AT;nJuOa,y,Pl90a6rm•}      Eighth  Decennial  Revision  of  the  U.S. P.  37 
A  number  of  changes  have  been  made  among  the  salts  of  the 
metals,  all  of  which  have  been  desirable,  and  will  be  heartily  ap- 
proved by  the  medical  profession. 
A  number  of  important  changes  in  Nomenclature  have  been 
adopted  which  are  acceptable  and  an  improvement,  as  they  are 
more  comprehensive. 
The  adoption  of  a  "  Purity  Rubric  "  for  the  official  chemical  sub- 
stances and  the  increasing  of  the  number  of  Assay  Processes  for 
active  drugs  containing  alkaloidal  constituents,  are  certainly  a  step 
in  the  right  direction,  and  one  that  will  be  commended  by  every 
one.  Assay  processes  now  apply  to  fourteen  drugs,  whilst  in  1890 
only  three  were  assayed.  The  Pharmacopoeia  should  go  a  step 
further  and  require  them  to  be  physiologically  tested. 
Other  desirable  features  are  :  the  adoption  of  an  average  dose  for 
each  drug  which  is  not  obligatory ;  the  adoption  of  a  standard  umt 
for  atomic  weights  with  hydrogen  as  I  ;  a  new  standard  of  25 0  C. 
(770  F.)  for  specific  gravity,  and  the  elimination  of  synonyms  from 
the  Pharmacopoeia. 
A  few  changes  have  been  made  in  chemical  and  botanical  nomen- 
clature, but  the  essentials  are  the  same. 
The  adoption  of  the  recommendations  of  the  International  Phar- 
macopceial  Conference,  held  at  Brussels  in  September,  1902,  is  most 
desirable,  and  as  a  result  potent  tinctures  are  10  per  cent,  and  others 
20  per  cent.  The  only  two  changes  that  are  likely  to  cause  trouble 
are  the  reduction  of  tinct.  aconite  (formerly  35  per  cent.)  and  veratrum 
viride  (formerly  40  per  cent.)  to  10  per  cent.,  but  these  can  be  easily 
remembered. 
It  has  been  our  aim  to  enumerate  the  important  changes  in  the 
Pharmacopoeia  as  viewed  by  the  physician  from  his  standpoint,  and 
if  anything  has  been  said  that  will  tend  to  popularize  the  Pharma- 
copoeia on  the  one  hand,  or  to  increase  that  spirit  of  fraternalism  and 
co-operation  that  should  exist  between  the  two  kindred  pro- 
fessions of  medicine  and  pharmacy,  we  shall  feel  amply  repaid  for 
our  efforts. 
