L. G. Rowntree, M.D., Sc.D., Professor of Medicine, Mayo Foundation, Rochester.
G. H. Simmons, M.D., LL.D., Chairman of the Council, Editor of The Journal of the American Medical Association, Chicago.
Torald Sollmann, M.D., Professor of Pharmacology and Materia Medica, Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland.
Julius Stieglitz, Ph.D., Sc.D., Chem.D., Professor of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Vice-Chairman of the Council, Chicago.
At its first meeting in 1905, the Council began examining the proprietary and nonofficial medicinal preparations offered to physicians of the United States, and authorized the publication of a book (New and Nonofficial Remedies) containing descriptions of those preparations which were deemed worthy of the consideration of physicians. It also issued reports (Reports of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry) to the medical profession on those preparations which were not eligible. The Council adopted a set of rules by which to measure the eligibility of each preparation for admission to New and Nonofficial Remedies. These rules were designed primarily to protect the public—through the medical profession—against fraud, undesirable secrecy and objectionable advertising in connection with proprietary medicinal articles. The rules originally adopted have been subjected to revision from time to time to meet changing conditions. For the information of those who wish to familiarize themselves with the work of the Council the rules which are now in force (1921) follow this introduction. A summary is also to be found in the article, “The Work of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry, Present and Future,” page [12].
Since 1906, the Council has issued New and Nonofficial Remedies annually. In each issue are listed and described the articles that stand accepted on January 1 of the year of publication. The book describes proprietary medicinal articles on the American market that are found eligible under the rules, and also such nonproprietary, nonofficial articles as give promise of therapeutic usefulness, listing the acceptable brands. Articles of a similar character are grouped together, and each group is preceded by a general discussion for the purpose of comparison.
Since 1908, the Council has also issued an annual volume, “Reports of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry,” which contains reports on proprietary medicines that were found inadmissible to New and Nonofficial Remedies. The reports issued prior to 1916—and deemed of sufficient interest to physicians—were reprinted in the Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, ninth edition (1916). The more important reports issued from 1916 to 1921, inclusive, are in this volume.
While it is the chief function of the Council to investigate and report on proprietary medicinal preparations, its work has broadened so that the Council’s work may now be characterized as a propaganda for the rational use of drugs. Thus, its Committee on Therapeutic Research encourages the investigation of questions concerning the actions of drugs. These investigations are brought together in the “Annual Reports of the Therapeutic Research Committee.” The Council also has a committee on medical teaching which has issued the publication “Useful Drugs,” a concise, but thorough and up-to-date, discussion of the more important drugs. In addition, the Council appointed a committee to prepare an “Epitome of the U. S. Pharmacopeia and National Formulary,” in which are presented those portions of the United States Pharmacopeia and the National Formulary that are of interest to physicians and in which is given a concise statement of the therapeutic usefulness of such drugs and preparations.