Pharmacopeia Collegi Regalis Medicorum Londinenfis. 4to. 95. Johnfon.

NEAR fifty years have elapfed fince the publication of the laft edition of the London Pharmacopoeia. In this interval, the colleges of Wirtenburg, New Brunfwic, Upfal, Copenhagen, Petersburgh, and Edinburgh, have published repeated editions of their feveral difpenfatories. What may at first feem negligent, will be found at laft highly creditable; and, when the college may have appeared moft inattentive, in affifting the English phyficians with a proper pharmaceutical guide, it will be a fufficient answer to refer the caviller to the former difpenfatory. It contained many active and judicious prefcriptions; and, though encumbered with fome crowded formulæ, contained fewer trifles, and more excellencies, than any difpenfatory of that period. The dignity of the college, in their national publications, is well preferved. Their directions are concife, pointed, and fufficiently clear to adepts, but they avoid minutenefs in the directions, as it is not a work of chemistry; they omit the trifling cofmetics, which contribute to fill up fome valuable foreign difpenfatories, and refufe to affift the cook or the confectioner. The narrative of the committee, prefixed to the last English edition, is a work of much learning; difplays great extent of information, and an accurate discrimination between what is ufeful or elegant in compofition, and what is trifling or difguftful. We greatly regret that the English translation is not decorated by a fimilar narrative.

It is the great business of a reviewer of a national work, to give a full account of the changes which the improvements in fcience, more accurate investigation of the powers of remedies, or even fashion and fancy, have fuggefted. We should also perform our task imperfectly, if we did not join in applauding what is proper, and, blaming what is either incorrect, hastily rejected, or too eagerly admitted. As the tranflator has added notes, like Dr. Pemberton, we fhall defer the task of criticism till we can examine the merits of the English verfion, since we fhall then have fome of the reafons before us which influenced the college in their conduct. At prefent we shall confine ourfelves to the real changes which occur.

The Preface is written with great elegance; and it explains the neceffity of the changes in the names, the reasons for adopting the arbitrary terms alloted to the alkalis, and the conduct of the college in fome other refpects. The catalogue of the materia medica follows; and the college has now fol Jowed the example of almost every foreign pharmacopoeia, in

affigning

affigning the generic and trivial names of Linnæus to each of the vegetables and animals employed. The last edition had only the fynonyms of Cafpar Bauhine, for Linnæus was then unknown. From the former catalogue they have rejected the ACACIA; the AGARIC; the femina AMMEOS and AмOMI; the roots of the ARISTOLOCHIA longa & tenuis; the leaves of the ARTEMISIA and ATRIPLEX olida; BDELLUM; BITUMEN JUDAICUM; BOLUS ARMENIA, BUXI LIGNUM; CALAMINTHA folia; CANCRORUM OCULI; CARPOBALSĄMUM; CASUMUNAR; CEPA; CHAMEDRYS and CHAMAPITYS; COSTUS; DICTAMNUS CRETICUS; ELATINE; FULIGO; GLADIOLUS luteus; Gum ELEMI; HEDERA TERRES, TRIS; HYPOCISTIS; HYSSOPUS; JUNCUS Odoratus; KERMES SUCCUS; LAMIUM ALBUM; BEZOAR; LICHEN Cinereus terreftris; MALABATHRUM; MARGARITA; MARUM vulgare; MATRICARIA; MEUM; NAPI Semen; NARDUS Celtica

PI

Indica; NEPETA; OPOBALSAMUM; OVA; PEOMA; PA RALYSIS; PETROSELINUM Macedonicum; PIMPINELLA; FER album; Pix arida; POLIUM; SCINCI; SESELI; STACHAS; TEREBINTHINA argentoratenfis; THLASPIS; THY, Mus citatrus; TILIA flores; TRICHOMANES; VIPERA and UVE PASSE. Acetum Tartarum, &c. are put under the term vitis; and each calx or falt of metals, ufually put into the lift of the materia medica, becaufe procured from manufacturers, occurs under the title of the metal.

Among the additions are, ACETOSA; ACIDUM VITRIO LICUM; ACONITUM; ARNICA; AVENA; BALSAMUM Canadenfe; BARDANA; CICUTA; CYNARE folia; COLCHICUM; COLUMBA; DIGITALIS; GENISTA; GINSENG; GRATIOLA; HELLEBORASTRUM; ICHTHYOCOLLA; JUGLANS; KINO; MEZEREUM; PAREIRA BRAVA ; PIPER INDICUM QUASSIA; QUERCUS; RIBES nigrum and rubrum; RICINUS; SANTONICUM; SENEKA; SIMARUBA; SIUM; SPIGELIA; STAVISAGRIA TARAXACUM TUSSILAGO; UVA URSI and ZINCUM.

Of the more fimple preparations, thofe of course are omitted where the articles are omitted in the materia medica. The roafted fquill, the toasted rhubarb and nutmeg, and the strained florax, are expunged. Storax is purified in a different way; and a formula is added for the purification of gum ammoniac,

The conferve of garden fcurvy-grafs, of mint, rue, laven der, mallows, and rofemary, are omitted. Conferves of árum and fquills are added. The preserves are wholly amitted. The infpiffated juices of red currants, of lemon, and hemlock leaves, gathered when the flowers are just going to appear, are added. Of the extracts, the ext. enule campana, alces,

and

and lign. guaic. are omitted. Extracts of chamomal flowers of broom tops; a refinous extract of bark and cafcarilla; an aqueous extract of fena, are added. The ext. catharticum is improved, by adding the cardamom feeds, near the end of the infpiffation, in a fmaller quantity, and in fubftance: it is now extractum colocynthidis compofitum.

The lift of expreffed oils is augmented by the caftor oil: that of effential oils by the animal oil of Dippel; fpirit of turpentine rectified by diftilling it from water; rectified oil of amber, and the aromatic oil of Hoffman's anodyne liquor, under the title of oleum vini. The omiffions are numerous : the college have rejected the oils of rhodium, wormwood, mar. joram, rue, favine, chamomal flowers, dill and cummin feeds, as well as the aromatic oils, the oils of box, bricks, and copaiba.

There are numerous changes in the falts; and we fhall therefore give a concife and connected description of the articles, as they appear in the new edition. The vitriolic acid is in the materia medica; and its ftrength afcertained by its spe cific gravity: from this acid the nitrous, muriatic, and acetous acids, are formed; and their refpective strengths are fixed in the fame way. The acetous acid is the radical vinegar distilled from copper; and the common diftilled vinegar retains its place and name, The vitriolic and the nitrous acid are diluteḍ in different degrees in diftinct formula. The other atids are the falt of amber, with its oil, and the flowers of benjamin: the laft are prepared still by fublimation. Of the alkalis there is prepared kali, natron, and ammonia; a folution of the mild and cauftic alkali, called the aqua kali, and aqua kali puri, the folid cauftic alkali (kali purum), and calx cumkali puro, viz. a faturated folution of the cauftic alkali with lime.-The spirit of fal ammoniac is aqua ammoniæ; that with quick lime, aqua ammonia puræ. The fpirit of hartfhorn is retained, and ftyled liquor volatilis cornu cervi; the falt and oil are diftinguifhed by their former names.

The neutrals are the kali vitriolatum (fal polycreft); natron vitriolatum (cubic nitre); purified common nitre; kali acetatum (fal diureticus); aqua ammonia acetatæ (fp. Mindereri); kali tartarizatum (tartarum folubile); natron tartarizatum (fal rupellenfis); alumen purificatum, & uftum. Sea falt, Epsom falt, and common falt, are in the lift of materia medica. We have hitherto interfperfed neither praife nor blame; but we may now be permitted to add, that the falts are called with strict propriety, and are described with great accuracy and neatness. This part at leaft of the work is feemingly carried to its highet pitch of improvement.

Magnesia

Magnefia now appears for the firft time in an English dif penfatory; its preparation, and the method of calcining it, are properly defcribed. Of the fulphureous preparations there are the flores fulphuris loti, as before; kali fulphuratum (hepar fulphuris); oleum et petroleum fulphuratum (balfamum fulphuris); and fulphur præcipitatum, prepared from the kali fulphuratum.

We must follow alfo the new edition in our account of the metallic preparations, and leave the comparison to the reader. Our article would otherwife be too extenfive. The antimonium calcinatum is continued; the crocus antimonii is improved, by adding to the deflagrated materials a little common falt. The antimonium muriatum is prepared with equal parts. of the crocus and vitriolic acid; common falt is added, and a double elective attraction enfues. In this way the preparation formerly the caufticum antimoniale, feems to have additional portion of vital air, and to refemble, in this respect, the corrofive fublimate. The preparation of the pulvis antimonialis we shall transcribe: it feems intended to be employed instead of James's powder; it agrees pretty nearly with the fpecification, except that He feparated the remaining phlogifton, by boiling in melted nitre, while the college direct it to be done by heat alone.

Pulvis Antimonialis.-R antimonii in pulverem craffum triti, cornu cervi, rafi, fingulorum p. libras duas.-Mifce, et injice ollæ ferreæ latæ, ad rubedinem calefactæ, & affidue agita, donec colore cinereo fuerint. Materiam refrigeratam in pulverem tere, st crucibulo loricato immitte. Crucibulum aliud inverfum, cui parvum fit in fundo foramen, luto conjunge. Ignem fubminiftra, quem ad rubedinem fenfim auge, & ita auctum ferva per horas duas. Denique materiam frigefactam in pulverem fubtiliffimum tere.'

The fulphur antimonii præcipitatum is nearly the fame as the kermes mineral, and ordered to be prepared in a different manner from the former medicine under that title. The an timonium tartarizatum is directed to be prepared from the crocus, with an excefs of the crystals of tartar, and to be cryftallized. The glafs of antimony (antimonium vitrificatum) is now added.

The lunar cauftic is made with a greater proportion of aqua fortis, and is more properly called argentum nitratum.

The flores martiales are prepared from iron filings, and caNed ferrum ammoniacale.-The ferri rubigo is directed to be moiftened with water inftead of vinegar, in the operation of rufting." The ferrum tartarizatum is made by mixing filings of iron with twice the weight of crystals of tartar, into a thick pafte, expofing it to the air for eight days, it is then to be

dried and powdered.-The ferrum vitriolatum is the fal martis, fomewhat stronger.

Of the mercurials there is the hydrargyrus purificatus, by diftillation, and adding some filings of iron in the retort. The H. acetatus is the pulvis cinereus of the Edinburgh difpenfa tory, though fomewhat more calcined, diffolved in the acetous acid, and crystallized: this is probably the medicine of Keyfer. The H. calcinatus continues nearly as before. The H. cum creta confifts of three ounces of mercury, triturated with five qunces of chalk, and is intended to fupply the place of a very old preparation, the mercurius alkalizatus. The hydrar gyrus muriatus, the old corrofive fublimate is prepared in the following manner.

Hydrargyrus muriatus.-R hydrargyri purificati, acidi vitriolici, fingulorum p. libras duas, falis muriatici ficcati p. libras tres cum femiffe.-Mifce hydrargyrum cum acido in vase vitreo, & coque in balneo arenæ donec materia exficcata fuerit. Materiam frigefactam mifce in vafe vitreo cum fale muriatico; tum in cucurbita vitrea fublima calore fenfim aucto. Dein materia fublimata a fcoriis feparetur.'

Calomelas, formerly mercurius dulcis, remains; and Scheele's calomel, the H. muriatus mitis is also added. The H. nitratus. ruber, the old mercurius corrofivus ruber, is prepared by adding a small proportion of muriatic acid to the nitrous. The mercurius præcipitatus albus is now calx H. muriati. Æthiops mineral continues, to the difgrace both of chemistry and medicine, under the name of H. cum fulphure. In the factitious cinnabar, the H. fulphuratus ruber, there is a lefs proportion of fulphur, and, of courfe, fome chance that the medicine may not be wholly ufelefs. In the H. vitriolatus, the old mercurius emeticus flavus, the mercury and acid, are in equal quantities..

The faccharum faturni is ceruffa acetata; and a substitute for Goulard's preparation is formed by adding two pounds four ounces of litharge to a gallon of diftilled vinegar: this may be an ufeful application; but it is not like that of Goulard. Stannum pulveratum continues with little alteration.

Zincum calcinatum is preferred to the flowers; and the white vitriol is purified, by adding a little vitriolic acid, again diffolving and cryftallifing the falt.

Of the diftilled waters retained, there are common water diftilled.-Aqua anethi; aqua cinnamomi; aqua fœniculi (from the feeds); aq. menth. fativ. & piperit.; aq. pimento; pulegii, & rofæ. They are ordered to be distilled from the dry herbs.

Among