474 
EDITORIAL. 
was  rife — nothing  short  of  an  attack  on  their  rights  or  privileges  as  a  body 
of  tradesmen  could  induce  any  consociation  or  combined  action  ;  and  as  soon 
as  the  danger  had  passed,  they  separated,  as  though  no  common  interest  but 
security  could  assimilate  them.  Since  the  organization  of  the  Pharmaceu- 
tical Society  a  complete  change  has  come  over  the  pharmacy  of  England 
and  Scotland.  The  Society  extends  over  the  whole  island ;  its  members  and 
associates  to  the  number  of  more  than  3000  are  found  in  every  city  and  town 
of  note;  local  secretaries  are  dotted  over  the  country  and  act  as  so  many 
arms  of  the  Society.  The  Monthly  Journal  is  taken  by  every  member  for  a 
part  of  his  subscription,  and  hence  all  are  kept  apprized  of  the  transactions 
of  the  parent  society,  and  the  progress  of  arl  and  science.  Branch  associa- 
tions are  springing  up,  and  the  profession  is  rapidly  attaining  that  unanimity 
of  action  and  desire  for  improvement  which  always  secures  success.  In  this 
country  we  want  a  central  power,  but  not  as  they  have  it  in  England.  We 
want  a  national  association  of  pharmaceutists  constituted  somewhat  like  our 
political  union — of  delegates  from  the  incorporated  colleges  and  societies, 
and  of  representatives  from  the  pharmaceutists  of  places  not  under  organiza- 
tion who  shall  come  with  the  approval  of  their  brethren,  much  as  in  the 
present  constitution  of  the  Association.  The  few  local  societies  now  existing 
do  not  form  a  basis  sufficiently  broad  to  support  such  a  structure  as  is  needed. 
These  colleges  and  societies  have  their  several  spheres  of  action,  in  which 
their  special  usefulness  is  adapted  to  the  circumstances  that  surround  them. 
Let  them  go  on  increasing  in  number  until  every  state  or  chief  city  is  pro- 
vided;— there  cannot  be  too  many.  Meanwhile,  let  the  National  Association 
go  on  gaining  strength  and  influence ;  its  success  interests  all ;  all  have  or 
may  have  a  part  in  its  councils;  and  as  it  has  no  tendency  to  cumulation,  no 
field  of  aggrandizement  as  a  permanent  property-holding  society,  there  is  no 
room  for  jealousy  on  the  part  of  local  corporations,  and  no  grounds  for  fear 
of  oppression  on  the  part  of  the  general  profession.  It  is  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance that  honesty,  candor, and  disinterestedness,  should  be  prominent  and 
true  features  of  the  present  reformatory  movement,  to  convince  those  who 
are  to  be  the  subject  of  its  measures  that  the  object  is  a  pure  one,  unaccom- 
panied by  hidden  motives  for  personal  aggrandizement.  Men  are  ever  fal- 
lible; the  best  arranged  schemes  often  fall  short  of  the  desired  aim.  The 
motives  that  induce  men  to  engage  in  reforms  are  exceedingly  various  when 
carefully  analyzed ;  yet,  let  us,  while  not  expecting  too  much  of  human 
nature,  hope  that  all  these  things  will  work  together  for  good;  and  adopting 
for  our  motto  the  words  of  the  great  dramatist, 
"  Our  doubts  are  traitors, 
And  make  us  lose  the  good  we  oft  might  win, 
By  fearing  to  attempt," 
let  us  do  the  best  with  the  power  that  we  have,  and  under  the  circumstances 
that  we  find  ourselves,  and  success  will  surely  follow. 
Carthagena  Ipecacuanha. — Through  the  kindness  of  Messrs.  Haskell, 
Merrick  &  Bull,  Druggists,  of  New  York,  we  have  received  a  fine  specimen 
of  so-called  "  Carthagena  Ipecacuanha."    This  sample  of  the  drug  in  its 
