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New and nonofficial remedies, 1948. Issued under the direction and supervision of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry of the American Medical Association. J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, 1948. li + 800 pp. 12 × 19 cm. Price $3.00
SCIENTIFIC EDITION
175
The PH of each of the first two mixtures was approximately 2.20 and C was approximately 3.0 throughout the four-year period of observation. Assays were made by the standard U. S. P. thiochrome method. Blanks were normal and displayed no extraneous fluorescence. The assays recorded for the end of the four-year aging period were made by both the thiochrome method and the microbiological yeast fermentation method. Very close agreement in the results of both methods was observed. TABLE I.-STABILITY OF THIAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE IN AQUEOUSPREPARATIONS CONTAINING IODINE CONCLUSIONS AND POTASSIUM IODIDE The presence of glucose in a n elixir of thiamine Thiamine Hydrochloride Found Expressed hydrochloride prevents the immediate formation of as % of That Originally Present a precipitate upon the addition of 2% by volume of 2 Years 3 Years 4 Years Preparation i Year Lugol's Solution. A .. 86 82 85 B .. 88 88 86.5 The stability of thiamine hydrochloride in aqueous 88 87 86 C 92 solution within the PH range of 2.0 t o 4.8 does not appear t o be influenced by the presence of glucose as PREPARATION A a replacement for sucrose or by ethyl alcohol in a 37.5 Gm. Glucose.. .................... concentration up t o 15%. The presence of iodine 0.348 Gm. Thiamine Hydrochloride.. ..... and potassium iodide in concentrations eauivalent 2 . 0 cc. Lugol's Solution.. ............ to 2% of Lugol's Solution by volume does not exert Water, Distilled, p. s. to make. . 100 cc. a destructive effect on thiamine hydrochloride in PREPARATION B aqueous solutions in the presence of glucose or Sucrose.. .................... 25.0 Gm. sucrose with or without the addition of up to 15% 0.376 Gm. Thamine Hydrochloride. ...... alcohol within the pH range of 2.0 t o 4.8. There 2.0 cc. .Lugol's Solution.. ............ should be no objections t o combinations of iodine 100 cc. Water, Distilled, p. s. t o make. or iodides and thiamine hydrochloride in mixtures of this type. PREPARATION C Glucose.. ................... 37.5 Gm 0.40 Gm. Thiamine Hydrochloride. . . . . . REFERENCE Hydrochloric Acid U.S.P. (a. s. t o adjust PH to3.0) Water, Dist., p. s. t o make. . . . 100 cc. (1) TEIS JOURNAL, Proct. Phorm. Ed., 8, 379(1947).
iodides does not exert a destructive effect upon thiamine liydrochloride in aqueous solutions. This stability was studied within a PH range of 2.0 t o 4.8. All samples were stored in amber glass bottles in diffused sunlight a t room temperature which varied from 23" to 33". The presence of ethyl alcohol in concentrations up t o 15% had little or no effect upon the stability of the thiamine in these preparations.
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Book Reviews New and Nonoficial Remedies, 1948. Issued under the direction and supervision of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry of the American Medical Association. J. B. LiRpincott Company, Philadelphia, 1948. li 800 pp. 12 x 19 cm. Price $3.00. New and Nonoficial Remedies is one of the most valuable books in the pharmacist's library. Although it is written for physicians, pharmacists have adopted it and follow the appearance of new editions with much interest. As each year's issue of this handy book became available we noticed it was thicker than the previous one. The 1948 issue has become so large that the publishers may find it necessary,to change the format somewhat. Because we appreciate the problem that the increase in size has brought and because we recognize some of the dilemmas facing the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry, these few suggestions are ventured in the hope that they will help in planning future editions. First there is the matter of scope. The real value, it seems t o us, in this excellent work lies in the newness and the nonoficicinl character of the drugs.
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The Council very wisely has a rule t o eliminate drugs which have been official for over twenty years, although we are inclined t o wonder if the time should not be shortened now that the U. S. P. and the N. F. are revised every five years. Nevertheless in view of this rule, one is surprised to find agar, barbital, barium sulfate, carbromal, ephedrine, petrolatum, phenobarbital, quinidine sulfate, quinine sulfate, silver nitrate, theophylline, thymol iodide, and others still present. Many of the nonofficial drugs which are over twenty years old are still recognized, too-witness Afenil, bismuth tribromophenate, metacresyl acetate, Digalen, ethyl salicylate, ferrous lactate, Orthoform, scarlet red sulfonate, sodium peroxide, and many other drugs. In making a hasty count, it was noted that nearly half of the drugs in the 1948 edition of N. N. R. are a t present official in either the U. S. P. or the N. F. In the category of local anti-infective drugs, 23 are nonofficial, 19 in the N. F. and 9 in the U. S. P. In the systemic anti-infective group, 11 are nonofficial, 4 are N. F. and 18 are U. S. P. Among the autonomic drugs, 18are nonofficial and 10 are in the U. S. P. Eighteen hormones and synthetic
176
JOURNAL OF THE
AMERICAN PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION
substitutes are nonofficial and 9 are in the U. S. P.; 11 vitamin drugs are nonofficial and 15 are in the U. S. P., etc. Perhaps one of the most difficult achievements of any work pertaining t o drug standards is consistency. N. N. R. 1948 is full of inconsistencies, many of which can be easily corrected. For example, the Council desires t o foster generic names and yet often gives emphasis t o trade-marked names apparently unintentionally. Generic names are in bold face capitals to distinguish them from protected names which are in bold face upper and lower case, i.e., AMOBARBITAL-AmytalLilly. However, in the case of substances for which generic names have not yet been adopted, the registered trade-mark name appears in bold face capitals, i.e., DIGIFOLIN-Ciba. This seems to’ give a slight advantage to those firms which have not complied with the Council’s request. In the preservative field, the generic versus protected names issue seems t o be particularly unfairly treated at times. For example, on page 489 under Influenza Virus Vaccine it is noted that Lilly’s )roduct is preserved with “Merthiolate” while for the Squibb, Sharp and Dohme, and the Pitman-Moore products the chemical name “sodium ethyl mercuri thiosalicylate” is employed. In a number of places it is evident that a standard style book would be of great assistance. The basic arrangement in subsections seems t o be alphabetical. However, on pages 52-53,Butethamine Forma te and Hydrochloride appear between Metycaine Hydrochloride and Phenacaine Hydrochloride evidently because they are alphabetized under their trade names, Monocaine Formate and Hydrochloride. The treatment of “salts” of organic compounds is not always uniform. In the case of the sulfonamides, the sodium compounds are all placed together in a separate section following the sulfonamides themselves (pp. 144-148). In the case of the soluble barbiturates, the sodium compound follows the “acid” form, i.e., amobarbital is followed by amobarbital sodium (see pp. 448 ff.). Dosage forms of a drug are not all treated uniformly either. For example, epinephrine, epinephrine solution, and epinephrine in oil each rates a separate monograph (pp. 233-241). In the case of penicillin, there is one basic monograph which covers all recognized penicillin dosage forms. Frequently there is an inconsistency in the chemical nomenclature (especially noticeable in the barbiturates), which is most confusing t o physicians, pharmacists, and even t o organic chemists. A similar inconsistency is the alphabetizing of isomers, i.e., metacresyl acetate is under c but paraaminobenzoic acid is under p . A valuable change in N. S . R.. actually brought about in 1947, is the separation of the tests and standards from the “physicians’ part of the book.” I n general, Section B on tests and standards is well done and is useful. Correlating tests a little mole closely with U. S. P.-N. F procedure would be very helpful to the research workers on these compendia since frequently new admissions to these official books come from N. N. R. Because of the rapid appearance of “miracle” drugs, each year sees the book becoming a little more unwieldy. It is believed that a
careful examination of scope and the development of a consistent style can obviate many of these difficulties. It is in this s p i h that t h e reviewer has the temerity t o call attention to these matters. The editors, the members of the Council, the members of the laboratory staff, and all who participated in this enterprise are t o be congratulated upon doing an amazing volume of work in a very short time and making a real contribution to the pharmaceutical and medical professions. Trade-Mark Law a n d - Practice. Lanham Act Edition. By LEON H. AMDUR. Clark Boardman Company, New York, 1948. xiii 776 pages. 15 x 24 cm. Price $15.00. , For many years execution of the trade-mark law. like patent law, has been a specialized and a n essential operation. Since a large number of drugs and drug products have trade-marked names, this phase of law is of tremendous importance t o the drug industry. This book gives the Trade-Mark Act of 1946 (the Lanham Act), the Trade-Mark Rules of the U. S. Patent Office and a n interpretation of the many factors in trade-mark law by citing cases. Descriptiveness, geographical connotations, surnames and corporate names, secondary meaning, radio-marks, generic designation, similarity of goods, related companies, abandonment and many other problems relating t o the trade-mark are as important t o the drug field as t o other fields. Nearly any problem in trade-mark law in this book cites a case in the drug field. The book is well documented with case citations and is indexed by means of a general index, an index t o patent office forms, a n index t o the sections of the 1946 Act referred t o in text, an index t o prior acts, and an index t o patent and trade-mark rules referred t o in text. To anyone interested in the intricacies of trademark law, Mi. Amdur’s book will be of material assistance.
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Practice of Allergy. 2nd ed. By WARREN T. VAUGHANand J. HARVEYBLACK. C. V. Mosby Company, St. Louis, 1948. xx 1132 pp. 16 x 25 cm. Although Practiu of Allergy was written for the medical practitioner, some pharmacists will have occasion t o consult it for reference. The history of allergy and anaphylaxis makes fascinating reading a s do the more general phases of allergy. Climate, social status and environmental factors in relation t o the incidence of allergy are of general interest t o all in the health field. By sharpening the pharmacists’ interest in allergy, no doubt many seekers after advice on self-medication will be sent t o proper physicians. Some pharmacists, particularly those practicing in hospitals, will be interested in the detailed methods for preparing and standardizing allergens for diagnostic testing and for desensitization. Others will find interest in techniques of pollen counting and identification of pollens and other allergens (aerobiology). Of especial importance is the section of the book dealing with drug allergy. A short chapter on treatment using antihistaminics and other drugs is also included.
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175
The PH of each of the first two mixtures was approximately 2.20 and C was approximately 3.0 throughout the four-year period of observation. Assays were made by the standard U. S. P. thiochrome method. Blanks were normal and displayed no extraneous fluorescence. The assays recorded for the end of the four-year aging period were made by both the thiochrome method and the microbiological yeast fermentation method. Very close agreement in the results of both methods was observed. TABLE I.-STABILITY OF THIAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE IN AQUEOUSPREPARATIONS CONTAINING IODINE CONCLUSIONS AND POTASSIUM IODIDE The presence of glucose in a n elixir of thiamine Thiamine Hydrochloride Found Expressed hydrochloride prevents the immediate formation of as % of That Originally Present a precipitate upon the addition of 2% by volume of 2 Years 3 Years 4 Years Preparation i Year Lugol's Solution. A .. 86 82 85 B .. 88 88 86.5 The stability of thiamine hydrochloride in aqueous 88 87 86 C 92 solution within the PH range of 2.0 t o 4.8 does not appear t o be influenced by the presence of glucose as PREPARATION A a replacement for sucrose or by ethyl alcohol in a 37.5 Gm. Glucose.. .................... concentration up t o 15%. The presence of iodine 0.348 Gm. Thiamine Hydrochloride.. ..... and potassium iodide in concentrations eauivalent 2 . 0 cc. Lugol's Solution.. ............ to 2% of Lugol's Solution by volume does not exert Water, Distilled, p. s. to make. . 100 cc. a destructive effect on thiamine hydrochloride in PREPARATION B aqueous solutions in the presence of glucose or Sucrose.. .................... 25.0 Gm. sucrose with or without the addition of up to 15% 0.376 Gm. Thamine Hydrochloride. ...... alcohol within the pH range of 2.0 t o 4.8. There 2.0 cc. .Lugol's Solution.. ............ should be no objections t o combinations of iodine 100 cc. Water, Distilled, p. s. t o make. or iodides and thiamine hydrochloride in mixtures of this type. PREPARATION C Glucose.. ................... 37.5 Gm 0.40 Gm. Thiamine Hydrochloride. . . . . . REFERENCE Hydrochloric Acid U.S.P. (a. s. t o adjust PH to3.0) Water, Dist., p. s. t o make. . . . 100 cc. (1) TEIS JOURNAL, Proct. Phorm. Ed., 8, 379(1947).
iodides does not exert a destructive effect upon thiamine liydrochloride in aqueous solutions. This stability was studied within a PH range of 2.0 t o 4.8. All samples were stored in amber glass bottles in diffused sunlight a t room temperature which varied from 23" to 33". The presence of ethyl alcohol in concentrations up t o 15% had little or no effect upon the stability of the thiamine in these preparations.
.
Book Reviews New and Nonoficial Remedies, 1948. Issued under the direction and supervision of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry of the American Medical Association. J. B. LiRpincott Company, Philadelphia, 1948. li 800 pp. 12 x 19 cm. Price $3.00. New and Nonoficial Remedies is one of the most valuable books in the pharmacist's library. Although it is written for physicians, pharmacists have adopted it and follow the appearance of new editions with much interest. As each year's issue of this handy book became available we noticed it was thicker than the previous one. The 1948 issue has become so large that the publishers may find it necessary,to change the format somewhat. Because we appreciate the problem that the increase in size has brought and because we recognize some of the dilemmas facing the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry, these few suggestions are ventured in the hope that they will help in planning future editions. First there is the matter of scope. The real value, it seems t o us, in this excellent work lies in the newness and the nonoficicinl character of the drugs.
+
The Council very wisely has a rule t o eliminate drugs which have been official for over twenty years, although we are inclined t o wonder if the time should not be shortened now that the U. S. P. and the N. F. are revised every five years. Nevertheless in view of this rule, one is surprised to find agar, barbital, barium sulfate, carbromal, ephedrine, petrolatum, phenobarbital, quinidine sulfate, quinine sulfate, silver nitrate, theophylline, thymol iodide, and others still present. Many of the nonofficial drugs which are over twenty years old are still recognized, too-witness Afenil, bismuth tribromophenate, metacresyl acetate, Digalen, ethyl salicylate, ferrous lactate, Orthoform, scarlet red sulfonate, sodium peroxide, and many other drugs. In making a hasty count, it was noted that nearly half of the drugs in the 1948 edition of N. N. R. are a t present official in either the U. S. P. or the N. F. In the category of local anti-infective drugs, 23 are nonofficial, 19 in the N. F. and 9 in the U. S. P. In the systemic anti-infective group, 11 are nonofficial, 4 are N. F. and 18 are U. S. P. Among the autonomic drugs, 18are nonofficial and 10 are in the U. S. P. Eighteen hormones and synthetic
176
JOURNAL OF THE
AMERICAN PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION
substitutes are nonofficial and 9 are in the U. S. P.; 11 vitamin drugs are nonofficial and 15 are in the U. S. P., etc. Perhaps one of the most difficult achievements of any work pertaining t o drug standards is consistency. N. N. R. 1948 is full of inconsistencies, many of which can be easily corrected. For example, the Council desires t o foster generic names and yet often gives emphasis t o trade-marked names apparently unintentionally. Generic names are in bold face capitals to distinguish them from protected names which are in bold face upper and lower case, i.e., AMOBARBITAL-AmytalLilly. However, in the case of substances for which generic names have not yet been adopted, the registered trade-mark name appears in bold face capitals, i.e., DIGIFOLIN-Ciba. This seems to’ give a slight advantage to those firms which have not complied with the Council’s request. In the preservative field, the generic versus protected names issue seems t o be particularly unfairly treated at times. For example, on page 489 under Influenza Virus Vaccine it is noted that Lilly’s )roduct is preserved with “Merthiolate” while for the Squibb, Sharp and Dohme, and the Pitman-Moore products the chemical name “sodium ethyl mercuri thiosalicylate” is employed. In a number of places it is evident that a standard style book would be of great assistance. The basic arrangement in subsections seems t o be alphabetical. However, on pages 52-53,Butethamine Forma te and Hydrochloride appear between Metycaine Hydrochloride and Phenacaine Hydrochloride evidently because they are alphabetized under their trade names, Monocaine Formate and Hydrochloride. The treatment of “salts” of organic compounds is not always uniform. In the case of the sulfonamides, the sodium compounds are all placed together in a separate section following the sulfonamides themselves (pp. 144-148). In the case of the soluble barbiturates, the sodium compound follows the “acid” form, i.e., amobarbital is followed by amobarbital sodium (see pp. 448 ff.). Dosage forms of a drug are not all treated uniformly either. For example, epinephrine, epinephrine solution, and epinephrine in oil each rates a separate monograph (pp. 233-241). In the case of penicillin, there is one basic monograph which covers all recognized penicillin dosage forms. Frequently there is an inconsistency in the chemical nomenclature (especially noticeable in the barbiturates), which is most confusing t o physicians, pharmacists, and even t o organic chemists. A similar inconsistency is the alphabetizing of isomers, i.e., metacresyl acetate is under c but paraaminobenzoic acid is under p . A valuable change in N. S . R.. actually brought about in 1947, is the separation of the tests and standards from the “physicians’ part of the book.” I n general, Section B on tests and standards is well done and is useful. Correlating tests a little mole closely with U. S. P.-N. F procedure would be very helpful to the research workers on these compendia since frequently new admissions to these official books come from N. N. R. Because of the rapid appearance of “miracle” drugs, each year sees the book becoming a little more unwieldy. It is believed that a
careful examination of scope and the development of a consistent style can obviate many of these difficulties. It is in this s p i h that t h e reviewer has the temerity t o call attention to these matters. The editors, the members of the Council, the members of the laboratory staff, and all who participated in this enterprise are t o be congratulated upon doing an amazing volume of work in a very short time and making a real contribution to the pharmaceutical and medical professions. Trade-Mark Law a n d - Practice. Lanham Act Edition. By LEON H. AMDUR. Clark Boardman Company, New York, 1948. xiii 776 pages. 15 x 24 cm. Price $15.00. , For many years execution of the trade-mark law. like patent law, has been a specialized and a n essential operation. Since a large number of drugs and drug products have trade-marked names, this phase of law is of tremendous importance t o the drug industry. This book gives the Trade-Mark Act of 1946 (the Lanham Act), the Trade-Mark Rules of the U. S. Patent Office and a n interpretation of the many factors in trade-mark law by citing cases. Descriptiveness, geographical connotations, surnames and corporate names, secondary meaning, radio-marks, generic designation, similarity of goods, related companies, abandonment and many other problems relating t o the trade-mark are as important t o the drug field as t o other fields. Nearly any problem in trade-mark law in this book cites a case in the drug field. The book is well documented with case citations and is indexed by means of a general index, an index t o patent office forms, a n index t o the sections of the 1946 Act referred t o in text, an index t o prior acts, and an index t o patent and trade-mark rules referred t o in text. To anyone interested in the intricacies of trademark law, Mi. Amdur’s book will be of material assistance.
+
Practice of Allergy. 2nd ed. By WARREN T. VAUGHANand J. HARVEYBLACK. C. V. Mosby Company, St. Louis, 1948. xx 1132 pp. 16 x 25 cm. Although Practiu of Allergy was written for the medical practitioner, some pharmacists will have occasion t o consult it for reference. The history of allergy and anaphylaxis makes fascinating reading a s do the more general phases of allergy. Climate, social status and environmental factors in relation t o the incidence of allergy are of general interest t o all in the health field. By sharpening the pharmacists’ interest in allergy, no doubt many seekers after advice on self-medication will be sent t o proper physicians. Some pharmacists, particularly those practicing in hospitals, will be interested in the detailed methods for preparing and standardizing allergens for diagnostic testing and for desensitization. Others will find interest in techniques of pollen counting and identification of pollens and other allergens (aerobiology). Of especial importance is the section of the book dealing with drug allergy. A short chapter on treatment using antihistaminics and other drugs is also included.
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