^em^im'}     Inorganic  Chemistry  of  the  U.S.P.  553 
ture,  accurately  represents  the  chemical  character  of  the  substance 
named.  Speaking  of  names  reminds  us  that  it  was  expected  that 
in  the  new  Pharmacopoeia  the  recommendations  of  the  American 
Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science  as  to  the  spelling  of 
chemical  terms  would  be  adopted.  This,  however,  is  not  the  case. 
Unfortunately  so,  as  most  of  the  recent  chemical  text-books  (not 
based  upon  the  U.S. P.)  and  many  pharmaceutical  and  medical  jour- 
nals have  adopted  this  more  rational  spelling.  The  reason  given  for 
this  omission  is :  "  The  dropping  of  the  final  e  for  the  alkaloids  and 
the  halogens  was  not  approved  for  the  reason  that  its  use  has  be- 
come a  thoroughly  established  custom  in  this  country,  and  it  was 
not  deemed  wise  or  safe  to  sacrifice  this  distinctive  method  of  desig- 
nating powerful  substances  used  in  medicine." 
Though  this  reason  shows  commendable  care  and  foresight  on 
the  part  of  the  committee,  the  reason  given  is  hardly  a  sufficiently 
good  one. 
The  dropping  of  the  final  e  from  the  names  of  alkaloids  would 
certainly  cause  confusion  in  the  case  of  glucosides,  whose  names 
mostly  end  with  in.  However,  this  might  have  been  overcome  by 
retaining  the  final  e  in  the  case  of  alkaloids,  but  in  other  respects 
conforming  to  the  spelling  adopted  by  the  A.A.A.  S.,  as,  for  in- 
stance, chlorid,  bromid,  sulfate,  oxid,  etc. 
Acidum  Arsenosum  is  now  Arseni  Trioxidi. — This  substance  is  not 
an  acid ;  hence  the  old  name  is  a  misnomer.  Its  chemical  composi- 
tion is  As2Os ;  hence  it  is  an  arsenous  oxide.  This  oxide  when  dis- 
solved in  water  is  converted  into  arsenous  acid,  as  here  shown  by 
equation  As203  -f  3H20  =  2H3As03.  Arsenous  acid  exists  in  so- 
lution only,  and  cannot  be  obtained  in  an  iso'ated  condition.  The 
official  arseni  trioxidi  is  therefore  the  anhydride  of  arsenous  acid. 
Acidum  Chromicum  is  now  Chromii  Trioxidi.—VJ  hat  was  said  of 
arsenous  acid  is  likewise  true  of  chromic  acid.  It  has  long  been 
called  chromic  acid,  but  is  really  the  anhydride  of  chromic  acid  Cr03 
H20  =  H2Cr04,  and  its  correct  name  is  that  which  is  now  given 
in  the  U.S.P. 
Alumini  Hydras  is  now,  as  it  should  be,  Alumini  Hydroxidum, 
its  chemical  formula  being  Al2(OH)6. 
Aqua  Chlori  was  the  correct  name  for  the  preparation  formerly 
official,  but  the  chlorine  water  of  the  new  Pharmacopoeia  is  a  more 
composite  preparation.    It  is  made  by  adding  a  small  quantity  of 
