476  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  {Asepfemberff89L* 
report  proposed  that  the  next  meeting  take  place  in  Baltimore,  on  the  first 
Monday  in  September,  1898. 
The  reports  were  received,  and  after  some  discussion  a  ballot  was  taken.  Of 
the  ninety-one  votes  cast,  thirty-four  were  for  Omaha,  forty-nine  for  Baltimore 
and  eight  for  Richmond.  A  unanimous  vote  was  then  cast  for  Baltimore.  The 
time  of  meeting  could  not  be  agreed  upon,  so  the  matter  was  referred  to  the 
last  general  session.  The  meeting  then  adjourned  until  3.45  p.m.,  when  it  was 
again  called  to  order,  prior  to  the  convening  of  the  Commercial  Section.  The 
special  session  then  adjourned  and  Chairman  Hopp  called  the  Commercial 
Section  to  order.  In  the  absence  of  Secretary  D'Avignon,  Mr.  Patton  was 
elected  Secretary  pro  iem.  D.  R.  Noyes  delivered  an  address  of  welcome  to 
the  Section.  Mr.  Dewoody  then  took  the  chair,  while  Mr.  Hopp  delivered  his 
address.  He  advocated  the  revision  of  the  United  States  copyright  laws,  and 
suggested  that  the  co-operation  of  State  Associations,  and  of  the  American 
Medical  Association  be  obtained.  He  advised  standardization  of  drugs,  and 
the  adjustment  of  the  minimum  and  maximum  limits  of  the  standard.  He 
re-suggested  50  per  cent,  tinctures  and  recommended  that  such  preparations  be 
advertised  to  the  physicians  as  a  means  of  combating  the  large  manufacturers. 
He  asked  for  some  form  of  rebate  plan  free  from  the  evils  of  previous  plans  for 
protecting  the  retailer  in  prices.  He  favored  the  interchange  of  certificates  of 
registration  by  boards  of  pharmacy.  The  address  was  referred  to  a  committee 
appointed  by  Mr.  Dewoody,  and  consisting  of  Messrs.  Stewart,  Ebert  and 
Good.  There  were  no  reports  of  committees  to  be  heard  from,  nor  were  there 
any  papers  read. 
Chairman  Hopp  read  a  communication  from  the  Proprietors'  Section  of  the 
National  Wholesale  Druggists'  Association,  which  suggested  that  a  committee 
on  fraternal  relations  be  appointed  to  confer  and  co-operate  with  similar  com- 
mittees from  State  Associations  to  prevent  substitution.  The  communication 
was  received  and  its  import  discussed.  Mr.  Ebert  mentioned  a  plan  whereby 
the  proprietors  of  patent  medicines  could  secure  to  the  retailer  the  full  retail 
price,  if  they  so  chose.  The  plan  mentioned  was  the  establishment  of  dis- 
tributing depots,  which  should  have  complete  supervision  of  all  the  stock 
handled  in  a  community,  both  by  jobbers  and  retailers.  Under  such  arrange- 
ments the  price-cutters  would  soon  be  identified,  and  could  be  denied  such 
stock  as  they  cut  price  on.  But  Mr.  Ebert  declared  the  proprietors  did  not 
want  the  retailer  to  ask  the  full  retail  price,  and  both  he  and  Mr.  Whitney 
cited  instances  where  the  proprietors  had  come  to  them  and  quoted  such  prices 
and  terms  as  would  induce  many  to  meet  the  cut  rates.  Much  argument  was 
expended  on  the  matter  of  this  communication  from  the  proprietors,  by  Messrs. 
Werner,  Main,  Whitney,  Hammel,  Bobbett,  Sheppard,  Simmons,  Hassebrock, 
Dohme,  Ryan,  Holzhauer  and  Thompson.  The  consensus  of  opinion  was  that 
the  experience  with  the  proprietors  in  the  past  did  not  warrant  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  committee,  as  suggested  by  them,  that  the  retailer  is  able  to  take 
care  of  himself,  and  that  the  time  had  come  when  he  should  await  the  action 
of  the  proprietors  to  protect  him,  and  not  ask  their  interest  in  his  behalf.  It 
was  also  shown  that  the  products  of  the  various  State  manufacturing  pharma- 
ceutical associations,  like  those  of  Illinois,  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin,  were  in 
a  large  measure  replacing  many  of  the  proprietary  products,  and  it  was 
believed  on  account  of  this  that  the  proprietors  would  be  glad  in  the  near 
