Epitome of the Pharmacopeia of the United States and the National Formulary Part 1

Epitome of the Pharmacopeia of the United States and the National Formulary.

by A. W. Hewlett and Torald Sollmann and M. I. Wilbert and W. A. Puckner.

PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION

The Pharmacopeia of the United States and the National Formulary are now recognized by federal and state laws as standards for drugs and their preparations. Physicians who prescribe Pharmacopeial or National Formulary drugs or preparations, therefore, are more likely to obtain a good and constant quality than if they prescribe unofficial articles, i.e., articles that have no legalized standard. Hence medical men are interested in knowing what drugs and preparations are included in these two books of standards. Both the Pharmacopeia and the National Formulary, however, contain a vast amount of technical information, of value to pharmacists but of little interest to physicians. The Journal of the American Medical a.s.sociation in 1907 issued the "Physicians'

Manual of the U.S. Pharmacopeia and National Formulary," a book designed to meet the needs of physicians in this respect. The fact that this book did meet a real need is evidenced by the continued demand for it.

The present "Epitome of the U.S. Pharmacopeia and National Formulary"

takes the place of that book, but is based on the new (the ninth) revision of the Pharmacopeia and the new (the fourth) edition of the National Formulary. It has been prepared under the direction of a committee appointed by the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry of the American Medical a.s.sociation. The aim has been to include all the matter in the Pharmacopeia and National Formulary which is likely to be of interest to physicians. This, it is believed, consists of the official t.i.tles and their abbreviations; synonyms; brief definitions; when necessary, concise descriptions of the physical properties; and dosage.

Since both the Pharmacopeia and the National Formulary include many drugs and preparations which are irrational, superfluous or worthless, in many cases the medical members of the committee have added brief comments to aid a discriminating selection of therapeutic agents.

In this epitome drugs are arranged alphabetically by Pharmacopeial or National Formulary t.i.tles; preparations of drugs are placed under the drugs themselves. Thus Tinctura Digitalis is placed not among the Ts, but among the Ds under Digitalis. Names of drugs are in black-face type; names of preparations are in light-face italics. An index is added to a.s.sist in ready reference.

Statements of composition refer in some cases to percentage by volume, in others to percentage by weight, and in still others to percentage by weight-volume--that is, the weight of a given chemical contained (or the weight of a given vegetable drug represented by extractives) in 100 Cc.

of the preparation. It has not been thought worth while to indicate whether the statement in each case is by volume, weight or weight-volume, since the differences are too small to have any therapeutic importance. Statements of alcoholic content refer to percentage by volume and are approximate only. In a few instances in which the quant.i.ty of alcohol in a dose is small, or in which the preparation is intended for external use, the alcohol content is not stated.

DOSAGE statements, when followed by the letters "U.S.P." or "N.F.," are taken from these books, respectively, and are understood to be the average adult doses. In some cases in which this statement was felt to be inadequate or unsatisfactory, further suggestions as to dosage have been added.

PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION

The text of this edition is the same as that of the first, except that a few typographical errors which were in the first edition have been corrected.

The new edition differs from the first in the following particulars:

In the first edition, a star indicates that the drug is included in the second (1916) edition of Useful Drugs. To bring the present edition up to date, the star (*) here indicates that the drug is included in the fifth (1921) edition of Useful Drugs.

In compliance with the opinion expressed by some that a more complete index would be helpful, the index to the second edition has been materially extended. It is hoped that this will help to familiarize those who purchase the book with its contents.

Epitome of the U.S. Pharmacopeia and National Formulary

[STARS (*) DESIGNATE PREPARATIONS DESCRIBED IN "USEFUL DRUGS," A BOOK PREPARED TO FURTHER A MORE RATIONAL MATERIA MEDICA AND PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN MEDICAL a.s.sOCIATION, PRICE 50 CENTS]

=Absinthium (Absinth.), Absinthium, N.F.= (Wormwood, Madderwort, Vermuth).

Leaves and flowering tops.

ACTION AND USES: Obsolete aromatic bitter; without advantage over gentian or other bitter drugs.

=*Acacia (Acac.), Acacia, U.S.P.= (Gum Arabic, Gum Senegal).

A gum occurring in tears, fragments or powder. Slowly and almost completely soluble in water and insoluble in alcohol. Incompatible with sodium borate, lead acetate and ferric salts.

ACTION AND USES: Demulcent; chiefly as a vehicle to suspend insoluble substances in aqueous mixtures.

_*Mucilago Acaciae (Mucil. Acac.), Mucilage of Acacia, U.S.P._--Acacia (35%) in water.

DOSAGE: 15 Cc. or 4 fluidrachms (U.S.P.).

_Syrupus Acaciae (Syr. Acac.), Syrup of Acacia, U.S.P._--Acacia (10%) in sugar and water.

=ACETA, VINEGARS.=--A vinegar is a solution of vegetable principles either in diluted acetic acid or in a mixture of diluted acetic acid and alcohol. For Acetum Aromatic.u.m, see under =Oleum Lavandulae=; for Acetum Opii and Acetum Scillae, see under =Opium= and =Scilla=, respectively.

=*Acetanilidum (Acetanil.), Acetanilid, U.S.P.= (Acetanilide, Antifebrin).--C{6}H{5}NH.CH{3}CO.

A white, odorless, crystalline powder, with a slightly burning taste. Slightly soluble in water (1:190), very soluble in alcohol (1:3.4) and in chloroform (1:3.7). Incompatible with spirit of nitrous ether and forms pasty ma.s.ses when triturated with chloral or antipyrin.

ACTION AND USES: a.n.a.lgesic, antipyretic and, in excessive doses, a cardiac depressant. Used particularly to relieve headache and neuralgic pains. A habit-forming drug. If used over a long period of time, it may produce a severe anemia.

DOSAGE: 0.2 Gm. or 3 grains (U.S.P.) in powders which may be placed in capsules, or tablets which should be crushed before swallowing. It is well to begin with 0.1 Gm. or about 1-1/2 grains, and to repeat cautiously.

_Pulvis Acetanilidi Compositus (Pulv. Acetanil. Co.), Compound Acetanilid Powder, N.F._--Acetanilid (70%), caffeine (10%) and sodium bicarbonate (20%).

USES: Irrational acetanilid preparation. The caffeine does not diminish the toxicity, nor does the bicarbonate increase the solubility of acetanilid, as was at one time supposed.

DOSAGE: 0.3 Gm. or 5 grains (N.F.).

=Acetonum (Aceton.), Acetone, U.S.P.= (Dimethyl-Ketone).

A colorless liquid, with an ethereal odor and a pungent sweetish taste. Miscible with water, alcohol, ether and chloroform.

ACTION AND USES: Pharmaceutic solvent.

=*Acetphenetidinum (Acetphen.), Acetphenetidin, U.S.P.

(Phenacetin).=--C{6}H{4}(OC{2}H{5}).NH.CH{3}CO.

White, odorless, slightly bitter, crystalline scales or powder.