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

Wilbert, Martin I. (Martin Inventius), 1865-1916Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.8
Word count
611K words
Chapters
62

Tags

English Originals Medicine Clinical MedicationTraditional MedicineMedical EducationPrescription StandardsPharmacopoeia EpitomePharmacy ReferenceDrug StandardsProfessional ReferenceHealth SciencePractical Guide

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Epitome of the Pharmacopeia of the United States and the National FormularyAuthor: Wilbert, Martin I. (Martin Inventius), 1865-1916,Language: English, Class: RS: Medicine: Pharmacy and materia medica, Release Date: Jan 4, 2013

Editor's review

This book is a practical epitome of pharmacy that condenses the essentials of the United States Pharmacopeia and the National Formulary into a form convenient for reference, making it a typical reference work. Its value lies in presenting the structured organization of pharmaceutical standards and preparation knowledge from a particular historical period: entries are tightly arranged and information-dense, suited to comparative lookup rather than continuous reading. As a public-domain e-book, it also provides primary material for studying the history of pharmaceutical text compilation and understanding early drug standard systems. Its strengths are clear organization and strong searchability, giving readers an intuitive sense of the reference book's editorial logic of "governing complexity with simplicity." In terms of reading context, it is better kept at hand as reference material and used alongside other sources; because it was compiled long ago, its drug standards, dosages, and usage are no longer applicable to today's clinical practice, and readers must recognize its status as a historical document and must not use it as a basis for medication. Overall, this is an old pharmaceutical epitome of value for historical research and as a model of textual organization.

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. Read the preface and notes on conventions first to understand abbreviations and arrangement rules before consulting entries
  2. Read alongside modern pharmaceutical sources to clarify differences from earlier standards
  3. Take notes on entries by topic, focusing on editorial conventions rather than specific dosages
  4. Recognize its documentary nature and do not use it as a basis for any medication

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
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FAQ

Can this book be used to look up current medication dosages? No. The book reflects the pharmacopeial and formulary standards of its time; drug varieties, dosages, and usage have changed substantially since then, and direct reference poses risks. It should be treated as a document in the history of pharmacy, and modern medication must follow current pharmacopeias and professional medical advice.
Can someone without a pharmaceutical background understand it? The threshold is relatively high. The book is organized in epitome form, making extensive use of abbreviations, technical terms, and cross-references, and readers without a foundation can easily get lost. If you only want a general impression, start with the preface and notes on conventions, then try a few entries; there is no need to read it through.
How does it differ from the full pharmacopeia? It is an epitome, not the full text. The book condenses the essentials of the United States Pharmacopeia and the National Formulary for quick reference but omits a great deal of detail and background. For complete content or study of specific entries, consult the original pharmacopeial texts.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Wilbert, Martin I. (Martin Inventius), 1865-1916 Author · American · 1865–1916

Martin I. Wilbert (1865–1916) was an American pharmacist and pharmacognosist who studied medicinal plants and their medical uses. Public information about his life is limited, and details such as his education, positions, and academic honors are not systematically recorded. One work by him is held in this collection: Epitome of the Pharmacopeia of the United States and the National Formulary. This book is a condensed compilation of pharmacopeial and formulary content, organizing and popularizing information on drug ingredients, preparation standards, and the uses of medicinal plants; it reflects his approach of combining pharmacognostic knowledge with pharmacopeial standards. The work may serve pharmacists and historians of pharmacy, and offers a concrete example of early twentieth-century American pharmacopeial literature.