AmjJu°ne'  mtm' }  Editorial.  3 1 1 
EDITORIAL. 
THE  BRITISH  PHARMACOPOEIA,  1898. 
The  announcement,  that  copies  of  the  new  edition  of  the  British  Pharma- 
copoeia are  about  ready  for  distribution  is  received  with  considerable  interest  by 
the  pharmacists  of  the  United  States  as  well  as  those  in  Great  Britain.  Phar- 
macopoeias reflect  not  only  the  progress  of  medicine  and  pharmacy  in  the 
country  in  which  they  are  published,  but  show  in  a  certain  measure  to  all 
countries  the  present  status  of  these  professions.  The  English  pharmaceuti- 
cal journals  have  contained,  since  January  8th  of  this  year,  many  references 
to  the  new  Pharmacopoeia,  so  that  the  general  principles  of  this  work  are  well 
known.  About  the  middle  of  April  advance  copies  were  received  by  the  British 
medical  and  pharmaceutical  journals,  and  the  latter  are  full  of  information  on 
the  nature  and  scope  of  the  revision.  Our  knowledge  of  the  new  Pharma- 
copoeia is  necessarily  from  these  sources. 
The  last  edition  of  the  British  Pharmacopoeia  was  in  1885.  The  work  upon 
the  new  edition  was  begun  about  four  years  ago.  Professor  Attfield  has  acted 
as  editor,  and  upon  the  Revision  Committee  have  been  nine  physicians,  eleven 
practical  pharmacists  and  eight  experts.  Tnis  has  been  the  first  time  that  prac- 
tical pharmacists  have  been  invited  to  share  in  the  work  of  the  committee. 
We  shall  endeavor  to  mention  briefly  some  of  the  striking  features  of  the  new 
British  Pharmacopoeia  : 
E.  From  a  pharmaceutical  standpoint,  a  number  of  innovations  have  been 
made,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  : 
(a)  The  metric  system  has  been  introduced.  All  quantities  used  in  the 
making  of  preparations  are  stated  in  terms  of  both  Imperial  and  Metric  sys- 
tems. Imperial  measures  are  (according  to  the  Chemist  and  Druggist,  1898, 
p.  627)  standardized  at  620  F.  and  metric  measures  at  39*2°  F.  The  quantities 
under  "  Characters  and  Tests,"  and  in  all  analytical  quantitative  processes,  are 
stated  in  the  metric  system  only. 
(b)  The  old  proof  spirit  (Spiritus  Tenuior)  has  been  abandoned,  and  instead, 
under  Spiritus  Rectificatus,  are  given  five  different  strengths  of  alcohol,  viz.: 
90  per  cent.,  70  per  cent.,  60  per  cent.,  45  per  cent,  and  20  per  cent.  Abso- 
lute alcohol  is  retained. 
(c)  The  use  of  glycerin  in  the  making  of  tinctures  has  been  retained  for 
Tinctura  Kino,  and  extended  to  one  other  preparation,  viz.,  Tinctura  Rhei 
Composita,  where  it  is  added  after  filtering  the  percolate.  It  is  added  also  in 
Extractum  Sarsse  Uiquidum,  Tinctura  Chloroformi  et  Morphinse  Composita 
and  in  Syrupus  Pruni  Virginiange,  a  new  preparation  in  the  revision. 
(d)  In  regard  to  the  processes  of  percolation  and  maceration  in  the  pre- 
paration of  tinctures,  it  is  to  be  noted  that  in  both  operations  the  marc  is  still 
submitted  to  pressure.  In  the  maceration  process  there  is  no  adjustment  of  the 
final  bulk  of  preparations  save  in  preparations  like  Tinctura  Aloes,  Tinctura 
Asafetidse,  etc. 
(e)  The  principle  of  standardization  of  galenicals  has  been  applied  to  Bel- 
ladonna and  Ipecac  preparations  in  addition  to  those  already  mentioned  in  the 
1885  Pharmacopoeia,  viz. :  Cinchona,  Jalap,  Nux-Vomica,  Opium  and  Pepsin. 
{/)  Under  Liquors  are  added  nine  concentrated  preparations  of  vegetable 
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