Modern materia medica and therapeutics

Front matter

Class.

Book..

Copyright^?.

Preface To The Fifth Edition

This edition has been thoroughly revised, and contains many important modifications and considerable additions. The section dealing with the Action and Uses of Drugs has been in large part rewritten. Articles dealing with a number of new remedies have been incorporated, and new formulae have been added where it was thought they would make more clear the therapeutic application of the drugs under consideration. The author ventures to hope that the work in its present form may be found equal to existing requirements, and that it may prove as acceptable to students of medicine as former editions.

314 S. Sixteenth Street, Philadelphia, August, 1909.

Preface To The Fourth Edition

The fourth edition of this work has been thoroughly revised and adapted to the Eighth Decennial Revision of the United- States Pharmacopeia. Such corrections and additions have been made as seemed necessary to make it a more complete guide to the study of Materia Medica and Therapeutics. New articles, dealing with Scopolamin, Ethyl-chlorid, Theocin, Veronal, and Radium have been introduced, and in the section on Radiotherapy much new matter has been incorporated.

Among the many changes to be found in the new Pharmacopoeia, attention is especially called to the following : The tincture of aconite has been reduced in strength from 35 per cent, to 10 per cent., and the tincture of veratrum from 40 per cent, to 10 per cent. The tinctures of strophanthus and cantharides have each been increased in strength from 5 per cent. to 10 per cent. The tincture of nux vomica now contains 0.1 per cent, instead of 0.3 per cent, of strychnin.

Blue ointment and mercurial ointment are no longer synonymous. The former (Unguentum Hydrargyri Dilutum) now contains about 33.5 per cent, of metallic mercury, while mercurial ointment contains about 50 per cent. — which was formerly the strength of blue ointment.

The most noteworthy additions to the Pharmacopoeia are Acetphenetidum (phenacetin), ^Ethylis Carbamas (urethane), ^Ethylis Chloridum (ethyl-chlorid), Antipyrina (antipyrin), Bromoformum (bromoform), Cresol, Gelatinum (gelatin), Glandulae Suprarenales Siccae (desiccated suprarenal glands), Glandulae Thyroidese Siccae (desiccated thyroid glands), Guaiacol, Guaiacolis Carbonas (guaiacol carbonate), Hexamethylenamina (hexamethylenamin or urotropin), Iodolum (iodol), Liquor Formaldehydi (solution of formaldehyde), Methylthioninae

10 PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION.

Hydrochloridum (methylene blue), Pelletierinae Tannas (pelletierin tannate), Scopolamine Hydrobromidum (scopolamin hydrobromid), Serum Antidiphthericum (diphtheria antitoxin), Strontii Salicylas (strontium salicylate), Sulphonethylmethanum (trional), Sulphonmethanum (sulphonal), and Thymolis Iodidum (thymol iodide or aristol).

A number of compound preparations have been introduced as substitutes for commercial articles of a similar, but less definite, composition. The chief of these are Cataplasma Kaolini (cataplasm of kaolin, or white clay), Fluidextractum Rhamni Purshianae Aromaticum (aromatic fluidextract of cascara sagrada), Liquor Antisepticus (antiseptic solution), Liquor Cresolis Compositus (compound solution of cresol), Pulvis Acetanilidi Compositus (compound acetanilid powder), and Vinum Cocae (wine of coca).

The titles of a number of official articles have been changed. Thus, all Extracta Fluida have been changed to Fluidextracta. Instead of writing, for example, Extracti Ergotae Fluidi, one now writes Fluidextracti Ergotae. Hydrochloridum has been substituted for Hydrochloras, Hydrobromidum for Hydrobromas, Valeras for Valerianas, Arseni Trioxidum for Acidum Arsenosum, Phenol for Acidum Carbolicum, Chloralum Hydratum for Chloral, Betanaphthol for Naphtol, Potassii Hydroxidum for Potassa, Resorcinol for Resorcinum, Spiritus Glycerylis Nitratis for Spiritus Glonoini, and Veratrum for Veratrum Viride.