498 
PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE 
David,  who  did  not  seek  a  contest  with  the  great  Goliah,  till  in  the  capacity  of  a 
shepherd  of  his  father's  flocks  he  had  slain  the  lion  and  the  bear.  So  with  this 
Association,  let  it  not  seek  to  meet  this  great  giant  until  it  has  gained  strength 
in  contests  with  ignorance  and  incompetence  in  its  own  profession.  Let  it  at 
least  get  out  of  its  swaddling  clothes  before  we  thrust  it  forth  to  meet  this 
enemy,  which  has  grown  wilful  and  strong  by  long  and  successful  exertion. — 
Editor  Am.  Joi-r.  Pharm.] 
After  further  discussion  the  following  was  offered  by  Joseph 
Laidley  : 
To  strike  out  all  after  the  word  "Resolved,"  and  insert,  "  That 
the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association,  believe  that  the  use  and 
sale  of  secret  or  quack  medicines  is  wrong  in  principle  and  is  in 
practice  attended  with  injurious  effects  to  both  the  profession  and 
the  public  at  large,  and  believe  it  to  be  the  duty  of  every  con- 
scientious druggist  to  discourage  their  use. 
"  Resolved,  That  this  Association  earnestly  recommend  to  our 
pharmaceutical  brethren  to  discourage  by  every  honorable  means 
the  use  of  these  nostrums  ;  to  refrain  from  recommending  them  to 
their  customers  ;  not  to  use  any  means  of  bringing  them  into  public 
notice  ;  not  to  manufacture  or  to  have  manufactured  any  medicine 
the  composition  of  which  is  not  made  public ;  and  to  use  every  op- 
portunity of  exposing  the  evils  attending  their  use,  and  the  false 
means  which  are  employed  to  induce  their  consumption." 
The  question  being  divided,  the  motion  to  strike  out  all  after 
"  Resolved,"  was  put  by  the  Chair,  and  carried  by  a  vote  of  13  to  8. 
The  Resolutions  being  then  put  to  vote  were  adopted  by  a  vote 
of  13  to  5. 
The  subject  of  the  Inspection  of  Drugs  being  now  called  up,  the 
resolution  offered  by  T.  B.  Merrick  ,  in  the  morning  session,  and 
postponed,  was  withdrawn. 
H.  F.  Fish  now  offered  the  following  : 
Resolved,  That  in  the  opinion  of  this  Association,  all  varieties  of 
drugs  that  are  good  of  their  kind  should  be  admitted  by  the  Special 
Examiner. 
This  was  discussed  at  length  by  Messrs.  Merrick,  Coggeshall, 
Guthrie,  Fish,  Geyer,  Ellis,  and  Procter. 
[The  following  notes  of  the  discussion  which  occurred  previously  to  the  vote 
on  the  above  resolution,  are  introduced  because  as  the  yeas  and  nays  were  called 
for  and  are  recorded,  the  views  on  each  side  should  be  given  in  justice  to  the 
speakers.  They  are  derived  partly  from  the  published  notices  of  the  discussion 
in  the  Boston  Traveller,  and  partly  from  notes  taken  by  the  Editor  of  this 
Journal. 
Mr.  Merrick,  of  New  York,  commenced  the  debate  by  asking  whether  the  Law 
for  the  Special  Examination  of  drugs  is  a  good  one  ?  and  urged  the  following  ob- 
jections to  it :  It  is  in  conflict  with  the  liberty  we  all  ought  to  enjoy  in  business. 
The  difference  in  the  success  of  different  druggists,  depend  mainly  upon  the  repu- 
tation, good  or  bad,  which  they  acquire  by  their  knowledge,  skill  and  probity  in  the 
selection  and  sale  of  drugs  and  medicines,  or  by  the  inferiority  of  their  stocks  of 
drugs,  which  results  from  a  want  of  these  qualities.  He  considered  the  tendency 
of  this  law  was  in  good  measure  to  deprive  druggists  of  the  advantages  resulting 
from  this  competition.  He  regarded  all  laws  of  this  kind  to  be  checks  to  human 
progress.    He  further  objected  to  the  Drug  Law  on  the  ground  that  after  a  trial 
