Am-  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1888. 
Editorial. 
319 
rior  to  digitalis,  and  does  not  possess  the  diuretic  power  that  belongs  to 
the  latter  drug ;  it  was  used  in  varying  doses  of  from  two  to  seven  drops,  and  had 
been  used  in  cholera  iu  doses  as  great  as  twenty  drops. 
Mr.  Beringer  read  a  paper  in  which  he  discussed  the  propriety  of  introduc- 
inj  elixirs  as  a  class  info  the  pharmacopoeia  ;  showing  that  there  was  considerable 
demand  for  them  and  that  the  pharmacopoeia  should  be  the  authority  when  a 
preparation  or  class  of  preparations  became  so  important  as  to  be  one-twentieth 
of  the  prescriptions  written.  The  paper  induced  a  discussion  as  to  the  best 
method  of  preparing  elixir  of  cinchona,  whether  from  the  bark  itself  or  from  a 
mixture  of  the  associated  alkaloids ;  the  general  opinion  was  that  the  elixir 
prepared  from  the  alkaloids  was  preferable  to  that  made  from  the  bark.  It 
was  argued  that  as  bark  derived  from  East  India  was  much  used  and  some- 
times gave  the  large  yield  of  seven  and  a  half  per  cent,  of  total  alkaloids 
it  was  right  that  a  higher  grade  of  cinchona  should  be  demanded  by  the  phar- 
macopoeia. 
Mr.  Beringer  exhibited  a  sample  of. linseed  oil,  so  called,  but  certain  peculiari- 
ties made  him  suspect  it  and  after  saponification  he  found  nearly  fifty  per  cent, 
of  mineral  oil  had  been  mixed  in  it. 
There  being  no  further  business  on  motion  adjourned. 
T.  S.  WiEGAND,  Registrar. 
EDITOKIAL  DEPAETMENT. 
Revision  of  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopceia. — Within  two  years  from  the  present 
time  the  convention  for  the  revision  of  the  pharmacopoeia  will  meet  in  Wash- 
ington, and  it  is  expected  that  the  medical  and  pharmaceutical  societies  inter- 
ested in  this  work  will  then  be  able  to  present  the  results  of  their  own  delibera- 
tions in  a  manner  to  render  it  available  for  the  Committee  of  Revision,  which 
will  be  charged  with  the  issuing  of  the  next  edition.  A  committee  has  been 
appointed  by  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  for  the  preliminary  revision 
of  the  work,  and  is  now  actively  engaged  in  it. 
The  Committee  of  Revision  and  Publication  appointed  in  1880  has  determined 
to  compile  from  the  literature  which  has  appeared  since  the  publication  of  the 
pharmacopoeia  in  1882,  a  report  on  all  subjects  likely  to  be  of  practical  use  in 
the  preparation  of  the  next  pharmacopoeia ;  also  to  collect  reliable  statistics  re- 
garding the  frequency  with  which  the  various  articles,  recognized  in  the  present 
pharmacopoeia,  are  prescribed  or  legitimately  used.  It  is  more  particularly  in 
regard  to  the  latter  that  the  State  Pharmaceutical  Associations  may  be  instru- 
mental in  colleetiug  valuable  material  for  the  next  revision.  With  this  end  in 
view,  the  committee  has  published  an  alphabetical  list  of  all  pharmacopoeial 
titles,  and  copies  of  this  list  may  be  obtained  from  the  chahman,  Dr.  Charles 
Rice,  Bellevue  Hospital,  New  York,  for  about  §6.75  per  100  copies.  The  plan 
proposed  is  that  the  State  Asso  nations  collect  such  statistics  for  a  definite 
period  from  difl"erent  localities,  through  individuals  or  local  associations,  and 
that,  from  these  reports,  a  general  report  for  the  entire  State  be  compiled,  and 
sent  to  the  chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Revision  on  or  before  January  first 
next.  If  the  State  Associations  act  promptly  in  this  matter,  the  next  Commit- 
tee of  Revision  will  be  able  to  intelligently  decide  which  of  the  present  phar- 
macopoeial articles  should  be  retained,  and  which  should  be  dropped.  It  is 
obvious  that  in  a  similar  manner  statistics  may  also  be  collected  of  such  drugs, 
preparations  and  chemicals  which  are  not  contained  in  the  pharmacopoeia, 
but  are  prescribed  by  physicians. 
The  subject  of  weights  and  measures,  which  has  been  so  frequently  discussed 
during  the  past  twenty  years,  has  evidently  not  been  finally  settled ;  it  should 
receive  the  attention  of  each  State  Pharmaceutical  Association,  and  the  views 
