558 
College  of  Pharmacy. 
f  Am.  Jour.  J'Jiai  in 
(   November,  1909. 
Professor  Kraemer  said  with  reference  to  the  Purity  Rubric 
that  there  are  two  points  of  view.  He  said  that  to  the  scientist 
and  experimenter  in  both  plant  and  animal  physiology  the  presence 
of  even  small  percentages  of  impurities  is  an  important  consideration. 
He  stated  that  the  traces  of  substances  which  were  formerly  sup- 
posed to  have  little  or  no  influence  have  been  found  to  have  a  marked 
action  on  the  organism.  He  claimed  that  exact  experiments  in 
pharmacology  and  the  scientific  practice  of  medicine  required  that 
the  medicinal  chemicals  should  be  as  nearly  pure  as  possible,  as  the 
literature  of  experimental  physiology  demonstrated.  In  presenting 
these  facts,  Professor  Kraemer  said  he  believed  that,  although 
the  manufacturing  chemists  were  probably  in  favor  of  the  Purity 
Rubric,  they  would  be  glad  to  furnish  medicinal  chemicals  of  a 
greater  degree  of  purity  if  the  standards  called  for  this  and  if  it 
meant  greater  efficiency  of  drugs  and  greater  accuracy  in  the  art 
of  prescribing. 
Professor  Remington  defended  the  Purity  Rubric  on  the  ground 
that  the  object  was  to  furnish  medicines  at  a  reasonable  cost, 
whereas  if  the  process  of  purification  were  carried  further  the  price 
would  be  advanced  very  much. 
Mr.  Thum  cited  the  strontium  bromide  of  American  manufacture 
as  an  example  of  a  medicinal  chemical  coming  under  the  Purity 
Rubric  which  yet  contained  barium,  an  objectionable  impurity. 
He  said  that  this  strontium  bromide  had  occasioned  the  physicians 
prescribing  it  considerable  dissatisfaction,  and  that  foreign  manufac- 
turers were  trying  to  advance  the  sale  of  their  product  on  the  plea 
that  it  was  free  from  barium.  Mr.  Thum  maintained  that  the  patient 
should  have  the  best  obtainable  in  medicines,  and  that  he  is  willing 
to  pay  accordingly. 
Professor  Kraemer  said  that  some  of  his  own  recent  experiments 
on  plants  as  well  as  those  carried  out  by  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Plant 
Industry  in  their  investigation  into  the  cause  of  loco-weed  poisoning 
showed  that  barium  salts  are  distinctly  toxic. 
Dr.  Stewart  said  with  reference  to  the  proposed  official  labor- 
atory that  it  sppeared  to  him  that  in  the  wrork  of  revision  the  exper- 
iments could  be  more  satisfactorily  carried  out  under  such  a  plan 
than  to  have  the  work  done  outside  as  heretofore. 
Professor  Remington  here  added  that  considerable  assistance 
in  this  direction  had  been  obtained,  as  Surgeon-General  Wyman 
had  promised  the  use  of  the  laboratories  of  the  Public  Health  and 
