Am.  jour.  Pharm.j     jne  Textbook  and  the 
February,  1917-  J 
83 
minimum  in  proportion  with  the  needs  of  the  profession  of  phar- 
macy.   Dean  Sayre  said: 
"  Success  in  pharmacy  has  become  synonymous  with  success  in 
business.  But  what  of  the  scientific  qualifications  of  the  pharmacist. 
While  it  is  largely  true  today  that  the  so-called  successful  pharmacist 
must  be,  first  of  all,  a  business  man,  indications  all  point  to  the 
fact  that  scientific  equipment  will  be  the  future  ruling  criterion. 
The  future  pharmacist  must  thus  have,  more  than  ever,  an  attitude 
which  bespeaks  scientific,  professional  confidence  as  well  as  business 
ability.  It  is  for  this  reason,  in  part,  although,  of  course,  not  pri- 
marily, that  we  are  ever  insisting  on  increased  requirements  and 
longer  curricula  in  our  pharmacy  schools.  Commercialism  has 
taken  all  too  deep  root  in  our  profession  and  nothing  but  a  healthy 
scientific  spirit  can  adequately  counteract  it.  Young  men  leaving 
schools  of  pharmacy  should  be  alive  to  this  fact  and  be  sympathetic 
toward  the  advances  of  the  morrow.  It  may  be  that  the  future 
will  insist  on  a  quality  of  intellect  that  we  shall  have  to  change  from 
the  quality  of  afTability  and  business  acumen  to  an  air  of  intellectual 
competency.  Those  who  are  closely  in  touch  with  the  medical  pro- 
fession today  know  this  demand  of  the  future  is  imperative  for 
greater  professionalism. 
"  One  of  our  writers  on  commercial  pharmacy  insists  that  phar- 
maceutical education  needs  rebuilding,  that  it  should  tend  to  a  larger 
instruction  in  business  methods  and  that  the  strictly  professional 
lines  should  be  subservient,  that  the  object  of  the  preparation  for  the 
boards  of  pharmacy  examinations  shall  be  changed  to  an  accom- 
plishment of  better  business  training.  What  folly  could  be  worse! 
While  we  have  not  ignored  the  value  of  business  training,  any  ob- 
server of  our  pharmaceutical  life  can  readily  see  that  we  are  now 
steeped  in  a  commercialism  which  threatens  the  very  existence  of  our 
profession.  The  nation,  the  state  and  the  public  in  general  regard 
us  as  a  profession.  •  If  this  halo  were  to  be  removed  from  our 
corner  drug  store  and  we  should  be  obliged  to  enter  into  competi- 
tion with  the  grocer,  butcher,  etc.,  pharmacy  would  cease  to  exist." 
The  speakers  discussed  the  general  question  of  patent  medicines 
and  emphasized  the  importance  of  pharmacists  taking  an  active  part 
in  eliminating  fakes  and  nostrums.  He  also  commented  upon  the 
large  percentage  of  drugs  and  medicines  which  are  not  sold  by  the 
registered  pharmacist  and  stated  that  upwards  of  35  per  cent,  went 
direct  to  the  customers  from  the  hands  of  the  physician.    In  closing 
