34       Eighth  Decennial  Revision  of  the  U.S.P.      { A  jinSS&fSS"0, 
and  cresol.  Otherwise  the  preparation  will  be  too  irritating  in  its 
action,  owing  to  the  free  cresol  present.  The  solution  of  formalde- 
hyde is  a  valuable  disinfectant  solution,  and  the  concentrated  solu- 
tion of  sodium  phosphate  will  have  an  extensive  application. 
Three  new  Oleates  have  been  added,  being  solutions  of  the  respec- 
tive alkaloids  atropine,  cocaine  and  quinine  in  oleic  acid,  and  their 
use  should  be  encouraged,  as  they  are  readily  absorbed  by  the  skin. 
Oleate  of  zinc  has  been  discarded,  as  the  ointment  is  chiefly  used. 
The  number  of  official  Pills  has  been  reduced  by  one,  and  all  three 
of  those  dismissed  were  rarely  ordered,  whilst  the  two  new  formulas 
are  valuable  combinations,  and  will  have  extensive  use,  the  one  con- 
taining aloin,  belladonna  and  strychnine  with  ipecac,  the  other 
podophyllum,  belladonna  and  capsicum.  It  is  unfortunate  that  the 
popular  aloin,  belladonna  and  strychnine  with  cascara  was  not  like- 
wise added. 
Mass  of  copaiba  has  been  dismissed,  a  good  riddance  from  the 
pharmacopoeia. 
The  official  powders  remain  the  same  in  number,  as  antimonial 
powder  has  been  dismissed,  whilst  the  compound  acetanilid  powder 
has  been  added.  This  will  at  once  be  recognized  as  a  substitute  for 
the  hundreds  of  proprietary  "  headache  powders  "  on  the  market, 
some  of  which  are  quite  dangerous  in  character,  and  almost  daily  the 
lay  press  records  cases  of  sudden  death  from  their  indiscriminate  use. 
Under  the  group  Troches,  only  one  addition — troches  of  gambir, 
and  seven  have  been  dismissed.  If  the  Committee  had  only  dis- 
carded the  remaining  nine  official  troches  they  would  have  rendered 
a  good  service,  as  they  are  rarely  ever  used. 
Under  the  Ointment  group  four  have  been  added,  two  of  which 
will  be  valuable,  viz.,  ointment  of  boric  acid  and  zinc  stearate. 
A  diluted  mercurial  ointment  one  third  weaker  than  the  present  one 
was  entirely  unnecessary.    The  three  dismissed  were  but  little  used. 
Six  less  official  Plasters,  and  this  must  be  commended,  as  the  art  of 
plaster  making  is  practically  a  lost  art  with  the  pharmacist,  as  they 
can  be  prepared  more  economically  by  machinery.  Adhesive  plas- 
ter has  been  added,  as  it  is  largely  used  in  surgical  work. 
Only  one  official  Charla  remains,  the  charta  potassii  nitratis 
being  omitttd. 
Five  Volatile  Oils  were  discarded  and  all  wisely,  three  being  used 
exclusively  in  perfumery.    The  official  volatile  oils  are  now  required 
