136         Pharmaceutical  Colleges  and  Associations.  {^'^■^iZ'i'^^-'^' 
Mr.  Francis  Sutton  read  a  paper  on  the  construction  of  an  international  Pharma- 
copoeia, describing  the  work  performed  by  a  commission  of  thirteen,  appointed  by 
the  Paris  Pharmaceutical  Society,  the  results  of  whose  labors  were  presented  to  the 
International  Pharmaceutical  Congress,  at  St.  Petersburg,  in  a  work,  consisting  of 
534  pages  of  manuscript,  post  quarto,  many  of  which  not  half  filled.  The  com- 
mission have  evidently  largely  consulted  the  various  Pharmacopoeias  of  Europe  and 
the  United  States.  The  general  outline  and  features  of  the  work  are  similar  to  those 
of  the  Paris  Codex.  It  is  divided  into  three  parts,  Part  I,  Preliminary  Matters^ 
containing  tables  of  weights,  measures,  specific  gravities,  temperatures,  alcoholic 
strengths,  &c.  5  Part  II,  Materia  Medica,  giving  the  pharmacognostic  history  and 
description  of  natural  products,  and  Part  III,  The  Pharmacopceia,  comprising  the 
chemical  and  pharmaceutical  preparations  arranged — in  this  provisional  copy — in  the 
alphabetical  order  of  their  French  names.  In  the  choice  and  compilation  of  the  for- 
mulas, numbering  between  300  and  400,  preference  was  given  to  those  which  are 
most  simple,  rational  and  frequently  used,  without  distinction  of  origin. 
The  discussion  following  the  reading  of  this  paper  was  of  great  interest;  a  few 
members  appeared  to  be  in  favor  of  such  a  Pharmacopoeia  superseding  the  national 
Pharmacopoeias,  and  acknowledged  the  many  difficulties  to  overcome  which  would 
probably  require  a  number  of  years.  Most  speakers,  however,  expressed  themselves 
opposed  to  such  a  view,  their  sentiments  being,  perhaps,  most  concisely  expressed 
by  Professor  Redwood,  who  said  that  "  he  could  conceive  that  some  benefits  would 
result  from  a  work  which  bore  the  character  of  an  International  Pharmacopoeia,  if 
it  were  possible  to  have  a  work  which  would  describe  the  principal  and  most  active 
medicines  which  were  used  in  every  country,  and  if  at  the  same  time  it  were  possi- 
ble to  induce  the  medical  and  pharmaceutical  authorities  in  those  countries  to  adopt 
one  uniform  standard  with  reference  to  every  medicine  which  bore  a  specific  name.''^ 
Professor  Attfield  pointed  out  that,  before  any  very  close  approximation  could  be 
made,  there  must  be  an  interregnum,  during  which  a  compilation  of  the  formulas 
adopted  by  the  various  Pharmacopoeias  would  be  necessary  and  desirable  as  a  work 
of  reference. 
The  selection  of  the  articles,  as  made  by  the  Paris  Commission,  was  likewise 
criticised.  It  was  urged  that  definite  chemical  compounds  were  needless  in  such  a 
book,  and  attention  was  drawn  to  the  large  number  of  ointments  (33)  and  plasters 
(20)  contained  in  the  submitted  draft,  and  to  the  omission  of  ammonio-citrate  of 
iron,  tartrate  of  iron,  and  similar  preparations. 
Regarding  the  language  in  which  such  a  work  should  be  published,  some  speakers 
advocated  Latin  as  the  only  one  which  would  be  understood  throughout  Europe, 
while  others  favored  the  use  for  each  nation  of  their  own  vernacular. 
Mr.  E.  M.  Holmes  read  a  "  Note  on  a  Spurious  Senna,''  which  will  be  published 
in  our  next  number.  This  spurious  senna  does  not  act  as  a  cathartic.  It  is  impor- 
tant to  state  now,  that  in  color  and  size  it  somewhat  resembles  the  Tinnevelly 
variety,  and  that  not  less  than  two  hundred  tons  have  been  shipped  to  London.  Mr. 
Hanbury  was  unable  to  find  any  mention  of  its  being  used  for  any  purpose  in  any 
part  of  the  world. 
Mr.  Moss  called  attention  to  a  specimen  of  absolutely  pure  carbolic  acid,  in  the 
form  of  a  coarse  crystalline  powder,  which  did  not  become  damp  on  being  kept  in 
paper  for  two  or  three  weeks.    He  thought  it  highly  probable  that  the  claims  which 
