196 BRITISH AND UNITED STATES PHARMACOPOEIAS. 
have been employed. For consistency sake the College 
should have restored such terms as Sal Volatilis, Cremor 
Tartaric Sal Tartaric Natron Prssparatum, Spirilus Nitri 
Dultis, &c. 
The names given to chemical substances, newly introduced, 
are sometimes chemical and sometimes arbitrary. Examples 
of the former are, ./Icidum Uydrocyanicum, Antimonii 
oxidum, Calcis murias, Ferri carbonas saccharatum, 
Ferri iodidum, Hydrargyri biniodidum, Manganesii 
oxidum, Morphiae acetas, Morphiae murias, Plumbi 
diacetatis aqua, Plumbi iodidum, Plumbi nitras, Po- 
tassae bisulphas, Potassii ferrocy anidum, Potassii iodidum 
and Quinae sulphas. Instances of arbitrary names are,Bis- 
r.iuthum album, Calx chlorinata, Ferrugo, Hydrargyri 
pre\se\cipitatum album, and Liquor arsenicalis. Here it is 
perceived that the chemical substances newly introduced 
have, in a majority of cases, chemical names, notwithstanding 
the objection of the College on account of their liability to 
change. 
The true point of view in which to consider this subject, is 
that chemical nomenclature in Pharmacy is necessary, and 
can neither be laid aside as applied to old chemical substances, 
nor avoided upon the introduction of new ones into the Mate- 
ria Medica. Good sense, however, forbids the adoption of 
every change and every little nicety of chemical nomencla- 
ture. Pharmaceutical convenience must be allowed to modi- 
fy the strictly scientific nomenclature; and this necessity has 
been repeatedly felt and acted upon. 
We do not object, therefore, to the nomenclature of the 
Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia in regard to chemicals, because it 
is not strictly scientific ; but because it is not carried out on 
any consistent plan. It is, indeed, what the framers of it 
have themselves characterized it to be in their Preface, "a 
patchwork of which they cannot boast." Its want of unity 
is, doubtless, the effect, not of design, but rather of inattention 
to the demands of the work as a whole, while the revisers 
were occupied with the details of its parts. 
