VOL. XIX.

THE

No. 5.

higher educational standing, but the bill which has

Last year New York State took a long step forward in enacting a pharmacy law making graduation in pharmacy compulsory on the part of those who would become registered proprietors. And now Pennsylvania, after meeting with failure in the legislature two years ago, has ranged itself alongside of its sister State in this new movement for a higher educational and professional standard in pharmacy. To those who realize that education is the rock upon which human progress is based no assurance need be given that the action of New York and Pennsylvania is full of significance for the future development of the calling.

Minnesota, too, though in the West, has aspired to equal her Eastern sisters in their regard for a

likely to be passed this year: let us hope, however, that an entering wedge has been inserted which will do its work in time. Meanwhile it is apparent from many quarters that next year will witness the introduction of several graduation prerequisite measures in different State legislatures. A prominent pharmacist said in our hearing only a few days ago that "every State where the pharmacists have any gumption will enact a prerequisite law within five years."

We are not quite prepared to go this far. In common with all progressive pharmacists we desire to see the movement proceed as hastily as may be with safety and stability, but we believe so much prejudice and tradition will be encountered in many States that no very great speed will be found possible. Medicine initiated the demand for compulsory graduation forty years ago, and sixteen of the forty-five States and Territories of the United States proper are still unprovided with statutes insisting upon the possession of a medical degree.

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Returning to the Pennsylvania measure, signed by Governor Pennypacker a few weeks ago, we must confess that, while we rejoice over the successful adoption of the graduation prerequisite standard in the State, we are disappointed in the nature of the statute. The bill passed is simply an amendment to the existing pharmacy law, and positively the only reference to the prerequisite feature is found in a sentence which, after stating the requirements to which an applicant must conform if he desires to become a registered proprietor, declares that among the rest "he must present satisfactory evidence of being a graduate of some reputable and properly chartered college of pharmacy." Nothing is said about a preliminary standard. Nothing is said about a curriculum standard. The bars are down, and the cattle may be expected to rush in to a pasture presenting such succulent opportunities!

The history of medical education in this coun

try warrants the expectation that as soon as the different States demand graduation of every proprietor a horde of mendacious and avaricious. schools will arise and appeal to the illiterate and the slipshod with low entrance requirements and a curriculum entirely inadequate. It is imperative that rigidly defined preliminary and curriculum standards be observed in every prerequisite law if the movement is not to be robbed entirely of its great possibilities for good. The Pennsylvania pharmaThe Pennsylvania pharmacists may argue that the Board of Pharmacy has power under the rather adroit language of the new amendment to discriminate between schools, but no such responsibility and autocratic power should be entrusted to any board. The board will need to use sufficient discretion even if the law lays down certain definite standards; and then, moreover, it will be backed up legally in its demands.

Furthermore, we are looking to the graduation prerequisite movement to advance our standards of preliminary or general education in pharmacy. The colleges tell us they can't do much in this direction until the law, compelling the same standard. from every school alike, protects them from unfair competition. Why, then, throw away such an opportunity to base the profession not only upon proper pharmaceutical education, but upon proper general education also?

A VICIOUS HABIT.

There is one vicious habit the BULLETIN has very often preached against, and other journals have likewise occasionally dilated on the theme. What is it? The entirely inexcusable practice of pasting one label over another in filling bottles brought in by customers. It is slipshod. It is dangerous. It is entirely without extenuation.

Here, for instance, is the tale of a recent case that happened in Toronto, and the facts of which are given in the Canadian Pharmaceutical Journal. A child of ten years came into a store, asked for ten cents worth of carbolic acid, and handed a bottle over the counter to contain the substance. The druggist looked at the bottle in surprise.

In the first place it was a whiskey bottle, and carbolic acid or any other poison should never be dispensed in such a container for obvious reasons. But not only had some other druggist previously dispensed carbolic acid in this bottle; in doing so he had not even removed the whiskey label, and had

contented himself instead with simply pasting the carbolic label over it!

Every druggist knows how common an occurrence it is for one label, placed over another, to fall off and leave exposed the one underneath; and, even if this did not occur in the present case, the whiskey label, being much larger than the superimposed carbolic label, was the more conspicuous and might easily be read quickly by one who did not notice the smaller one at all.

These two rules should be riveted in the memory: (1) Never dispense poisons in a whiskey flask. (2) Never carelessly paste one label over another, either on a shop container or in dispensing goods over the

counter.

JUST ONE INSTANCE.

One of the BULLETIN correspondents last month asked us to print a formula for wheat phosphates in hunted high and low for the information, glanced the department of "Queries" for this issue. We hastily through the index of every book which could possibly assist us, but all in vain. Finally a happy

though struck us. Here on the desk was a volume which had come in some days before and which we had as yet had no time to examine carefully. It took but an instant to run down through the "W's" for wheat phosphates and to find two references to this much-desired information.

What book was it? It was the Index to the first fifty volumes of the annual proceedings of the American Pharmaceutical Association, covering the period from 1851 to 1902, inclusive.* The preparation of this book has been under way for two or three years, and was finally issued from the bindery last month. It is no exaggeration to say that it is the key to a greater amount and variety of pharmaceutical information than can be found anywhere in the literature of the profession.

The Proceedings of the American Pharmaceutical Association are approximately but half given up to the transactions of the society: the remaining four or five hundred pages in each volume are devoted to what is called a "Report on the Progress of Pharmacy." This is really an abstract of everything of importance that has been printed during the year in the various pharmaceutical journals of the world. Thus the new General Index covers an epitome of

*The volume is issued from the office of the General Secretary, Chas. Caspari, Jr., University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the price is $5.00.

the current pharmaceutical literature of the last halfcentury. It contains over 55,000 titles and nearly 70,000 references.

That the volume is an invaluable one need not

be pointed out. It will be desired in the library of every pharmaceutical school, and every member of the association will find its possession imperative. To pharmaceutical editors it is little less than a godsend, and will at once take rank as the most important book in their libraries. It was the enthusiasm and courage of five pharmaceutical journals, indeed, which made the publication possible. The Association feared that its treasury could not stand the expense of preparing such an index, whereupon five publishers,* fearing that so valuable a volume. might be lost to the calling, jumped into the breach

and subscribed five hundred dollars each to the undertaking.

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BULLETIN TOPICS.

Our readers will be glad to know that several letters have been called forth by the editorial of last month on "Two Druggists and Their Profits," and we shall have an interesting symposium on the subject in the June issue. Are there not others to be heard from? If you write, give us actual figures and profits, and we shall protect you, if you like, by concealing your name.-It is unfortunate that we have space this month for a portion only of a most practical and valuable symposium on "Credits and Collections." The remaining letters will be presented in the June issue, and meanwhile we shall be glad to hear from other readers on the subject.— Either in June or July we expect to begin a series of semi-humorous and semi-practical articles that, while they are quite different, will yet remind many readers of the "Letters of a Self-made Merchant

to His Son." They are entitled "Talks to the Boy," and have been written by an author who has not previously figured in the pharmaceutical journals.

The drug clerks of San Francisco are pleased over the enactment of a law in the State legislature which provides for an average work day of ten hours, and for an average of not more than sixty hours in any six consecutive days.

*The journals represented were the Druggists Circular, the American Druggist, Merck's Report, the Pharmaceutical Era, and the BULLETIN OF PHARMACY.

THE OBSERVER'S COLUMN.

The Observer was lounging about the drug store of one of his friends the other evening when a well dressed but somewhat sporty-looking individual walked in with traveling bag in hand. The proprietor went up to him and was silently handed a blue card. Not a word was exchanged, and for an instant the Observer was puzzled by the silence and mystery of the proceeding. But he soon saw "what was doing."

The sporty-looking chap was one of our Canadian neighbors ("Canadian" more probably by residence than by birth) who deal in smuggled synthetics at cheap prices-one of that numerous fraternity who take orders on the spot, who deliver the goods on the spot, and who put no trust in such unsafe things as written communications and post-office officials. The blue card he handed over (the Observer captured it afterwards as a souvenir) offered aspirin at 19 cents an ounce, salophen at 75, phenacetine tablets at 37, duotal at 56, trional at 95, sulphonal at 35, and so on through quite a long list.

For some unknown reason the concern had forgotten to put its name and address on the card, insensible of the valuable advertising thus lost. Across the bottom, printed in bold-faced type, was this legend: "Positively all goods in original containers and duty paid."

The Observer was exceedingly curious to see how the interview would develop. It happened that there was no one in the store save the three persons mentioned.

"No, sir, I am not interested at all," emphatically declared the proprietor. "Aside from the question of honesty and right, I don't care to get caught with my head in the noose. Look at those Chicago druggists who were 'pinched' by the dozen two or three months ago. No, thank you, not any in mine!"

"But those druggists," protested the salesman, "handled adulterated goods and were caught on that score."

"Well, all you fellows deal in that kind of stuff.” This was a shot straight from the shoulder, and the proprietor continued: "I haven't any faith in products bought under such conditions. Over and over again druggists buy them thinking they are pure. They think the only risk they run is in being known to have purchased the stuff of the wrong parties, and this risk is so slight that they are willing to take it. Then they wake up some morning and find they

"That's all right," exclaimed the sporty-looking individual, absolutely undisturbed by the proprietor's indictment. "But our goods are pure and purchasers run no such risk."

"Suppose they don't. Every once in a while detectives raid some such plant as yours, and either find lists of purchasers or else secure the information by threats of punishment or promises of immunity. No, you can't do business with me,' concluded the proprietor as a customer came in. “I ordered an ounce of trional to-day and paid $1.50 for it. I had rather do it than run any chances. want to sleep, you know, when I go to bed. need the rest."

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It is very evident that many pharmacists are unaware that methyl or wood alcohol used externally is only less toxic than when employed internally. Replying to a short editorial note in the February BULLETIN, one of our subscribers wrote us that "Oddly enough, I was just on the point of calling up a friend to recommend the use of purified wood alcohol in place of grain alcohol for a spinal rub. Reading your article, I kept my own counsel." A number of cases are on record where the blindness that is characteristic of methyl alcohol toxicity has resulted from liniments, "rubs," and other preparations used externally. The substance should be avoided in external preparations no less than in internal ones.

It is said that 43 applicants recently appeared for examination before the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy, and that not one of them ran the gauntlet!

THE MONTH.

A. PH. A. MATTERS.

A number of interesting items are contained in the last batch of correspondence of the Council of the American Pharmaceutical Association: this

correspondence is now furnished the pharmaceutical press regularly. We are especially pleased to note that a number of colleges of pharmacy have decided to offer as an annual prize to some meritorious member of the senior class a nomination to membership in the A. Ph. A., together, of course, with the first year's fee of $5.00. This action has been taken by the Department of Pharmacy of the Ohio State University; the Pittsburg College of Pharmacy; the Department of Pharmacy of the University of Michigan; and the Scio College of Pharmacy. It is likely that other schools will follow in their wake.-President Beal has appointed the following Committee on the U. S. P., in response to the resolution passed at Kansas City providing for a body with a tenure of ten years' service, but with one vacancy to be filled each year: A. B. Lyons, Charles E. Caspari, C. S. N. Hallberg, George M. Beringer, E. L. Patch, E. G. Eberle, L. F. Kebler, Thomas P. Cook, Reid Hunt, and Smith E. Jelliffe. This committee will select its own chairman.-A Committee of Publicity has also been appointed, with F. B. Hayes as chairman, and comprising H. M. Whelpley, W. R. Ogier, Harry B. Mason, E. J. Kennedy, Henry Kraemer, C. A. Mayo, G. E. Gibbard, G. P. Engelhard, R. G. Eccles, Edward Kremers, and Frank L. James.

ANOTHER N. A. R. D. SUIT.

The N. A. R. D. now has two big suits on its hands. The Loder case, which developed into such a newspaper sensation a month or two ago, and which was made the subject of comment in our last issue, is still pending; and now another large suit has been brought by Mrs. Cora Dow (Goode), the well-known cutter of Cincinnati, who owns several stores. The Loder case was brought under the federal or Sherman anti-trust law, but Mrs. Dow's suit is filed in the local Common Pleas Court. The N. A. R. D., the N. W. D. A., the Proprietary Association of America, and the local retailers and jobbers are made the defendants, and $50,000 damages are asked for. We gather from the reports that Mrs. Dow is attacking the tripartite rather than the direct-contract plan, actu

ated perhaps by the knowledge that the courts have repeatedly upheld the latter, and that her chances would possibly be better under the former. Meanwhile the direct-contract plan has been supported in another judicial decision handed down by Judge Tarrant of Milwaukee; and this, added to the several decisions which have been reported in the BULLETIN during the last two or three months, indicates forcibly how sound a legal fortress is comprised in the present working plan of the N. A. R. D.

OF PERUNA.

While speaking of the N. A. R. THAT CARLOAD D. and the contract plan, it is interesting to note a rather dramatic situation that arose last month. As we write a legal struggle is being made for the possession of a carload of Peruna. It seems that early in March the Peruna Manufacturing Co. shipped a carload of Peruna, comprising 660 cases, to McKesson & Robbins, the well-known New York jobbers. The latter promptly billed the car to Charles H. Loveland, of Binghamton, a small retailer who had signed the Peruna contract. So far the transaction was entirely legitimate. But observe the developments. Loveland went systematically through the car, removed the serial numbers from every one of the 660 cases of Peruna, and then hustled the car out of Binghamton to N. W. Chambers, of Dayton, Ohio, who for some time has been persona non grata to the N. A. R. D. In some way the suspicions of the Peruna people were aroused and a detective in their employ soon ferreted out the foregoing facts. Then it became a fight for possession of the carload of Peruna! At present it is

in the hands of the United States Marshal at Buffalo, and it will remain there until the court decides who is entitled to its ultimate possession.

ANTI-COCAINE BILLS.

Last month we had the pleasure of reporting the enactment of two new anti-cocaine laws-in Missouri and Minnesota. We observe now that three additional measures are pending, in the legislatures of New York, Rhode Island, and Illinois. We have been unable to discover what is the nature of the Rhode Island bill, but we are somewhat surprised to find the pharmacists of the State in hostility to it. If the measure was introduced by alien interests, this only suggests, what we have said often before, that pharmacists had better take the

initiative in anti-cocaine reform and promptly introduce bills which will be satisfactory to themselves, instead of waiting for others to bring forth measures which are quite sure to prove unsatisfactory. So far as the Illinois bill is concerned, this is intended to make certain improvements in the statute which has now been in existence for two or three years, and which, it will be remembered, has been quite vigorously enforced by the Board of Pharmacy. The New York measure seems to be something in the nature of a nondescript, and this leads us to say again that the druggists of the various States ought to use the Beal anti-narcotic draft which was so carefully elaborated a year or two ago, and which has received the approval of the American Pharmaceutical Association.

AFTER PATENT

MEDICINES.

Patent medicines are always made the special target of legislative attack every year, but they seem to be particularly in for it during the present season. The customary type of formula-on-the-package bill has appeared in several legislatures, including those of Pennsylvania, Michigan, New York, Wisconsin, and New Hampshire. In Pennsylvania there is also a measure restricting the sale of patent medicines containing alcohol in any quantity to physicians' prescriptions! Bills have likewise been introduced elsewhere which either restrict or prohibit entirely the sale of patents containing alcohol. The patent medicine barons have always been successful in securing the burial of such legislation, and it seems quite likely that they will preach the funeral services this year as before. Meanwhile an old Spanish law in Cuba has been discovered and put into force, and this makes it necessary for every patent medicine manufacturer who desires to sell his goods in that country to submit his formulas for the approval of the government. A good deal of strenuous protesting has naturally developed, and it remains to be seen what the outcome will be. The manufacturers of patent medicines, like other people, have their troubles.