208- 
Edi'.orial, 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharjn* 
t     April,  1881. 
out  authority,  been  published  by  the  Medico-legal  Society  of  Philadelphia 
in  connection  with  a  paper  on  professional  relations,  and  with  a  letter  from 
the  agent  of  a  manufacturing  firm;  enclosing,  also,  a  "special  mutual 
agreement"  to  be  signed  by  pharmacists  and  physicians,  defining  the  duties 
of  the  former  and  offering  the  "patronage"  of  the  latter.  While  the 
former  contains  nothing  that  is  not  adhered  to  by  a  number  of  the  phar- 
macists of  Philadelphia,  we  agree  with  the  Trade  Association  of  Phila- 
delphia Druggists,  as  expressed  in  a  circular,  dated  March  9th,  "that 
pharmacy,  whether  considered  as  a  collateral  branch  of  medicine,  or  as  a 
distinct  and  separate  profession,  claims  the  right  to  frame  and  enforce  its 
own  code  of  action  and  determine  its  own  line  of  conduct,  believing  itself 
fully  able  to  conserve  and  direct  its  relations  to  others,  without  asking 
aid  of  others,  or  permitting  dictation." 
Pharmaceutical  Legislation.— On  page  142  we  have  noticed  the 
passage  o4'  a  pharmacy  law  for  West  Virginia,  and  now  we  are  pleased  to 
record  the  enactment  of  a  similar  law  in  North  Carolina,  which  was  rati- 
fied March  12th.  The  law  provides  for  the  incorporation  of  the  North 
Carolina  Pharmaceutical  Association,  which  body  is  empowered  to  nomi- 
nate ten  of  its  members,  from  whom  the  governor  selects  five,  who  com- 
pose the  Board  of  Pharmacy. 
The  bill  before  the  legislature  of  Massachusetts  seems  to  make  some  pro- 
gress, notwithstanding  the  ridicule  which  has  been  heaped  upon  its  honest 
advocates,  who  were  granted  a  hearing  before  the  committee  having  the 
bill  in  charge.  The  arguments  in  favor  of  such  a  law,  as  reported  in  the 
daily  papers,  were  dignified  and  to  the  point,  and,  we  trust,  will  exert  a 
beneficial  infiuence. 
The  committee  of  the  Pennsylvania  Pharmaceutical  Association  also  had 
a  hearing  before  the  legislative  committee,  which  resulted  in  having  the 
bill  favorably  reported  in  the  House.  A  memorial  has  since  been  prepared, 
giving  a  brief  history  of  pharmaceutical  legislation  abroad  and  in  this 
country.  The  bill  for  Allegheny  county  (erroneously  stated  on  page  142 
to  apply  to  cities  of  the  second  class)  will  not  be  considered  until  the  fate 
of  the  bill  applying  to  the  entire  State  has  been  decided. 
In  the  State  of  New  York  a  pharmacy  act  is  under  consideration,  estab- 
lishing three  pharmacy  boards,  one  each  for  the  southern  district  (New 
York,  West  Chester  and  Richmond),  for  the  eastern  district  (Kings,  Queens 
and  Suflfolk),  and  for  the  northern  district  (the  remaining  counties  of  the 
State). 
Correction.— When  we  copied  the  formula,  headed  "  Bismarck's  caus- 
tic powder,"  on  page  135,  from  the  journal  there  mentioned,  we  thought 
our  readers  should  be  informed  of  the  formula  for  a  preparation  which  for 
some  undefinable  reason  had  been  named  after  a  celebrated  statesman. 
The  wonder  ceased  when  we  discovered  that  we  had  been  the  victim  of  a 
blundering  typographical  error  in  the  journal  credited,  and  that  the  for- 
mula originated  with  the  well-known  Prof.  Esmarch,  of  Kiel.  Our  readers 
will  please  correct  the  name. 
