vision committee reduced the strength of tinctures of aconites and veratrum, but doubled the strength of tincture of strophanthus. The Language of the Pharmacopeia. The original United States Pharmacopeia and its first revision were printed in both English and Latin, but the second revision appeared in 1830, with the Latin version omitted. The eighth revision, now official, is being translated into Spanish for the benefit of our insular possessions and other interested Spanish-speaking countries. This is an innovation in this country, but the Swiss Pharmacopeia is published simultaneously in German, French and Italian. The Nature of Pharmcopeial Authority. -In foreign countries, the pharmacopeias are all issued under the authority of the respective governments. The United States is an exception to this rule, for here the pharmacopeia is revised and published under direction of a delegate body of pharmacists and physicians incorporated as the United States Pharmacopeial Convention. The convention of 1900, which authorized the present revision of the pharmacopeia, consisted of about two hundred delegates, representing sixty-two medical and fifty-four pharmaceutical bodies. Methods of Pharmacopeial Revision.The decennial convention elects a committee on revision to prepare the manuscript for the new pharmacopeia along the lines of general instructions adopted by the convention as a guide for the committee. At the present time, this committee consists of twenty-six members. Twelve of them hold medical degrees, but only five of the number are practitioners. The five are Drs. N. S. Davis, Jr., H. A. Hare, John Marshall, Horatio C. Wood and Reynold Webb Wilcox. Pharmacopeial Business Affairs.-The decennial convention elected five trustees, who together with the president of the convention and the chairman of the committee of revision constitute a board of control to look after the publication of the pharmacopeia and all business matters connected with the revision and sale of the work. The copyright is held in the name of the board of trustees. Since this method has been followed the price of the book has been reduced from four to two and one-half dollars. The sale of the Pharmacopeia has been greatly increased over previous revisions, and the net profits will exceed any previous record. come is used in defraying the expenses of revision and administration. The in Brief History of the U. S. P.-In January, 1817, on motion by Dr. Lyman Spauld ing, the Medical Society of the County of New York, arranged for a convention of delegates from medical societies which was held of the deliberations, the Pharmacopeia of the at Washington, January 1, 1820. As a result United States of America was published, December 15, of the same year. The convention has been held every ten years since that time. The last meeting was in 1900 and the next will be called for May, 1910. The revised pharmacopeias have been published from one to five years after the convention providing for the revision. It is customary to refer to "U. S. P. VIII." the pharmacopeia of 1900. We should write The convention of 1850 was the first one in which pharmacists had a voice or vote. Delegates from the United States Army and Navy were also recognized at this time. In 1860, the members of congress who were graduates of regular medical colleges were invited to take part in the deliberations. This example, I believe, has not been since followed. The convention of 1910 will admit not to exceed three delegates from each incorporated pharmaceutical or medical college and each incorporated state pharmaceutical or medical association, and from the army, navy and Marine Hospital Service. Also from the American Pharmaceutical, the American Medical and the American Chemical Associations. Colleges, schools and state associations not represented at the 1900 conventions must be approved by the committee on credentials before the delegates can be seated. The Pharmacopeia and the Commentaries.-The United, States Pharmacopeia defines the character of medicines. As an example, it says: "Opium is the concrete, milky exudation by incising the unripe capsules of pappaver somniferum linne (Fam. Papaveraceae), and yielding, in its normal, moist condition, not less than 9 per cent of crystallized morphine when assayed by the process given below." It establishes the purity by chemical, microscopical and plariscopic tests, and also regulates the strength of medicines. The Pharmacopeia gives working formulas, and states the average doses of medicines used internally. It does not, however, treat of therapeutic action nor the history of medicines. These matters are taken up by the commentaries, such as the United States, National Standard and American Dispensatories which are intended for the use of both physicians and pharmacists. Remington's Practice of Pharmacy and Caspari's Treatise on Pharmacy are commentaries on the Pharmacopeia intended for pharmacists. The dispensatories treat of many medicines not official in the Pharmacopeia. The com mentaries are private enterprises and in no way official. Legal Importance of the U. S. P. VIII. -While the Pharmacopeia is not authorized by the government, it is recognized, with the National Formulary, by the Pure Drug and Food Law as the standard authority. Some of the state laws also mention the Pharmacopeia, and the number will increase as the states adopt pure drug and food laws. In Illinois, a peculiar condition exists, for the law designates the U.S.P. VII, which was superseded by the U. S. P. VIII, September 1, 1905, and is no longer in use by pharmacists. This law of our neighboring state is not quite as far out of date as the work on natural history, which the native Chinese pharmacists say physicians still use as a pharmacopeia. It was written by Li-shi-chin between 1552 and 1578. The Resources of the Pharmacopeia. The U. S. P. VIII contains thirty-three classes of pharmaceutical preparations. Twenty are liquid and thirteen solid. Twentyfive classes are for internal administration, and eight for external use. A few of these classes, like liniments, ointments and suppositories, are the outgrowths of therapeutic demands, but the majority, like fluid extracts, elixirs and emulsions are the result of phar. maceutical skill exercised in behalf of elegant and efficient preparations. As far as individual remedies are concerned, the Pharmacopeia offers 95 medicines. President Eliot, at the dedication of the Harvard Medical School, a few days ago, said, "The progress of what we call civilization exposes human beings more and more to the ravages of disease. I trust that you agree with me that the U. S. P. with its one thousand remedies is keeping the physician fully armed for the battle with diseases which the good Dr. Eliot sees in the wake of modern civilization. Physicians Ignorant of the Pharmacopeia.-I desire to call your particular attention to the fact that the Pharmacopeia originated at the hands of physicians, and until 1850 was revised by the medical profession. Gradually, from that date pharmacists took an increased and physicians a decreased interest in the authority until about five years ago when medical ignorance on this important subject reached its height. Now the pendulum seems to be swinging in the opposite direction, but carries with it pharmacists as well as physicians, for the former do not give up interest as the physicians become more active. They are disposed to share the work and responsibility with the medical profession. Leading medical journals, medical societies, medical text and reference books and the American Medical Association all attest to the renewed interest in materia medica, prescription writing and the Phar macopeia. The action of some of the large pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing firms in issuing for free distribution an Epitome of the Pharmacopeia and the National Formulary is an unmistakable evidence of the tendency of the times for the commercial pulse is quick to feel the effect of changed conditions. In Conclusion.-I desire to remind you that it is the physician's own fault if the U. S. P. VIII has medical defects and faults. The medical profession of Missouri is particularly to blame in this respect, for only one practitioner of medicine registered at the 1900 convention from the great State of Missouri, and he did not remain to learn the nature of the deliberations. Missouri is represented by a vice-president of the convention, the secretary, a trustee and one of Revision, but they are all known to the conthe twenty-six members of the Committee on vention as pharmacists. It is less than four years before the convention of 1910 meets on which occasion I hope our state and our city will send as delegates their share of active practitioners of medicine. THE NATIONAL FORMULARY AND ITS ELEGANT PREPARATIONS (WITH EXHIBIT OF PREPARATIONS.) PROF. FRANCIS HEMM. ST. LOUIS, MO. IN the early eighties the prescribing of the multi-varied so-called elegant pharmaceuticals throughout the entire country, attained such proportions, that pharmacists began to realize, that unless something decisive be done promptly to put somewhat of a check upon the fad, they would neither have shelfroom enough nor money enough to carry the stocks demanded to fill prescriptions. Manufacturers of self-made authority in therapeutics and pharmaceutical manufacture were vying with each other to see who could produce the most and latest combinations and newest colors and flavors. So fascinating was this field to many that in less than ten years, pharmacists everywhere, were compelled to carry the products of at least two scores of manufacturers, which perhaps with a little different flavor, color proportions or consistency, were practically all of similar composition so far as therapeutio value was concerned. With each firm's detail men out working the doctor, every one naturally made some demand for their goods, and if there is any one who could attest this, it was the pharmacist who suffered the brunt of it-for each time he received a prescription, he had a new preparation specified; or if not new, then one of the six kinds already in stock by other manufacturers this time 1.70 gr. strychnine in a teaspoonful, instead of 1-50, 1.60, 1-80, 1-90, 1-100 or 1-120-contained in those on hand. About the middle of the eighties the druggists of New York and Brooklyn joined in the work of interesting the physicians of their particular locality in the scheme of devising a standard formulary for unofficial preparations of the so-called elegant or palatable kind The project was well received by the local medical profession, and the outcome was the publication of the New York and Brooklyn Formulary. It was only a little manual, and was restricted to that class of remedies mostly used in their localities. It proved such a success there that in a short time it was noised abroad, and the whole country seemed to awaken and take up the project of a scheme which might afford all similar relief. It was not long before the Brooklyn and New York people, encouraged by their own successes advocated a National Formulary through the American Pharmaceutical Association and offered the said association their work as a nucleus for a more extensive formulary. This tender was accepted at the Pittsburg meeting in 1885, and a suitable committee was appointed to construct a National Formulary. At no time was it the aim of this committee to imitate proprietary fads and nostrums then extant and largely prescribed, but recognizing that the resources of the medical profession for standard remedies could not be restricted to those in the pharmacopeia, they kept in mind the need of offering the physician, first of all uniform and rational combinations; and secondly, elegant and palatable preparations, whenever such was consistent with efficacy. In such instances, however, where efficacy would have been sacrificed for mere elegance of appearance or palatability, the formula was constructed to maintain therapeutic effect. It was therefore not expected that these perparations would replace (at least not readily) with the laity the much advertised fancy fakes and nostrums of ridiculous and absurd combinations, and of which may were only pleasant tickles, and devoid of any medicinal value. It was hoped, however, that the physician in the interest of certainty and uniformity of composition; and to discourage secrecy of composition and self-medication; also to lessen the cost of medicines to his patients and to encourage legitimate pharmacy, would accept the National Formulary as his guide in prescribing the class of remedial preparations for which it dictates formulae. The reception of the first National Formulary met with fairly good success on the part of the American physicians generally. The second edition was likewise well encouraged. Tonight I have great pleasure in presenting to this distinguished audience of physicians the claims of the third edition of the new National Formulary, just issued. What success this new book will meet with depends largely on you, gentlemen. All depends upon whether you will accept it or pass it by. I think I am safe in predicting that you will accept it and make it a success; but I also realize that you are from "Missouri." Well, gentlemen, I have been sent here to show you. Without much further ceremony, and not wishing to inflict myself upon you for any longer time with preliminary talk I will proceed at once to my part of the programme. The committee of the National Formulary of the American Pharmaceutical Association-third edition: C. Lewis Diehl, chairman, Louisville, Ky. A. Scope of the third edition: 44 44 44 46 44 44 acidi salicylici, 9. ammon. bromidi, 9. cinchona (or calisaya), 16. cinchona and iron and other combinations. digestivum compositum, 22. ferri, pyrophosphatis, quininae ferri quininae et strychninae, 25. gentian and its iron combina tions, 26 and 27. gentianae glycerinatum. glycyrrhizae and aromaticum, 28. glycerophosphatum, 29. pepsini and combinations, 33 and 34. phosphorus and with nux vomica, 34, 35. potassium acetate and com binations juniper and buchu (diuretic group), 1 and 36. potassii bromidi, 37. rhamni purshianae and combinations, 38. taraxaci compositum, 42. terpini hydratis and with codeine or heroine, 42, 43. viburni opuli compositum, 43. viburni prunifolii, 44. Besides these there are a number of cathar tic and laxative elixirs, astringents, tonics and nervines too numreous to mention here, but worthy of careful perusal. 9. Emulsions: 1. Codliver oil emulsions, 47 et seq. a. acacia; b. egg; c. Irish moss; dextrin, excipients, with seven different flavors to select from, viz.: a. wintergreen; b. wintergreen and sassafras; c. orange; d. wintergreen, bitter almond and coriander; e. wintergreen, sassafras and bitter almond; f. wintergreen and bitter almond; g. orange flower, bitter almond and cloves. Combinations: phosphates, lactophosphates, lime and soda, extract malt; wild cherry, phosphatic. 2. Emulsum petrolei, 53. 3. Emulsum olei ricini, 52. 4. Emulsum olei terebinthinae fortior, 52. 10. Essentia pepsini. 11. Fluid extractum rhamni purshianae alkalinum, 65. 12. Dr. Unna's glycerogelatins, 91. 16. Liquor aluminii acetatis, 77. 17. Liquor antisepticus alkalinus, 79. 18. Liquor auri et arseni bromidi, 79. 19. Liquor carmini, 81. 20. Battery fluids, 82, 83. 21. Liquor ferri albuminati, 84. 22. Liquor ferri peptonati, 87; and cum mangano, 88. hypophosphitum compositus, 90. morphinae hypodermicus, 92. pancreaticus, 93. pepsini, 93; and aromaticus, 94. phosphatum acidus, 94. phosphori, 95. picis alkalinus, 95. Saccharini, 97. seriparus, 97. sodii carbolatus, 98. 32. 1, Lotio plumbi et opii, 103. 33. 1, Magma magnesiae (milk of magnesia), 103. 34. 1, Mistura chlorali et potassii bromidi composita, 106. 35. 2, Mistura chloroformi et cannabis indicae composita, 107. 36. 3, Mistura contra diarrhoeam, 108. 4, Mistura copaibae, 109. 37. Pasta dermatologicae, 118. (Lassar, Unna and others). 38. 1, Pills, 120-128. 36. 1, Powders, 129-140. a. P. anticatarrhalis, 132, 138-140. 3456 64 64 44 calcii iodidi. eriodictyi aromaticus, 156. pini strobi compositus, 166. 41. 1, Warburg's tincture, with and without aloes, 174, 175. 2, Tinct. cresoli saponata, 177. 3, Tinot. viburni opuli composita, 187. 42. 1, Salve mulls, 189. 2, Ung. resorcini compositum, 191. 43. Vinum carnis et ferri, 193. science, as well as for other important reasons, we would respectfully urge physicians to employ on their prescriptions the latin names for National Formulary preparations. Even though some are lengthy, it will be preferable to abbreviate than to use the English titles, and besides no doctor ought to shy when he meets complex names; his anatomical terms ought to make all others look tame to him. THE PRESCRIBING OF PROPRIETARY REMEDIES. J. C. FALK, PH. G., M. D. ST. LOUIS. THE proprietary medicine and nostrum question is a polyhedral problem, and may be discussed endlessly without solving its intricacies, but the agitation now going on serves a good purpose in educating the mass of the medical profession to a point where they will lessen the number of this enigma. While a large number of physicians do prescribe intelligently-hence ethically-the greater proportion unfortunately have rather vague ideas as to where they ought to place the limit, and go far beyond the border of professional self-respect in prescribing nostrums of whose composition they are ignor ant. The enormous number of proprietary remedies now on the market is undoubtedly due to the fact that the manufacturers find this a profitable field for commercial ventures. course there are many failures marking the way of these enterprises, but a disappointment in one instance in not making a lot of money through the help of our profession only spurs them on to renewed effort in another direction. When the manufacturer has decided to try his luck on some preparation he has concocted he gives it a fanciful name, gets it copyrighted and and then hunts up his nonsalaried salesmen-the physicians-those willing workers without whose efforts the proprietary maker would soon be out of busi ness. To get the doctors lined up for his purpose he employs a few well paid agents, engages some costly pages in the advertising space of the friendly medical journals and buys a lot of postage stamps to distribute his circular letters. With these forces playing upon the doctors it is usually not long until he has a large army of prescribers striving with all their might to pay his advertising bills and pile up a big fortune, upon which he can live. with ease while they struggle along as best |