ON  AMERICAN  PHARMACY. 
115 
little  common  salt,  the  whole  rendered  palatable  by  the  syrup 
which  also  tends  to  suspend  the  insoluble  salts  and  to  prevent 
the  per  oxidation  of  the  iron  salt. 
These  formulae  are  offered,  not  as  regular  preparations,  to  be 
kept  prepared,  but  as  conveying  some  hints  as  to  a  manner  of 
preparing  the  phosphates  extemporaneously  for  administration  in 
solution  or  mixture,  very  favorable  to  their  therapeutic  action. 
AMERICAN  PHARMACY. 
Br  Edward  Parrish. 
Among  the  Druggists  in  the  United  States,  who  in  number 
amount  to  some  thousands,  there  are  individuals  of  every  grade 
of  qualification  ;  some  educated  chemists,  many  men  of  mode- 
rate attainments  in  science,  and  more  whose  knowledge  is  chiefly 
confined  to  the  art  of  making  money.  Tnere  is  no  less  variety 
among  these  in  the  extent  of  their  business  and  the  success  at- 
tending its  prosecution.  There  are  a  few  who  sell  annually  to  the 
amount  of  100,000  dollars,  but  many  more  who  by  unceasing  ap- 
plication sell  scarcely  2000  dollars  worth  in  a  year.  These  drug- 
gists comprise  individuals  who  are  clothed  in  fine  linen  and  fare 
sumptuously  every  day,  and  others  who  answer  to  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  lean,  half  starved  apothecary. 
Notwithstanding  these  wide  differences  in  scientific,  social 
and  business  position,  this  whole  class  of  "  druggists  "  or  "  apoth- 
ecaries "  or  u  chemists  and  druggists,"  as  they  are  variously 
called,  have  certain  interests  in  common  which  constitute  a  natu- 
ral bond  of  union  between  and  among  them,  and  call  for  a  fusion 
of  their  diverse  elements  of  strength  into  one  professional  fra- 
ternity, self-protective  as  regards  its  own  interests,  and  eminent- 
ly humane  and  beneficent  as  regards  the  public  at  large. 
As  the  object  of  the  present  series  of  essays  is  to  point  out 
some  of  the  advantages  to  be  gained  by  a  more  complete  organiza- 
tion of  our  profession  and  to  give  as  far  as  possible  an  impetus 
to  the  awakening  spirit  of  Pharmaceutical  reform,  it  will  be  a 
fitting  commencement  to  specify  in  a  few  words  the  peculiar 
position,  duties  and  responsibilities  that  pertain  to  our  business, 
'  and  require  that  it  should  be  guarded  by  special  precautions  from 
the  influences  to  which  ordinary  trades  are  subject. 
The  close  connexion  of  the  business  of  druggist  and  apotheca- 
