now  to  be  known  as  the  "  weak." 
Important  changes  in  the  strength  of  41  preparations  have  been 
made.  The  reason  for  many  of  these  is  apparent ;  for  some,  however, 
the  reason  is  hot  evident.  The  endeavor  to  harmonize  the  potent 
galenicals  with  the  standards  of  the  international  agreement  accounts 
for  the  changes  in  syrup  of  ferrous  iodide,  a  number  of  the  tinctures, 
and  in  mercury  ointment. 
Syrup  of  ferrous  iodide  contains  5, per  cent,  of  ferrous  iodide  and 
10  per  cent,  of  glucose  as  a  preservative. 
Tincture  of  aconite  is  about  twice  as  strong  as  that  of  the  Pharma- 
copoeia of  1898,  and  is  directed  to  be  made  with  70  per  cent,  alcohol 
and  then  assayed  and  standardized  so  that  100  mils,  contain  0.04  Gm. 
of  the  ether-soluble  alkaloids.  This  formula  agrees  in  the  menstruum 
with  that  directed  by  the  Brussels  protocol,  but  starts  with  150  Gm. 
of  aconite,  yielding  doubtless  a  good  preparation,  and  it  would  be 
difficult  to  establish  that  it  is  "  approximately  the  same  strength  as 
the  tincture  of  aconite  of  the  international  agreement." 
Tincture  of  belladonna  is  to  be  made  by  percolating  100  Gm. 
of  the  powdered  leaf  with  70  per  cent,  alcohol,  and  in  addition  is 
standardized  to  contain  0.035  Gm.  of  the  alkaloids  in  100  millilitres. 
Tinctures  of  colchicum  and  digitalis  likewise  agree  closely  with 
the  requirements  of  the  protocol. 
Tincture  of  nux  vomica  is  to  be  made  from  the  liquid  extract  by 
diluting,  and  is  standardized  so  that  100  millilitres  contain  0.125  Gm. 
of  strychnine. 
Tincture  of  opium  is  made  from  the  gum  opium  and  standardized 
so  that  100  millilitres  contain  1  Gm.  of  anhydrous  morphine.  The 
product  will  correspond  to  the  international  agreement  in  alkaloidal 
(not  alcoholic)  content,  and  will  be  about  one-third  stronger  than 
the  laudanum  of  the  previous  edition. 
In  tincture  of  strophanthus  we  have  a  straddle.  In  attempting  to 
comply  with  the  requirement  of  the  protocol,  100  Gm.  of  ground  seeds 
and  70  per  cent,  alcohol  are  directed,  but  the  de- fatting  of  the  drug 
with  ether  is  prescribed.  The  footnote  states  that  "  this  tincture  is 
made  with  four  times  the  proportion  of  seeds  ordered  by  the  previous 
pharmacopoeia,  and  it  is  approximately  the  same  strength  as  the 
tincture  of  the  international  agreement."    This  formula  is,  how- 
