BRITISH AND UNITED STATES PHARMACOPOEIAS. 197 
When it is borne in mind that a number of the old chemi- 
cal names are changed for new chemical names, and that 
chemical titles are given to nearly all the chemical substances, 
newly introduced; it was to be expected that the nomencla- 
ture, so far as employed, would be consistent with itself, and 
that chemical names would not be rejected on slight grounds. 
Yet this reasonable expectation has not been realized in the 
nomenclature of the College. As they had newly adopted 
the names, Ferri iodidum, Hydrargyri biniodidum, Plumbi 
iodidum, Potassii ferrocyanidum and Potassii iodidum, they 
would only have proceeded somewhat further in the same 
path, if they had adopted Barii Chloridum for Barytas 
murias, Calcii Chloridum for Calcis murias, Ferri Chlo- 
ridi Tinctura for Ferri muriatis tinctura, and Sodii 
Chloridum for Sodas murias. In relation to arbitrary 
names, we are willing to admit that their use is expedient for 
chemical substances of doubtful composition, or having long 
scientific names ; but the Edinburgh College have employed 
them in other cases. If "Oxidum Arsenici" must be 
changed, as we admit it should be, it does not follow that 
" Arsenicum album" is a good substitute. The College re- 
cognise a class of officinal acids, and, on the occasion of the 
recent revision, introduced a new one, " hydrocyanic acid."* 
Under these circumstances, it was natural to expect that the 
substance in question would have been named Jicidum Arsen- 
iosum, more especially as its chemical name is not a matter 
of dispute, and as this is the name adopted in the U. S. and 
London Pharmacopoeias. Again, " Cinnabaris" is adopted 
for the red sulphuret of mercury; but surely, if the College 
are willing to have a red oxide of mercury (Hydrargyri oxi- 
dum rubrum), they might have admitted a red sulphuret of 
♦They also introduced the impure acetic acid, obtained by the destruc- 
tive distillation of wood, under the very exceptionable title of " Acidum 
Pyroligneum, pyroligneous acid." Strictly speaking, there is no such 
acid, and the construction of its name would lead to the supposition that 
there existed a pyrolignic acid. Besides, Pyroligneosum is the proper 
Latin translation of pyroligneous. 
