Am.  Jour.  Pharni.  ) 
November,  1910.  J 
Experimental  Pharmacology. 
515 
obtained  from  the  catalogues  of  the  leading  American  schools  and 
my  time  has  been  too  limited  to  write  to  representative  institutions. 
Experimental  pharmacologists  are  scarcely  obtainable  at  any  price 
because  they  do  not  exist.  I  suppose  there  are,  in  the  United  States, 
a  dozen  men  who  can  be  called  expert  pharmacologists,  perhaps  a 
few  more  or  less,  the  number  is  immaterial.  The  question  is  then, 
how  can  we  install  experimental  pharmacological  teaching  in  our 
schools  ?  While  experimental  pharmacologists  are  few,  physiolo- 
gists are  more  plentiful.  I  believe  there  are  very  few  State  institu- 
tions, even  in  the  newer  west,  that  do  not  have  a  trained,  experi- 
mental physiologist.  The  first  prerequisite  of  a  pharmacologist  is, 
of  course,  that  he  be  a  physiologist,  and  pharmacological  work  is 
the  legitimate  field  of  the  physiologist.  No  apparatus  is  needed 
which  is  not  found  in  a  fairly  well-equipped  physiological  labora- 
tory. I  can  see  no  reason  why,  at  least,  the  fundamentals  of  experi- 
mental pharmacology  could  not  be  taught  to  students  of  pharmacy. 
They  should,  at  least,  be  shown  that  drugs  do  induce  physiological 
changes,  that  these  changes  are  induced  by  action  upon  certain  part 
or  parts  of  the  organism,  and  that  such  action  may  be  used  as  a 
means  of  classification  and  standardization.  If  such  a  movement 
could  be  made  general,  it  would  give  a  wonderful  impetus  to  a 
science  which  is  full  of  promise  for  improving  both  medical  and 
pharmaceutical  practice.  To  me,  it  is  a  most  significant  fact  that 
Ehrlich  should,  in  the  prime  of  his  life,  turn  away  from  the  subject 
of  immunity  and  serums,  to  devote  practically  all  of  his  time  to 
the  study  of  pharmacological  problems. 
Pharmacy  and  medicine  have  a  common  aim,  viz.,  the  conserva- 
tion of  the  public  health.  In  recent  years  we  have  witnessed  a 
marvelous  campaign,  waged  by  the  two  professions  against  quack- 
ery, graft,  disease,  and  the  use  of  narcotic  and  habit  producing 
drugs,  food  preservatives,  adulterants,  etc.  In  this  work,  the  leaders 
of  the  pharmaceutical  profession  have  taken  a  place  second  to  med- 
ical men.  As  time  goes  on,  I  believe  both  physician  and  pharmacist 
must  assume  more  and  more  the  role  of  the  teacher,  and  co-operate 
with  the  teaching  profession,  and  use  that  profession  in  dissem- 
inating the  necessary  knowledge  .  to  the  public.  An  interesting 
experiment  is  being  tried  in  Nebraska,  with  success.  We  have  a 
State  Teachers'  Association  of  4000  members.  It  is  composed  of 
twenty-one  sections.  Two  years  ago,  few  philanthropically  inclined 
individuals  requested  that  a  section  be  added  to  the  association, 
