474 
Assay  of  Heart  Tonics. 
)Am.  Jour.  Pharm 
I    October,  1909. 
The  standard  of  physiological  activity  should  be  equal  to  the 
average  value  of  the  given  preparation,  determined  at  the  season 
of  the  year  when  the  most  uniform  results  may  be  obtained.  Best 
established,  as  in  the  case  of  the  standards  proposed,  by  comparison 
of  the  results  obtained  during  several  years'  testing. 
TABLE  XI. 
'ROPOSED  STANDARDS  FOR  THE  MOST  IMPORTANT  PREPARATIONS  OF  THE  DIGITALIS 
SERIES  OF  THE  HEART  TONICS. 
No.  of 
H.  T.  units 
Exact  No.  in  round 
of  H.  T.  units  numbers 
per  Cc.  per  Cc. 
66  65 
200  200 
6  6 
2000  2000 
83  80 
1200  1200 
M.  F.  D. 
Digitalis— Fluid  Extract,  U.  S.  P.  1890...  .0015 
Solid  Extract   0005 
Tincture,  U.  S.  P.  1900  015 
Digitalin   (Germanic   00005 
Squill— Fluid  Extract  U.  S.  P.  1890  0012 
Strophanthus— Tincture   U.  S.  P.    1900. .  .  .0000833 
Convallaria — Fluid  Extract : 
Rhizome,  and  Roots,  U.  S.  P  00025 
Herb   00015 
Flowers   00009 
400 
666 
400 
650 
1 100 
It  is  recommended  that  the  number  of  heart  tonic  units  per 
cubic  centimetre  be  placed  on  the  label  of  each  preparation  at  the 
time  it  is  tested  and  finished  for  placing  on  the  market,  also  the  date 
of  manufacture. 
The  authors  realize  that  it  may  be  possible  and  desirable  with 
added  knowledge  as  the  result  of  laboratory  experiments,  to  im- 
prove the  method  of  assay  proposed.  It  is  believed,  however,  that 
strict  adherence  to  the  method  of  assay  and  proper  labelling  as  out- 
lined will  result  in  more  uniformly  active  products  of  this  class,  as 
they  appear  on  the  market,  and  safeguard  their  therapeutic  use. 
