"^"Mry'^issT™'}  Pha7inaceutical  Colleges  and  Associations.  261 
<igent  of  the  physician  in  compounding  it,  and  also  a  sort  of  quasi  right  to 
control  the  practice  of  pharniacj^  because  medicine  and  pharmacy  at  some 
remote  time  were  one  and  the  same  thing. 
The  pharmacists  expressed  a  willingness  in  refusing  to  renew  prescrip- 
tions so  far  as  the  refusal  related  to  the  protection  of  the  public.  As  to  the 
ownership  of  prescriptions  they,  as  pharmacists,  were  obliged  to  recognize 
possession  as  carrying  with  it  ownership,  and  when  a  prescrij^tion  was 
presented  to  a  pharmacist  it  was  not  his  j^lace  to  inquire  liow  the  customer 
came  into  possession  of  it  or  who  wrote  it,  but  simply  to  faithfully  com- 
pound and  deliver  the  things  called  for  by  the  prescription.  The  pharni- 
.acists  declined  being  considered  the  agents  of  the  phj^sicians,  and  asked,  if 
they  were  to  accept  the  office  of  agent  in  compounding  physicians'  ])re- 
•scri2)tions,  if  the  j^hysician  was  ready,  as  prmeipal.,  to  become  responsible 
for  the  acts  of  his  agent?    (We  do  not  believe  they  are.) 
The  foregoing  points  will  convey  a  fair  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  discus- 
sion which  was  conducted  in  the  most  friendly,  though  at  times  emphatic 
manner.  Now,  the  result  of  this  conference  was  the  unanimous  adoption 
by  the  joint  committee  of  tlie  following  code,  which  each  committee  prom- 
ised to  urge  the  association  it  represented  to  adopt  without  amendment. 
I  wish  here  to  note,  that  this  action  was  had  on  March  31st,  1881,  and  that 
no  member  of  the  above  joint  committee  had  any  knowledge  of  what  was 
afterwards  published  (April  1st),  in  the  journals  as  the  "Antwerp  Com- 
promise" which  this  code  resembles: 
The  undersigned,  Physicians  and  Pharmacists  of  the  District  of  Cohmibia,  subscribe  to  and  agree  to  )>e 
■bound  by  the  following  code  governing  the  relations  between  medicine  and  pharmacy : 
1st.  That  we  recognize  medicine  and  pharmacy  as  distinct  professions,  whose  advancement  is  promoted 
■by  maintaining  them  as  separate  callings.  That  each  shall  devote  himself  to  his  respective  i^rofession 
•exclusivelj^  and  not,  while  avowedly  following  the  one,  infringe  or  trespass  on  the  rights  and  privileges  of 
-the  other. 
2d.  The  renewal  of  certain  prescriptions  merelj'  at  the  request  of  the  patient  or  other  person  ^\•llo  may 
be  ignorant  of  the  evils  attending  the  continued  use  of  a  medicine  ordered  for  the  occasion  only,  may,  at 
times,  lead  to  serious  results  to  the  patient,  and  should  in  such  cases  be  prevented ;  therefore,  whenever  tlie 
physician,  for  the  above  reason  only,  ivrites  on  a  prescription  "  not  to  be  renewed,''^  the  pharmacist  must  be  gov- 
erned thereby  and  refuse  to  renew  such  prescription  except  on  authority  of  its  maker. 
3d.  That  the  Medical  Association  and  the  National  College  of  Pharmacy  of  the  District  of  Columbia 
are  hereby  requested  and  authorized  each  to  appoint  three  of  their  members  who  shall  together  constitute 
■Si  committee  to  hear  and  determine  all  complaints  of  violating  any  of  these  rules. 
The  Medical  Association  was  called  together  four  days  after  to  hear  the 
rei^ort  of  their  committee,  when,  instead  of  the  foregoing  code,  a  lengthy 
re^Dort  detailing  the  alleged  grievances  was  adopted  together  with  the  fol- 
lowing resolutions : 
Whereas,  it  has  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Medical  Association  of  the  District  of  Columbia, 
through  information  of  several  of  its  members,  that  a  number  of  druggists  of  this  city  are  in  the  habit  of 
I)rescribing  for  and  taking  charge  of  cases  of  sickness ;  and 
Whereas  the  "  diagnosis  and  treatment  of  diseases  belongs  to  the  province  of  a  distinct  profession,  and 
its  a  pharmaceutical  education  does  not  qualify  the  pharmacist  for  these  responsible  offices ;"  and 
Whereas  the  renewal  of  certain  prescriptions  merely  at  the  request  of  the  patient  or  other  i^erson  who 
may  be  ignorant  of  the  evil  results  attending  the  continued  use  of  a  medicine  ordered  for  the  occasion 
■only,  may  work  serious  injury  to  the  patient ;  therefore,  be  it 
Besolved,  That  the  public  welfare,  as  well  as  the  best  interests  of  1>oth  the  profession  of  medicine  and 
that  of  pharmacy,  are  opposed  to  druggists  usurping  the  functions  of  the  physician  by  prescribing  or  giving 
medical  advice. 
Resolced,  That  when  the  physician  shall  consider  it  desirable  that  a  prescription  should  not  be  renewed. 
