212  Notes  on  the  New  Pharmacopoeia.      { AmMlV.\marm' 
as  I  have  always  preferred  the  catechu  of  acacia  to  gambir.  I 
understand  the  reason  to  be  that  black  catechu  (cutch)  was  not 
always  obtainable  of  good  quality.  I  have  never  found  any  diffi- 
culty in  this  respect. 
A  change  in  name  which  will  surely  create  considerable  comment 
is  the  substitution  of  the  word  fluidextractum  for  extractum  fluidum. 
The  object  of  coining  this  peculiar  word  seems  to  have  been  to  get 
all  the  fluid  extracts  together.  This  could  easily  have  been  accom- 
plished, and  in  fact  was  accomplished  in  some  of  the  earlier  phar- 
macopoeias, by  adopting  a  heading  for  each  series  of  preparations. 
This  brought  all  of  the  fluid  extracts,  liniments,  etc.,  together 
under  their  respective  headings.  To  my  mind  this  method  is  far 
preferable  to  the  coining  of  such  a  word  as  fluidextractum. 
Among  the  changes  in  regard  to  strength  and  purity ,  one  of  the 
most  noticeable  is  that  of  alcohol,  which  formerly  was  required  to 
have  94  per  cent,  of  absolute  alcohol.  It  is  now  practically  95  per 
cent.,  the  exact  requirement  being  94-9  per  cent.  In  like  manner 
diluted  alcohol,  which  was  formerly  required  to  contain  48  6  per 
cent,  by  volume,  is  now  required  to  have  48  9  per  cent. 
A  change  that  will  be  of  more  interest  to  some  persons  is  in 
regard  to  whiskey,  which  in  1 890  was  entitled  to  recognition  when 
it  was  two  years  old,  but  now  must  attain  to  the  greater  age  of  four 
years.  Formerly  it  was  required  to  have  from  50  to  58  per  cent,  of 
absolute  alcohol,  while  now  it  will  pass  muster  at  from  44  to  55  per 
cent.  The  preparation  of  1890  was  spelled  whiskey;  that  of  1900 
whisky.  Hence,  if  you  wish  to  sell  an  article  that  is  less  than  four 
years  old,  and  steer  clear  of  any  legal  entanglement,  you  will  label 
it  whiskey ;  but  if  you  wish  to  intimate  that  the  article  sold  has  the 
mellowness  of  mature  age,  you  will  spell  the  whiskey  without  the 
"  e."  There  may  be  some  persons  who  prefer  the  fiery  ardor  of 
youth  to  the  mellowness  and  blandness  of  maturity,  but  connois- 
seurs will  call  for  the  official  drink,  because  of  its  oil-like  smooth- 
ness and  clinging  richness  of  flavor. 
A  similar  change  will  be  noticed  in  regard  to  white  and  red  wine, 
which  in  1890  were  required  to  contain  alcohol  to  the  extent  of 
from  12-4  to  17-3  per  cent.  They  will  now  pass  muster  if  they  con- 
tain from  8  5  to  15  per  cent,  by  volume. 
The  greatest  number  of  changes  in  strength  is  to  be  found  in  the 
tinctures,  32  of  which  are  different  in  this  respect  from  those  we 
