474 
EDITORIAL. 
applications  are  now  before  the  Board,  not  definitely  acted  upon,  for  want  of 
such  assurances. 
The  property  of  the  College  has  materially  increased,  besides  paying  its  ex- 
penses, and  furnishing  its  present  desirable  accommodations.  It  has  accumu- 
lated property  to  the  amount  of  between  six  and  seven  hundred  dollars  ;  its 
Library  contains,  besides  pamphlets  and  periodicals,  two  hundred  and  seventy- 
seven  volumes,  some  of  which  are  old,  rare,  and  valuable.  It  contains  a  perfect 
set  of  sixty-four  volumes  of  Silliman's  Journal  of  Arts  and  Sciences  ;  also  a  full 
set  of  twenty-five  volumes,  of  the  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy  (another  set 
of  which  could  not  now  be  obtained),  and  a  valuable  set  of  colored  Botanical 
Medical  Plates.  A  cabinet  has  been  commenced,  and  now  contains  some  valua- 
ble specimens  ;  the  bottles  and  labels  have  been  furnished  by  the  College,  to 
make  a  uniform  set,  but  the  samples  have  been  contributed  gratuitously  by  per- 
sons in  and  out  of  the  association. 
A  statement  of  what  the  Board  of  Trustees  have  done,  may  be  condensed  as 
follows.  Furnishing  rooms,  making  addition  to  Library  and  cabinet,  procuring 
a  very  favorable  charter  from  the  Legislature,  with  power  to  hold  real  estate, 
and  create  transferable  stock  ;  collecting  pharmaceutical  statistics  of  New  Eng- 
land, and  co-operating  with  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association ;  providing 
Lectures,  admitting  members,  managing  the  financial  affairs,  and  in  the  general 
attendance  to  the  business  of  the  College  since  its  re-organization. 
But  your  committee  would  state,  that  in  consequence  of  a  want  of  interest 
manifested  by  the  profession,  the  plans  of  the  Board  have  as  yet  been  imper- 
fectly carried  out.  It  is  true  our  Ethics  well  and  clearly  define  the  duties  and 
responsibilities  of  our  profession  ;  but  the  object  of  the  College  aims  at  a  much 
greater  state  of  perfection  in  the  practice  of  Pharmacy,  much  more  elevated 
scientific  attainments  on  the  part  of  its  members,  and  a  more  thorough  educa- 
tion of  apprentices. 
The  past  winter  the  Board  made  arrangements  for  a  course  of  Lectures  on 
Chemistry,  by  a  professor  every  way  qualified  to  take  rank  in  any  institution  of 
the  kind.  The  course  was  prepared  expressly  for  this  college,  with  reference 
to  this  branch  of  our  profession,  and  was  intended  as  a  trial,  to  be  followed  by 
other  courses,  on  Pharmacy,  Materia  Medica,  and  Botany,  if  successful.  The 
lectures  were  everything  that  could  be  desired,  but  the  attendance  was  too 
small,  and  the  idea  of  the  other  courses  was  abandoned.  The  trial  would  have 
been  made  with  lectures  on  practical  Pharmacy,  if  a  suitable  person  of  practi- 
cal and  theoretical  attainments  could  have  been  found  willing  to  undertake  it. 
The  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  have  a  class,  this  year,  of  between 
ninety  and  one  hundred  pupils,  and  your  committee  deem  it  inexpedient  to  open  a 
class  again,  with  a  less  number  than  thirty  to  commence  with,  and  would  sug- 
gest that  a  list  be  opened  for  names,  the  classes  to  commence  when  they  number 
above  thirty,  and  not  until  then. 
In  1S51,  a  proposition  was  made  to  convert  the  property  of  the  College  into 
stock,  and  issue  one  hundred  shares  of  ten  dollars  each,  for  the  purpose  of  mak- 
ing one  thousand  dollars  appropriation  for  addition  to  the  Library  and  Cabinet, 
which  met  with  some  favor,  but  as  the  proposed  condition  was  for  not  less  than  one 
thousand  dollars,  and  only  a  little  less  than  one  half  the  amount  was  subscribed 
at  the  time,  the  project  was  never  carried  into  effect. 
Your  committee  would  recommend  this  plan  as  important,  safe,  and  feasible. 
One  thousand  dollars  added  to  our  Library  would  make  it  one  of  the  most  valu- 
able Libraries  of  our  profession  in  the  country.  The  books  could  be  obtained 
at  the  lowest  wholesale  price.  The  present  property  of  the  College  would  be 
a  guarantee  capital  of  about  seventy  per  cent.  It  was  proposed  to  infringe  on 
no  part  of  the  capital  for  expenses,  and  all  the  periodicals  and  journals  taken 
would  be  adding  constantly  to  the  propeity.  The  College  would  be  abundantly 
able  to  pay  six  per  cent,  interest  on  capital,  and  ultimately  buy  up  the  stock  ;  so 
that  subscribers  would  receive  six  per  cent,  for  the  use  of  their  money,  the  free 
use  of  the  Library,  and  have  their  capital  returned  to  them  ;  and  the  stock  at 
all  times  be  transferable.  Our  charter  was  obtained  with  special  reference  to 
this  object.    The  plan  proposed,  also,  was  to  have  the  room  opened  every  day 
