Evening star., 1900-05-02
DOCTORS AND DRUGS
Decennial Convention to Revise United
States Pharnacopoeia.
DISTINGUISHED GATHERING IN CITY
Proceedings Of the Opening Ses-
sion Of the Body.
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

The eighth decennial convention for the
purpose of revising the United States Phar
macopoeia was called to order in the new
banquet hall on the tenth floor of the Raj
eigh Hotel today at noon by the president,
Prof. Horatio c. Wood. who occupies the
chair of therapeutics at the University of
Pennsylvania. The large apartment was
filled with the delegates, who comprised
representatives of all the state medical so
cieties, medical colleges and colleges of
pharmacy in the United States. The pres
ent is the eighth time the convention has
met in this city, having gathered here at
the close of every decade since 1928.
Commissioner John B. Wight welcomed
the convention to Washington with much
cordiality. and said 1t was fitting that such
an important gathering of men, upon whom
so largely depended the welfare of human-
ty, as. its health was SO generally in their
Keeping, should be held in the capital of
the greatest and most progressive of ma
t1ons. Mr.. Wight was warmly applauded.
The official call was read by Mr.. w. S.
Thompson of this city. chairman of the
committee on credentials, who followed it
with the report of his committee, naming
the delegates eligible to participate. Sew
eral gentlemen present, when the reading
OF the list was completed, called attention
to the fact that certain bodies which had
sent representatives to the convention had
not been mentioned.
The Matter Explained.
Mr.. Thompson explained that only state
medical societies Incorporated by states
which had been in existence five years pre-
vious to this meeting were eligible. He
stated that the committee had therefore
found ineligible for this reason the Georgia
Medical Association, the Chicago Medical
l,-, Tali iaf,,
New York County Medical Society, the
Northwestern Ohio Druggists Association,
the Allegheny County, Pa, Medical Society
ana the Alumni Association of the Philadel-
phla college of Pharmacy. discussion
seemed to be imminent when a motion was
made and carried to refer all questions
about the societies back to the committee
on credentials.
The convention then listened TO the ad-
dress of President Wood. 1t was an in
teresllng contribution reviewing the his
tory OF former revisions of the pharmaco-
poela, which have now occupied a century
lie urged careful study of these lessons
OF the past in order that the work of the
present, which meant much for the fu-
lure, might be approached with care and
wisdom. His suggestion that Dr. Charles
Rice of New York chairman of the last
committee on revision, should be continued
at the head of the committee to be formed
was greeted with applause. as was his an
nouncement that the condition of DR. Rice
who has been sick, was rapidly improving.
The convention then took a recess until
3 O'Clock to select one member from each
delegation to form a committee on nomi-
nations, which committee is authorized to
nominate officers of the convention and
the committee of revision.
Scope of the Pharmacopoefa,
The committee appointed at the conven-
ton of 1880 to draft plan for revising the
pharmacopoeia adopted In that year will
make its report this afternoon. Among its
more important recommendations are the
following:
The committee of revision should be au-
thorlZed to admit into the pharma copOeia
any product of nature of known origin: also
any synthetZed product of definite COM
position which is in common use by the
medical profession, the identity, purity or
strength Of which can be determined No
compound or mixture should be introduced
If the composition mode of manufactur
thereof be kept secret, or if it be controlled
by unlimited proprietary or patent rights
Doses.
after each pharmacapoeial article
drug. chemical or preparation) which is
used or likely to be used internally or hy-
podermically the committee is instructed
to state the average approximate (bu.
neither a minimum nor a maximum) dose
for adults. and. where deemed advisable
also for children. 1t is to be distinctly un-
derstood that neither this convention nor
the committee of revision created by it in
tends to have these doses regarded as oh
ligatory the physician or as forbdding
him TO exceed them whenever in his judg-
ment this seems advisable. The committee
is directed to make a distinct declaration
to this effect in some prominent place in the
new pharmacopoeia.
Purity and Strength.
1.-THE committee is instructed To revise
as carefully as possible the limits of purity
and strength of the pharmacopoeial chemi-
cas- and preparations for which limiting
tests are given. While no concession
Should be made toward a diminutiou of
medicinal value, allowance should be made
for unavoidable, innocuous impurities or
variations due to the particular source or
mode of preparation to the Keeping
qualities of the several articles In the
case of natural products the limits of ad-
missibie impurities should be placed high
el.cugh to exclude any that would not be
accepted by other countries
Regarding the strength of diluted acids
tinctures, and galenical preparations in
gel eral, it is recommended that the COM
mittee keep in view the desirability of at
least a gradual approach upon mutual
concessions toward uniformity with similar
preparations of other pharmacopoeias, par
ticularly in the case of potent remedies
which are In general among civilized
nations.
FormuIae and weights and Measures.
1t is further recommended that general
formulae be introduced, as far as the par
ticular nature of the several drugs will
permit, for fluid extracts, tinctures and
such other preparations as are made by
identical processes. and that the general
formula to be followed in each case be
merely indicated by reference.
The committee is instructed to retain the
system of weights and measures adopted
in the seventh decennial revision. and is
advised that in all matters not specially
provided for in these General Principles''
the rules established for previous revision,
If there are any, should be followed
Special Fund Provided.