AFe•bJr0uarrVTf9T6m•}     The  U.S. P.  as  a  Legal  Standard.  85 
the  rubric  on  apomorphin  hydrochloric!.  It  gives  the  solubility  of 
the  salt  in  several  liquids  that  would  not  be  used  for  dissolving  it  in 
medical  work,  together  with  the  melting  and  even  the  decomposing 
point,  the  latter  certainly  of  little  interest.  Sixteen  tests  are  given, 
several  of  them  with  unusual  and  expensive  reagents,  and  almost 
all  of  them  of  interest  and  value  only  to  the  specialist  in  pharma- 
ceutic chemistry  or  toxicology. 
Some  of  the  tables  also  exemplify  the  tendency  to  absurd  and 
useless  detail.  Chemical  calculations  are  carried  out  to  the  sixth 
decimal  place,  although  it  is  well  known  that  the  atomic  weights  on 
which  these  calculations  depend  are  not  positive  beyond  the  first 
decimal.  In  a  tabular  comparison  of  thermometric  degrees,  many 
equivalents  are  given  to  the  fourth  decimal,  e.g.,  211-4444.  For  the 
general  work  of  the  analyst  thermometers  reading  to  one-tenth  of  a 
degree  are  the  best  available.  To  carry  out  the  degrees  to  the  ten- 
thousandth  is  mere  arithmetical  gymnastics,  adding  to  the  expense  of 
the  book  without  adding  any  advantage. 
If  I  regard  the  Pharmacopoeia  in  its  present  form  as  unsatisfac- 
tory to  the  analyst,  it  is  in  a  still  more  unfavorable  light  that  I  regard 
it  as  a  legal  standard.  Its  errors  of  omission  and  commission  in 
analytic  methods  can  be  supplemented  by  the  knowledge  of  the 
worker  or  by  regular  analytical  manuals,  and,  as  a  last  resort,  by 
special  circulars  and  journal  articles  ;  but  its  errors  as  a  work  of 
authority  must  stand  until  remedied  by  the  parent  body.  I  regard 
the  work  as  dangerous  in  its  legal  relations.  I  have  known  it  to  be 
an  instrument  of  oppression.  By  its  very  nature  it  is  liable  to  this 
misuse.  In  spite  of  all  the  circulation  that  it  receives,  it  has  a  cer- 
tain air  of  mystery.  Its  very  name  savors  of  the  black  art.  A  little 
knowledge  of  Greek  informs  us,  of  course,  that  it  means  merely  "  to 
make  the  drug,"  but  Greek  is  the  possession  of  but  few. 
The  manner  of  publication  of  the  book  gives  it  a  factitious 
authority  and  the  use  of  the  word  "  official  "  adds  to  this.  We  are 
reminded  of  Sir  Joseph  Porter's  observation  that  "  it  is  the  charac- 
teristic of  this  happy  country  that  official  utterances  are  unanswer- 
able." The  book  is  supposed  by  many  to  represent  the  collective 
wisdom  of  medicine  and  pharmacy;  but  the  method  by  which  the 
convention  is  called  destroys  much  of  the  dignity  of  it,  for  a  general 
invitation  is  extended,  including  all  grades  of  schools  of  medicine 
and  pharmacy  and  of  medical  and  pharmaceutic  societies.  The 
