Experimental  Pharmacology. 
j  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\  November,  1910. 
constituent  was  oxidized  and  rendered  inert  long  before  it  reached 
the  circulation.  The  patient  died.  Again,  there  is  an  obstetrician  in 
our  city  who  has  no  superior  in  the  middle  west.  I  lately  discovered 
that  he  makes  a  routine  of  giving  5  drops  of  adrenalin  chloride 
per  os  following  labor,  to  cause  uterine  contraction  and  to  prevent 
hemorrhage.  Of  course  it  is  destroyed  before  it  reaches  the  blood- 
vessels of  the  mucosa.  I  know  of  another  man  who  gave  cocaine 
by  the  mouth  and  was  surprised  that  he  did  not  get  local  anaesthesia 
in  the  skin.  I  saw  another  successful  practitioner  use  strychnine 
hypodermically,  in  order  to  lessen  the  severity  of  an  epileptic  con- 
vulsion. Such  examples  might  be  quoted  ad  infinitum.  Such  errors 
would  not  occur  had  these  men  had  pharmacologic  training  and  been 
able  to  appreciate  the  pharmacologic  point  of  view. 
One  physician,  a  graduate  ten  years  ago  from  one  of  the  famous 
eastern  medical  schools,  now  a  man  well  known  in  our  State,  and  a 
member  of  the  faculty  of  the  University,  tells  me  whenever  he  has 
opportunity,  that  he  does  not  believe  students  understand  pharma- 
cological experimental  work.  He  is  of  the  opinion  that  it  is  beyond 
them.  He  maintains  that  they  go  through  the  experiments  as  a 
matter  of  routine.  This  is  not  so.  The  average  student  is  a  think- 
ing being,  his  thoughts  only  need  directing.  From  his  pharma- 
cological experiments  and  observations  he  will  draw  conclusions  as 
to  the  therapeutic  uses  which  as  a  rule  are  surprisingly  accurate. 
My  remarks  have  been  made  chiefly  with  the  medical  student  in 
mind,  but  they  are  just  as  applicable  to  the  training  of  the  student 
of  pharmacy.  As  pharmacological  methods  are  elaborated  and  per- 
fected, they  will  become  more  valuable  in  pharmacopceial  standard- 
ization. I  do  not  mean  that  we  shall  make  expert  experimental 
pharmacologists  out  of  our  pharmacists.  That  is  not  possible,  but 
every  pharmacist  should  understand  the  general  principles  of  the 
biological  test  just  as  he  does  the  general  principles  of  the  chemical 
tests  of  the  Pharmacopoeia.  Likewise,  experimental  toxicology  is 
an  important  subject  to  the  practical  pharmacist.  In  addition,  the 
study  of  experimental  pharmacology  has  an  obvious  educational 
advantage  and  must  increase  the  standing  of  the  pharmacist  with 
physicians  and  with  the  people  of  the  community  in  which  he  lives. 
Comparatively  few  medical  schools,  at  the  present  time,  offer  courses 
in  experimental  pharmacology,  and  I  believe  there  are  no  pharmacy 
schools  with  the  exception  of  Nebraska.  I  may  be  mistaken  in  this 
matter  and  beg  to  be  corrected  if  I  am.    My  information  has  been 
