EDITORIAL. 
89 
(SMtoricti  IB  apartment. 
American  Pharmaceutical  Association. — The  Committee  who  were 
appointed,  in  reference  to  pharmaceutical  education,  at  the  last  meeting  of 
the  Association  (W.  Procter,  Jr.,  and  Edward  Parrish,  of  Philadelphia, 
John  Meakim,  of  New  York,  and  David  Stewart,  M.  D.,  of  Baltimore),  in 
pursuance  of  the  duty  assigned  them,  would  solicit  from  their  brethren 
in  all  parts  of  the  Union,  answers  as  full  as  possible  to  the  following 
queries,  viz : 
1.  What  is  the  usual  manner  of  engaging  apprentices  to  the  drug  and 
apothecary  business  as  to  length  of  service,  recompense;  &c,  'in  your 
district,  city,  or  neighborhood  ? 
2.  Is  it  usual  to  give  attention  to  the  preliminary  education  and  training 
of  applicants  in  taking  apprentices  ? 
3.  Is  any  personal  instruction  extended  to  apprentices  beyond  the  prac- 
tical details  of  the  shop,  as  regards  chemistry,  materia-medica,  and 
botany? 
4.  What  books  are  usually  provided  for  apprentices  from  which  they  may 
derive  scientific  information  bearing  on  their  business? 
5.  Having  been  informed  that  the  tenure  of  apprenticeship  is  very  slight, 
in  the  Southern  and  Western  States,  and  that  pharmaceutists  have  to 
depend  chiefly  on  salaried  assistants,  the  Committee  wish  to  learn  to  what 
extent  they  have  been  correctly  informed. 
6.  Do  you  know  of  any  instances  of  the  apprentices  or  assistants  of 
pharmaceutists  attending  lectures  at  medical  schools,  and  how  many  ? 
The  answers  may  be  directed  to  the  chairman,  W.  Procter,  Jr.,  166 
South  Ninth  street,  Philadelphia,  or  to  either  member  of  the  Committee. 
Local  Formulae. — The  Executive  Committee  of  the  American  Pharma- 
ceutical Association  (W.  Procter,  jr.,  T.  B.  Merrick,  and  J.  Laidley,)  wish 
to  call  the  attention  of  their  brethren  to  the  following  resolution  of  the  Asso- 
ciation : 
"Resolved,  that  the  letter  of  Mr.  Meakim,  in  reference  to  securing 
uniformity  in  the  preparation  of  unoffieinal  compounds  be  referred  to  the 
Executive  Committee,  with  instructions  to  request  the  forwarding  to  them 
of  such  local  formulse  as  pharmaceutists  may  wish  to  communicate." 
In  explanation  of  this  resolution  the  Committee  will  state  that  it  has 
reference  more  particularly  to  recipes  of  unoffieinal  preparations  prescribed 
by  physicians,  and  for  which  there  are  no  generally  recognized  formulse — as 
