Martin  I.  Wilbert. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
*■  February,  19 17. 
doubtedly,  that  of  a  retentive  memory,  properly  trained  and  culti- 
vated, is  of  most  use  to  him  in  the  development  of  his  intellect. 
Our  friend  had  this  in  a  most  amazing  degree,  a  memory  that  can 
only  be  described  as  tenacious,  and  this  was  supplemented  with  the 
gift  or  power  of  concentration.  Some  people  say  that  the  former  is 
naturally  the  result  of  the  latter,  but  a  closer  examination  of  this 
question  will  reveal  that  while  concentration  of  the  mind  is  con- 
ducive to  the  development  of  the  memory  cells,  it  does  not  altogether 
explain  the  wonderful  examples  we  sometimes  come  in  contact  with, 
of  retention  by  the  mind  of  things  seen  or  read,  and  which  are  always 
available  for  use  by  the  fortunate  owner  at  a  second's  notice.  Both 
his  father  and  mother  are  noted  in  the  family  for  their  remarkable 
memory  power  and  their  son  inherited  this  faculty  in  generous  pro- 
portions. And,  as  memory  is  the  purveyor  of  reason,  here  we  have 
the  answer  in  this  case  as  to  why  this  man  had  such  a  particularly 
fine  type  of  mind. 
Besides  being  the  possessor  of  this  extraordinary  memory  he  had 
remarkably  keen  power  of  observation.  His  mother  has  always 
been  exceedingly  fond  of  plants  and  nothing  delighted  her  more  than 
to  have  time  for  cultivating  them  and  watching  them  grow,  and 
her  son  Martin  took  after  her  very  much  in  this  respect.  Plant 
life  always  had  a  strong  fascination  for  him;  nothing  would  please 
him  more  than  an  opportunity  for  a  ramble  in  the  fields  and  woods 
and  the  chance  to  study  the  plants  in  their  natural  environment.  In 
this  love  of  nature  one  unconsciously  broadens  in  many  directions, 
acquires  a  keenness  of  observation  that  becomes  second  nature, 
and  develops  the  scientific  mind.  And  Wilbert  had  this  in  a  large 
measure. 
After  some  time  spent  in  the  employ  of  a  drug  store  in  the 
city  of  Utica,  he  was  impressed  with  the  need  for  a  broader  field, 
more  systematic  training,  and  education  along  pharmaceutical  lines, 
such  as  a  recognized  college  of  pharmacy  could  give.  Accordingly, 
he  came  to  Philadelphia  and  matriculated  at  the  Philadelphia  College 
of  Pharmacy,  from  which  he  graduated  with  honor  in  1890.  He 
owned  and  conducted  a  retail  store  in  Philadelphia  for  a  very  short 
time,  and  in  1891  he  was  appointed  apothecary  to  the  German  Hos- 
pital, Philadelphia.  At  this  splendid  institution,  built  upon  efficiency 
and  devoted  to  service,  he  soon  impressed  the  authorities  with  the 
fact  that  he  was  a  man  of  ability  and  promise.  In  fact,  he  always 
impressed  most  people  that  he  came  in  contact  with  as  an  unusual 
