208  Notes  on  the  New  Pharmacopoeia,      { Am'ulj'\m"w' 
and  the  determining  of  these  solubilities  has  involved  another  large 
amount  of  work.  In  addition  to  this  was  the  work  of  revising  and 
improving  formulas,  processes,  and  chemical  tests,  every  line  of 
which  had  to  be  carefully  considered.  There  should  therefore  be 
no  criticism  on  account  of  its  having  taken  five  years  to  get  out  this 
work. 
Another  thing  to  be  remembered  in  connection  with  this  Phar- 
macopoeia is  that  the  date  when  it  becomes  official  is  marked  on 
the  title  page,  namely  September  I,  1905.  We  are,  therefore,  sup- 
posed to  be  now  dispensing  all  preparations  of  the  strength  of  the 
new  Pharmacopoeia. 
The  scope  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  has  been  modified  by  the  follow- 
ing section  in  the  general  principles  of  revision  : — 
"The  Committee  of  Revision  is  authorized  to  admit  into  the 
Pharmacopoeia  any  product  of  nature  of  known  origin  ;  also  any 
synthetized  product  of  definite  composition  which  is  in  common  use 
by  the  medical  profession,  the  identity,  purity,  or  strength  of  which 
can  be  determined.  No  compound  or  mixture  shall  be  introduced 
if  the  composition  or  mode  of  manufacture  thereof  be  kept  secret, 
or  if  it  be  controlled  by  unlimited  proprietary  or  patent  rights." 
This  section  excludes  phenacetin  under  its  copyrighted  name,  but 
admits  it  under  its  chemical  name  of  acetphenetidin.  It  excludes 
urotropin,  which,  however,  can  be  sold  and  dispensed  under  its 
chemical  name,  hexa-methylen-amin ;  sulphonal  can  be  sold  and 
dispensed  as  sulphon-methane ;  and  trional  can  be  dispensed  as 
sulphon-ethyl-methane ;  aristol  under  its  chemical  name,  thymol- 
iodide;  urethane  under  the  name  of  ethyl  carbamate ;  saccharine 
under  its  chemical  name,  benzo-sulphinide.  Antipyrin  is  admitted 
under  its  patented  name,  because  the  patent  has  expired,  and  it  is 
no  longer  necessary  for  any  one  wishing  to  prescribe  antipyrin  to 
write  phenyl-di-methyl-pyrazolon. 
These  names  seem  to  be  unmercifully  long.  Yet  an  effort  has 
been  made  to  shorten  them  by  dropping  the  Greek  prefixes.  Thus 
di-thymol  di-iodide  becomes  thymol  iodide.  Diethyl-sulphon- 
methyl-ethyl-methane  is  shortened  to  sulphon-ethyl-methane. 
(Trional.) 
It  is  doubtful  whether  any  considerable  use  will  be  made  of  these 
sesquipedalian  names.  Either  shorter  names  must  be  invented  or 
we  shall  have  to  wait  until  the  patents  on  these  names  have  expired. 
