506  Review  of  Chemistry  of  the  U.S.P.  {A$6™m^im.' 
An  attempt  has  been  made  to  convey  the  chemical  nature  of  the 
substance  in  the  official  title.  This  is  very  good  so  far  as  it  goes  ; 
still,  catchy  and  euphonious  titles  can  not  as  a  rule  result  therefrom. 
It  seems  the  patentees  have  carefully  considered  the  name  for  their 
products ;  the  extensive  advertising  has  made  these  names  familiar. 
The  phenacetinum  of  other  pharmacopoeias  finds  itself  replaced  by 
acetphenetidinum  in  the  U.S.P.  Where  in  the  Pharmacopoeia  will 
we  find  the  synonym  phenacetin  ?  It  is  going  a  trifle  too  far  to  ignore 
this  name  in  the  work,  even  if  the  Farbenfabriken  have  a  trade-mark 
on  phenacetin  in  the  United  States.  This  cannot  prevent  people 
from  using  that  term  ;  the  B.P.  gets  around  such  nice  points  by 
saying,  under  the  title  Phenazonum,  as  foot-note :  "  Phenazone  is 
commonly  known  as  antipyrine."  Probably  the  many  prosecu- 
tions under  the  name  phenacetin  has  made  the  term  unpopular  in 
the  United  States.  The  exorbitant  prices  on  these  products  and 
the  unjustness  of  our  patent  laws  in  this  regard,  causing  the  drug- 
gist to  be  easily  roped  in,  makes  it  a  good  policy  to  admit  such 
drugs  to  the  U.S.P.  as  soon  as  possible.  This  will  prevent  substitu- 
tions practiced  on  the  druggist,  for  the  U.S.P.  contains  the  tests 
whereby  he  can  identify  the  product.  This  will  also  protect  the 
patient  from  inferior  drugs,  our  most  important  duty. 
From  old  Roger  Bacon  till  to-day  is  a  long  cry  ;  his  spirit  has 
just  been  made  official.  Acetone  is  an  excellent  solvent  for  organic 
as  well  as  inorganic  compounds,  especially  mercuric  salts.  It  is  a 
good  addition  to  the  U.S.P. 
CHEMICAL  FORMULAE. 
A  few  substances  of  the  1890  Pharmacopoeia  have  suddenly  found 
their  weight  reduced  by  half.  Such  are  the  ferric  series,  calomel 
series  of  salts,  etc.  Cerii  oxalas  is  even  bereft  of  its  formula,  this 
blunder  of  the  former  commission  being  remedied.  I  am  pleased  to 
see  that  formulation  effusions  of  certain  quasi  chemists  have  not 
been  admitted.  I  refer  to  the  periodical  attempt  of  some  pharma- 
cists to  formulate  the  scale  compounds.  Some  claim  they  cannot 
think  chemically  unless  the  substance  is  formulated.  I  have  seen 
them  place  the  chemical  formula  on  bottles  of  crude  salts ;  wonder- 
ful erudition. 
The  innovation  in  the  U.S.P.,  VIII,  is  the  introduction  of  structural 
formulae  in  the  definition.    The  chemicals  of  the  U.S.P.  are  in  all 
