636 
Editorial. 
Am.  Jour,  Pharm. 
Dec,  1889. 
EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 
Commercial  Interests. — The  Secretary  of  the  Section  of  Commercial  Interests  of 
the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association  has  announced  that  the  Executive 
Committee  of  the  Section  desires  to  receive  copies  of  all  reports  relating  on  mat- 
ters of  commercial  interests,  which  may  have  been  made  to  either  State  or  local 
pharmaceutical  associations.  Correspondence  on  these  topics  should  be  ad- 
dressed to  F.  B.  Kilmer,  New  Brunswick,  N.  J. 
Montreal  College  of  Pharmacy. — From  a  circular  issued  by  the  executive  offi- 
cers of  the  college  we  learn  that  by  the  laws  of  the  Province  of  Quebec  all 
licentiates  in  pharmacy  must,  before  obtaining  their  licenses,  take  five  courses 
of  lectures,  two  each  on  materia  medica  and  chemistry,  and  one  on  botany. 
These  laws,  passed  fourteen  years  ago,  compelled  the  establishment  of  the 
Montreal  College  of  Pharmacy,  as  none  of  the  medical  colleges  could  furnish 
the  required  courses.  The  college  has  been  kept  going  by  aid  from  time  to 
time  from  the  city  trade,  both  wholesale  and  retail,  and,  as  its  fee  for  entrance 
was  a  nominal  one  of  two  dollars,  and  the  professors  were  paid  directly  by  the 
students,  it  had  no  chance  to  extend  its  sphere  of  usefulness,  but  had  to  be 
content  merely  to  enable  its  students  to  comply  with  the  laws.  Since  its 
foundation,  over  120  licentiates  have  graduated,  many  of  whom  are  scattered 
over  this  continent  doing  good  work  for  pharmacy,  and  it  has  at  present  60 
students  on  the  roll. 
The  college,  aiming  to  keep  abreast  with  the  age,  finds  its  main  need  to  be 
a  proper  home,  and  to  meet  this,  the  Board  have  been  actively  working:,  with 
the  result  that  negotiations  are  being  held  for  the  purchase  of  a  well-situated 
property  on  St.  Catharine  street,  which  can  be  readily  adapted  to  college  pur- 
poses. The  sum  of  $10,000  is  required  to  purchase  this,  and  make  needful 
alterations.  Proper  and  modern  equipments  are  also  wanted  in  the  labora- 
tories, class  rooms  and  library,  to  aid  the  students  successfully  to  master  the 
daily  widening  field  of  studies  in  connection  with  their  profession.  Committees 
have  been  canvassing  the  Montreal  pharmacists,  and  have  met  with  so  much 
success,  over  $3,500  being  promised,  that  the  Board  feel  encouraged  to  perse- 
vere in  their  efforts  to  give  the  Montreal  College  of  Pharmacy  a  home  of  its 
own.  Subscriptions  wrill  be  thankfully  received,  and  can  be  sent  to  Mr.  A. 
Manson,  Treasurer,  37  Recollet  street,  who  is  authorized  to  receive  them. 
Early  Closing. — Under  the  stimulus  of  sharp  competition  a  number  of  phar- 
macists in  our  larger  cities  have  found  it  necessary  and  profitable  to  keep  their 
places  of  business  open  day  and  night.  In  the  majority  of  these  stores  it  is  prob- 
ably not  so  much  a  strictly  pharmaceutical  business,  but  rather  the  sale  of  access- 
ories which  are  generally  kept  on  hand,  that  enable  this  extension  of  business 
hours  to  be  carried  on  without  pecuniary  loss,  or  even  with  actual  profit.  The 
curtailing  of  business  hours  by  early  closing  in  the  evening,  and  limiting  the 
Sunday  labor  to  stated  hours,  which  measures  have  been  frequently  agitated 
in  past  years,  has,  in  the  main,  been  unsuccessful  in  our  large  cities.  It  will 
be  of  interest  to  learn  that  in  the  city  of  Stuttgart,  Germany,  which,  in  1885, 
had  126,000  inhabitants,  all  the  pharmacies  are  closed  at  nine  o'clock  in  the 
evening  since  October  1st.  As  a  matter  of  course,  provision  has  been  made  for 
proper  night  service  ;  but  thus  far  the  experience  has  been  that  between  the 
