El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-01-15
Government Now Recog-
nizes the Pharmacopoeia.
Medicine Droppers Are
Alike All Over the World.
(By Frederic ]. Haskin).

]
THE ninth decennial revision of the
| United States Pharmacopoeia, by
! which standard all American
/ pharmacists and physicians are gov
! erned, will be accomplished by the
! United States Pharmacopoeial conven-
/ ton, which will meet in Washington on
| May IA.
| The committee on revision is now at
work on this important task, which will
affect, directly or Indirectly. every citi-
zen Of the nation. The initials ~. s.
p" signify that a certain drug or
preparation has behind it the authority
of the United States Pharmacopoeia
from the decisions of which there is no
appeal in the world of medicine. The
revision now being accomplished will
stand for ten years, and by its rulings
every physicians prescription for a de-
cade will be regulated.
At Work for Many Months
The committee on revision has been
at work for many months gathering
data upon which the new edition of the
pharmacopoeia win be based. There
has been some discussion in medical
circles about the way this committee
ought to do business.
The committee, supported by GER
tain element. thinks that it ought to
consider the changes necessary, rather
all the information possible tending to
show the advisability or inadvisability
of such changes. weigh it all carefully.
and then submit its report TO the con-
vention for adoption in whole or in
part The other element believes that
not even a committee on revision of the
pharmacOpOeia is infallible, and advo-
Gates publicity in the medical and drug
journals for the changes recommended,
in order that there may be full oppor-
tunity 10 criticise and suggest before
the report is made up.
The committee. through its chairman.
answers that such a course would be
letting down the bars TO an intermin-
able discussion which would serve no
good purpose. The others respond that
the committee would be the sole Judge
of when the discussion should end, and
would have full power 10 accept any
suggestion or reject them ell
No Court of Appeal
The United States Pharmacopoeial
convention IS made up of members who
are appointed delegates from all the
medical schools. schools OF pharmacy,
and medical associations of the United
States. There are certain rules gov
erning the selection of these delegates,
but it provided that a full representa-
ton of the best medical thought of the
nation may be had When the conven-
ton completes its labors the results
will be final; there is no court Of ap-
peal. It's verdict is final and fixed.
There has been much striving after
an international pharmacopoeia binding
upon all civilized nations alike. But the
difficulty of reaching common basis
Of action has been so great that every
effort to get an international pharma-
copoeial convention with power 10 act
has fallen TO the ground. and so every
nation has its own standard.
United Action on Poison.
The nearest approach made 10 an in
ternationaI medicine-standard is the
work of the 1906 conference at Brussels.
where accredited delegates from all !
civilized countries met for the consid |
Grafton of uniform standard for all |
potent or highly poisonous drugs.
Forty-nine such drugs came under the :
purview Of the convention. and an in !
ternational standard OF strength and /
was devised.
1t was agreed that each Of these |
drugs should be designated in future /
pharmacopoeias by their Latin names. /
them were digitalis. belladonna, |
strychnine, arsenic, and other familiar /
poisons.
Standard Medicine Dropper.
1t was also agreed that none of these /
heroic" drugs should ever be prepared /
in the form of a medicinal wine; all /
tinctures are to be 10 percent solu-
ton and all fluid extracts. 100 percent !
One would scarcely think of medicine
iropper being matter of international
agreement, yet il was so at the Brussels
It is important in the compromising
Of prescriptions containing these heroic
Doisons that every drop shall be the
same size, no matter whether the
prescription is being filled at Singapore
DIT New York city. Therefore world
standard dropper was agreed upon.
With temperature of Is degrees cent?
grade ii must drop 20 drops Of distilled
water to the gramme.
Recognized by Government.
The delegates from the United States
lad no authority TO bind the United
States to carry out the provisions Of
he agreement of the Brussels conven-
ion, so they declared that they accepted
I with the proviso that the govern
nent should be required only 10 use
is influence to get the articles of the
greement incorporated in the next
published pharmacopoeia.
Thus will the government for the
list time in the history of pharma-
.ypoeial reviSions in the United States,
e 4 party to its even to the extent of
% pronounced as fine as he had ever
ean in the Rocky mountains. These
% car. led with him to be assayed The ;