OUR  NEXT  PPIARMACOPCEIA.  Ill 
,  tions,  upon  no  other  reason  than  that  many  of  them  conflicted 
apparently  with  the  progress  of  the  science  of  chemistry  to  which, 
if  I  mistake  not,  he  is  mostly  attached. 
While  it  is  very  evident  that  chemistry  has  been  the  means  of 
establishing  the  identity  of  many  bodies  which  were  long  con- 
sidered different,  causing  an  extensive  list  of  animal  substances 
to  be  discarded  from  former  Pharmacopoeias  upon  the  ground 
that  they  owe  their  properties  to  one  and  the  same  principle,  as 
to  gelatine,  albumen,  carbonate  of  lime,  &c.,  &c.,  and  that  the 
fixed  alkaline  salt  produced  by  the  incineration  of  different  vege- 
tables has  been  found  to  be  potash,  from  whatever  plant  it  may 
have  been  obtained,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  which  yield  soda 
and  ammonia. 
But  from  the  very  nature  and  object  of  a  Pharmacopoeia,  it 
cannot  be  supposed  to  proceed  pari  "passu  with  the  march  of 
chemical  science ;  indeed  it  would  be  dangerous  that  it  should, 
for  a  chemical  theory  should  be  examined  by  the  light  of  expe- 
rience before  it  should  become  current.  A  Pharmacopoeia,  how- 
ever, is  always  an  object  of  abuse  because  it  is  a  national  work 
of  authority,  and  its  title  to  respect  and  claim  to  utility  is  daily 
questioned  among  the  pharmaceutical  and  medical  fraternities. 
Prominent,  undoubtedly,  among  other  objects  in  the  report  of  Dr. 
Squibb— -who  by  the  way  is  one  of  the  wheel-horses — if  I  may  be 
allowed  the  expression — of  chemistry  and  pharmacy  in  this 
country,  by  whose  invaluable  assistance  those  sciences  have  so  far 
progressed,  and  society  has  been  so  much  benefitted — was  the 
provoking  among  the  members  of  the  association  an  honesty  high- 
toned  and  scientific^  general  discussion,  whereby  truth  might  be 
elicited,  and  science  advanced. 
Experience  has  fully  established  the  value  of  many  medicinal 
combinations,  which  at  the  time  of  their  adoption  could  not  receive 
the  sanction  of  any  chemical  law.  By  referring  to  our  present 
Pharmacopoeia,  Prof.  Parrish's  Pharmacy  and  other  standard 
pharmaceutical  and  medical  works  of  this  country,  we  will  observe 
combinations  of  this  nature  in  which  the  chemical  decompositions 
which  would  naturally  constitute  an  objection  to  their  use,  are  in 
fact  the  causes  of  their  utility,  a  fact  which  has  thrown  conside- 
rable light  upon  the  theory  of  medicinal  combinations. 
