278 
Correspondence. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1917. 
In  my  humble  opinion,  if  the  post  of  Chief  Medical  Purveyor  is 
not  already  in  existence,  it  ought  to  be  created  and  put  in  charge  of 
an  expert  pharmaceutical  chemist  of  administrative  ability.  Such  a 
one  should  be  clothed  with  ample  authority  and  should  be  of  the  rank 
not  lower  than  that  of  Colonel.  The  importance  of  the  medical  and 
pharmaceutical  supplies  service  can  hardly  be  exaggerated.  The 
Hospital  Steward  of  the  present  should  not  be  confounded  with  the 
highly  trained  pharmaceutical  chemist  of  administrative  capacity  I 
have  in  mind.  Our  late  war  with  Spain  demonstrated  the  utter  in- 
adequacy and  futility  o>f  methods  then  in  use  for  the  purchase,  manu- 
facture and  distribution  of  pharmaceutical  and  medical  supplies. 
In  writing  thus  I  know  that  I  am  representing  American  phar- 
macy at  large,  but  of  course  I  have  only  the  authority  vested  in  the 
office  I  hold  to  speak  for  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association. 
I  mean  no  disrespect  to  anyone.  What  I  have  said  and  urged 
grows  out  of  my  loyalty  to  the  country  and  the  cause  it  is  cham- 
pioning and  to  our  calling. 
My  urgent  suggestion  is  that  every  national  and  state  association 
appoint  forthwith  with  the  greatest  dispatch  strong  and  capable  rep- 
resentatives to  constitute  a  Council  or  Commission  to  bring  about 
deserved  and  adequate  pharmaceutical  representation  in  the  Army 
and  Navy  and  on  the  Council  for  National  Defense.  This  isn't  the 
time  for  futile  and  undirected  talk  and  discussion  but  for  determined, 
insistent  and  fruitful  action.    This  is  the  psychological  moment. 
A  Letter  to  Congressmen  and  Senators. 
(This  letter  was  written  by  a  pharmacist  and  maybe  used  as  a  guide.) 
As  you  know,  American  pharmacy  feels  that  it  has  not  proper 
representation  and  recognition  in  the  government  service.  It  has 
just  come  to  my  attention  that  the  Council  for  National  Defense  has 
appointed  a  committee  to  effect,  among  other  things,  a  practical  stan- 
dardization of  pharmaceutical  and  medical  supplies.  The  Secretary 
of  War  is  chairman  of  that  committee.  It  appears  that  no  pharma- 
cist is  on  the  committee.  For  that  reason  I  have  written  the  Secre- 
tary of  War  in  the  matter.  American  pharmacists  cannot  under- 
stand why  the  government  treats  pharmacy  so  shabbily  and  medicine 
so  generously.  Here  is  an  opportunity  for  someone  to  right  a  wrong 
and  to  earn  the  everlasting  appreciation  and  thanks  of  pharmacy. 
I  do  not  want  to  take  too  much  of  your  time,  but  in  case  you 
