28o 



THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



"My poverty, but not my will consents." 



The wily apothecary wished to avoid 

 the charge of a criminal intent in break- 

 ing the law. 



The description of an ancient apothe- 

 cary shop would hardly do justice to the 

 modern palatial pharmacy, and the very 

 appearance of my audience is a complete 

 refutation of any suspicion that the 

 personal description of the ancient apothe- 

 cary is applicable to the pharmacist of 

 modern times. 



The real foundation of the office of 

 apothecary in England, was laid in 1543, 

 in an Act of Parliament, 34 and 35, 

 Henry VIII, ch. 8. Its preamble speaks 

 severely of the ignorance and cupidity of 

 London surgeons, and then, as a remedy, 

 provides for the toleration and protection 

 of irregular practitioners who afterwards, 

 as a body, became known as apothecaries. 



It is interesting in view of modern 

 prosecutions of druggists for selling 

 remedies without a physicians' prescrip- 

 tion, to notice that this act distinctly 

 ordains "that it shall be lawful to every 

 person, being the King's subject, having 

 knowledge and experience of the nature 

 of herbs, roots and waters, or of the 

 operation of the same by speculation or 

 practice, to practice, use and minister 

 in and to any outward sore, wound, 

 swelling, etc., according to their cunning, 

 experience and knowledge and without 

 suit, trouble or penalty." So that the 

 skill of the apothecary could, without 

 hindrance be called into service in a 

 quasi medical capacity by the people of 

 those ,days. 



I cannot, within the limits of these re- 

 marks, present an historical review of 

 the laws of other countries touching 

 druggists and their status towards the 

 medical profession and the public, and 

 must content myself for to-night with a 

 practical treatment of my subject, leaving 



possibly, to another occasion a more de- 

 tailed account. 



The practice of pharmacy is now regu- 

 lated in this State by Art. XI, of Chap- 

 661, of the laws of 1893, being an act in 

 relation to the public health and forming 

 chapter 25 of "the public health law." 

 It provides for a State board of pharmacy, 

 excepting the counties of New York, 

 Kings and Brie, of five members, each to 

 hold office for five years from the first 

 Tuesday of September of the year in 

 which such term began. 



The New York State Pharmaceutical 

 Association at each annual meeting nomi- 

 nates five resident pharmacists of the 

 State, outside of said counties, from which 

 number the Governor fills each vacancy 

 happening after such nomination. The 

 members of the board take the usual oath 

 and meet annually on the first Tuesday 

 of September, at noon, and elect a presi- 

 dent, secretary and treasurer for one year. 

 Other meetings are held at least once in 

 three months. The board makes by-laws 

 and regulations for the examination of 

 applicants for licenses. There are two 

 grades of licenses created, that of phar- 

 macist, which confers the privilege of 

 carrying on the practice of pharmacy, 

 either on his own account as proprietor, or 

 for some other person, and that of assist- 

 ant pharmacist, which permits the holder 

 to retail medicines and poisons, but not 

 to compound physicians' prescriptions in 

 the absence of the licensed pharmacist. 



The board must examine applicants 

 and grant licenses, keep a record of phar- 

 macists and assistants, investigate com- 

 plaints of violations of the law, bring 

 such cases and all infractions of the penal 

 code to the notice of the proper prosecut- 

 ing officer, and render annually to the 

 Governor and the State Pharmaceutical 

 Association, a full statement of its re- 

 ceipts and disbursements. Any person 



