Am.  Jour.  Pharm,\ 
January.  1901.  J 
Editorial. 
39 
drugs  is  in  some  cases  still  obscure,  and  in  other  cases  greater  freedom 
should  be  given  in  the  selection  of  commercial  varieties."  Why 
should  the  U.S.P.  say  that  Rheum  is  "  the  root  of  Rheum  officinale, 
Ba'illon,  and  not  recognize  with  the  B.P.  and  other  authorities  that 
the  commercial  rhubarb  is  likely  to  be  the  product  of  a  number  of 
species  of  Rheum  ?  "  Why  should  the  B.P.  say  that  Jamaica  sarsa- 
parilla  is  yielded  by  Smilax  ornata,  Hook  f.,  when  experts  seem  to 
recognize  that  the  origin  of  all  the  sarsaparillas,  except  the  E. 
Mexican  or  Vera  Cruz  root,  is  open  to  question  ?  Why  should  not 
the  pharmacopoeial  authorities  recognize  that  in  some  cases  more 
than  one  species  may  yield  the  commercial  drugs  and  take  cogni- 
zance of  all  the  results  of  acknowledged  experts  ? 
Instead  of  limiting  the  number  of  species,  when  questions  of 
doubt  exist  as  to  that  number,  the  Pharmacopoeia  should  append  to 
its  definition  of  such  drugs  a  clause  that  "  probably  or  possibly 
other  species  also  yield  the  drug ;"  such  as,  for  instance,  in  the  case 
of  Myrrh,  Copaiba,  etc.,  as  the  B.P.  has  done. 
If  there  is  any  difference  in  the  Myrrh,  Copaiba  or  other  drug 
frorn  different  species  and  sources,  this  can  be  provided  for  under 
descriptions,  tests,  etc. 
Surely  no  objection  can  be  raised  to  this  attitude  on  the  question, 
as  it  represents  the  actual  conditions,  and  one  which  is  not  only  in 
accord  with,  and  worthy  of  pharmacopoeial  authority,  but  which 
will  create  additional  confidence  in  the  work  as  being  nearer  the 
truth. 
Another  point  touched  upon  in  the  editorial  note  is  one  that  Mr. 
Holmes  does  not  ir'er  to,  but  which  is  also  of  importance  from  the 
practical  consideration  of  definitions  in  the  Pharmacopoeia.  The 
U.S.P.  defines  Belladonnse  Folia  as  «  the  leaves  of  Atropa  Belladonna, 
Linne,"  and  describes  under  this  drug  only  the  leaves.  The  B.P. 
defines  Belladonnse  Folia  as  "  the  fresh  leaves  and  branches  of 
Atropa  Belladonna,  Linn.,  collected  when  the  plant  is  in  flower,"  and 
describes  the  stems,  leaves  and  flowers.  The  commercial  drug  con- 
tains generally  not  only  stems,  leaves  and  flowers,  but  also  fruits, 
and  the  Pharmacopoeia  would  do  well  to  limit  the  amount  oi  these 
different  parts  of  the  plant,  as  at  times  the  drug  is  made  up  almost 
entirely  of  stems  and  some  leaves,  few  if  any  flowers  being  present, 
while  at  other  times  there  is  an  abundance  of  flowers  and  immature 
fruits. 
