300  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  {AmAp?nr;i9war,B" 
Mr.  Eugene  Ross,  traveling  representative  of  the  manufacturing 
firm  of  Johnson  &  Johnson,  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  was  the  first 
speaker  introduced  and  gave  a  most  interesting  address,  entitled 
"  A  Pharmacist's  Impression  of  the  Orient,"  which  will  be  published 
in  a  later  issue  of  this  Journal,  and  exhibited  in  this  connection 
some  very  valuable  and  interesting  Japanese  and  Chinese  souvenirs. 
Mr.  Ross  said  that  in  Japan  physicians  dispense  their  own  medicines 
and  that  there  are  no  pharmacies  proper.  There  are,  however, 
numerous  places  for  the  sale  of  patent  medicines,  but  nothing  con- 
taining  poisons  is  allowed  to  be  sold  by  their  proprietors.  Chemists 
occupy  a  more  responsible  position,  being  licensed  by  the  Govern- 
ment to  examine  all  chemicals  and  medicines  brought  into  the 
country,  and  to  receive  the  revenue  therefrom.  In  addition  whole, 
sale  druggists  in  Japan  must  submit  samples  of  their  products  to 
the  Government  for  analysis,  after  which  the  chemists'  stamps  are 
placed  upon  the  articles  examined.  If,  however,  the  chemicals  or 
medicines  should  not  be  found  to  be  up  to  the  standard,  the  chemist 
is  fined  from  I  to  10  yen  ($1  to  $10)  for  his  failure  to  report  correctly 
on  the  samples  submitted.  Thus,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  very  pure 
chemicals  are  sold  in  Japan. 
Mr.  Ross  further  said  that  pharmacy  in  Japan  dates  back  nineteen 
years,  when  the  first  Japanese  Pharmacopoeia  was  published.  This 
work  was  modelled  after  the  German  Pharmacopoeia.  In  addition 
all  chemicals  used  to  be  obtained  from  Germany.  The  German 
influence  is  still  strong,  but  the  Japanese  Government  is  becoming 
more  liberal,  and  they  are  now  looking  to  America  and  other  coun- 
tries for  example.  Some  of  their  methods  are  so  arbitrary,  how- 
ever, that  it  is  predicted  that  in  five  years  there  will  not  be  a  foreign 
chemist  in  the  country. 
With  regard  to  China,  Mr.  Ross  said  that  it  was  very  difficult  to 
learn  much  about  either  pharmacy  or  medicine  there.  The  medi- 
cines are  mostly  put  up  in  wax  and  bear  a  seal  upon  the  outside, 
which  latter  custom  seems  to  prevail  everywhere  in  the  East.  As 
is  well  known  ginseng  is  largely  used  and  is  said  to  be  in  almost 
every  preparation  used. 
Mr.  Ross  also  visited  the  English  colonies  in  South  Africa,  and 
said  that  there  is  a  very  great  difference  between  Japan  and  these 
countries  in  pharmaceutical  practice.  The  stores  are  very  modern 
and  carry  a  large  stock ;  the  physicians  write  prescriptions  and 
these  are  put  up  by  pharmacists  or  chemists  who  are  well  educa  ed. 
