EDITORIAL. 
87 
Pharmacopoea  Suecica.    Editio  Septima.    Stockholmiae,  1869.    P.  A. 
Norstedt  &  Filii,  Typog.  Reg.;  p.  275,  12mo. 
Through  the  kind  offices  of  Oscar  Oldberg,  of  Washington,  D.  C,  we 
have  received  a  copy  of  this  volume.  It  is  in  the  Latin  language  ;  the 
Materia  Medica  and  the  preparations  are  arranged  together  alphabeti- 
cally, as  in  the  last  British  Pharmacopoeia.  The  French  metrical  weights 
are  adopted,  the  gramme  being  considered  equal  to  0.0023525  of  the 
Swedish  pound,  which  is  equivalent  to  425*0758  grammes.  No  measures 
of  capacity  are  adopted ;  all  liquids  are  ordered  hy  weight,  and  it  is  for- 
bidden to  dispense  them  hy  measure.  The  metre  is  adopted  as  the  mea- 
sure of  length,  divided  into  the  decimetre  and  centimetre.  Temperature 
is  measured  by  the  centigrade  scale,  and  by  this  scale  the  range  for 
maceration  is  between  15'^  and  25°,  and  for  digestion  between  35°  and 
450. 
The  nomenclature  differs  much  from  the  simplicity  of  ours.  In  speci- 
fying salts  the  acid  is  mentioned  first,  as  Acetas  Morphicus,  Hyposulphis 
Natricus,  lodetum  Hydrargyrosum,  Sulphas  Chinicus.  The  parts  of 
plants  are  expressed  in  the  name,  as  Bulbus  AUii,  Cortex  Chinse  Cali- 
saya,  Flavedo  Aurantii,  Flores  Caryophylli,  Folia  Sennas,  Fructus  Anisi, 
Glandula  Lupuli,  Herba  Lobeliae,  Radix  Arnicae,  Ramuli  Sabinse,  Rhi- 
zoma  Zingiberis,  Semina  Myristicae,  Stigmata  Croci,  Stipites  Dulcamara, 
Tubera  Jalapae,  Gummi  Resina  Asa  Foetidae.  Any  liquid  oleo-resin  is 
called  a  balsam,  whilst  Benzoin  is  called  Resina  Benzoe.  Opium  in  all 
preparations  is  indicated  by  an  adjective  derived  from  the  word  thebaia- 
cum,  thus — Tinctura  Thebaica,  Trochisci  Glycyrrhizse  Thebaici,  Yinum 
Thebaicum  Crocatum,  Pulvis  Ipecacuanhas  Thebaicus,  Acetum  Thebai- 
cum.  Solutions  are  indicated  by  the  prefix  Solutio  instead  of  Liquor. 
Volatile  oils  are  ^therolea.  Under  the  name  Nitras  Argenticus  Miti- 
gatus  a  fused  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  nitrate  of  silver  and  nitrate  of 
potassa  is  indicated,  whilst  Nitras  Argenticus  Bis  Mitigatus  contains  two 
parts  of  the  potassa  salt.    Tartar  emetic  is  Tartras  Stibico  K aliens. 
The  formulae  appear  to  be  gotten  up  in  a  careful  and  practical  man- 
ner, and  so  far  as  examined  are  judicious  and  closely  allied  in  many  in- 
stances to  our  own;  yet  there  are  many  peculiarities,  some  of  which  are 
noticed  here,  viz.:  Ammoniac  plaster  is  made  from  one  part  of  ammoniac 
and  two  parts  of  vinegar  of  squills.  Electuary  of  senna  consists  of  pow- 
dered coriander  1,  powd.  senna  10,  pulp  of  tamarind  15,  syrup  25.  There 
is  a  class  of  extracts  made  into  powder  with  liquorice  root,  thus  :  Take  of 
the  extract  and  liquorice  powder  equal  parts,  mix  intimately,  and  dry  on 
a  porcelain  plate  between  40°  and  50°  Cent.,  then  add  sufficient  liquorice 
powder  to  restore  the  weight  lost  by  drying,  and  triturate  to  a  fine  powder. 
This  form  is  very  convenient  in  prescribing  powders,  is  uniform  in 
strength — two  grains  representing  one  of  the  normal  extract.  The  pul- 
verized extracts  of  aconite  root,  belladonna,  cannabis,  conium,  digitalis 
and  hyoscyamus  are  thus  prepared. 
