416 
Quarterly  Review  on 
/  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
<-   September,  19 17. 
QUARTERLY  REVIEW  ON  THE  ADVANCES  IN 
PHARMACY. 
By  John  K.  Thum,  Ph.M.,  Lankenau  Hospital,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
America's  entrance  into  the  Great  War  continues  to  be  the  great 
topic,  and  the  cause  of  unprecedented  activity  and  preparations  for 
preparedness,  in  all  walks  of  our  daily  life. 
Top-notch  efficiency  for  the  conduct  of  the  war  will  only  be  ob- 
tained by  selecting  and  utilizing  those  of  our  citizens  who  are  espe- 
cially fitted  and  trained  to  look  after  the  welfare  of  our  youth  who 
must  make  this  fight  for  us.  Not  only  must  the  best  brains  of  the 
country  be  brought  forward  to  train  them  in  all  the  newest  methods 
that  have  been  developed  in  modern  warfare,  but  the  best  that  we 
have  in  medicine  and  surgery — and  particularly  preventive  medicine, 
hygiene  and  the  latest  and  most  improved  methods  of  sanitation — 
must  be  utilized  and  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  young  men  of  our 
country  who  will  be  called  upon  to  make  the  great  sacrifice.  Men 
who  are  willing  and  prepared  to  give  their  life  for  their  country — 
and  no  sacrifice  can  be  greater — should  at  least  be  made  to  feel  that 
everything  that  is  humanly  possible  is  and  will  be  done  to  prevent 
disease  and  give  that  medical  and  surgical  attention  to  the  wounded 
that  is  so  vital  and  necessary. 
And  this  brings  to  the  role  that  the  pharmacist  must  play  in  this 
great  drama  and  tragedy,  for  it  is  all  of  that ! 
There  has  never  been  any  great  number  of  pharmacists  in  our 
army  because  of  the  fact  that  they  can  only  enter  as  a  private  or 
enlisted  man  and  never  rise  to  any  greater  rank  than  to  that  of  a 
non-commissioned  officer.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  this  is  a  strong 
deterrent  against  enlistment  of  young  men  who  have  had  the  advan- 
tages of  a  good  preliminary  as  well  as  a  good  scientific  education. 
And  for  this  reason,  and  no  other,  the  fighting  men  of  our  army 
have  had  to  submit  to  the  dispensing  of  medicines  by  men  who  are 
not  qualified  to  perform  this  important  function. 
We  believe  we  are  right  in  making  the  statement  that  the  bulk  of 
the  dispensing  and  pharmaceutical  work  is  done  by  ordinary  enlisted 
men  who  have  about  the  same  qualifications  as  an  ordinary  hospital 
orderly  or  male  nurse.  Surely  the  men  in  the  field  are  entitled  to 
better  than  this !    In  civil  life  the  pharmacist  stands  between  the 
