Am£yl!'i£7tTm}     The  American  Medical  Association.  2 1 5 
now  needs."  (p.  7.)  There  we  have  the  true  secret  of  a  44  national] 
character  !  "  Instead  of  invitation  and  earnest  appeal  for  three  dele- 
gates from  every  incorporated  institution  of  medicine  and  pharmacy 
u  throughout  the  United  States,"  let  the  Convention  in  the  future 
"direct"  one  member  from  each  State  to  attend,  and  it  will  then  have 
attained  (what  it  now  needs)  u  a  truly  national  character  !  "  It  is  true 
that  the  Medical  Association  represents  but  one  of  the  four  classes 
represented  in  the  Convention,  but  "  this  is  of  no  consequence  !  " 
Surely,  never  was  there  a  stranger  fabrication  of  a  premiss  to  serve  a. 
theory  than  in  this  "  distinction." 
Now  let  us  learn  its  purpose.  "  If  it  does  represent  the  aggregate- 
medical  profession,  it  is  fairly  entitled  to  the  management  and  control  of 
all  the  general  interests  of  that  profession.  .  .  .  Among  the  most 
important  of  these  ...  is  that  of  the  Pharmacopoeia ;  and! 
this  interest  has,  up  to  this  time,  been  left  entirely  under  the  control  of 
the  older  and  smaller  national  organization."  (p.  6.)  Surely,  never  was- 
there  a  stranger  non-sequitur  fabricated  from  such  a  premiss. 
It  has  not  been  pretended  that  the  American  Medical  Association 
was  called  into  existence  with  any  reference  whatever  to  "  this  express- 
purpose,"  or  that  its  members  have  been  delegated,  in  any  sense,  as 
special  experts  in  chemistry  or  in  pharmacy,  or  in  technical  knowledge 
of  the  materia  medica.  Indeed,  it  may  be  said  that  the  contrary  is 
tacitly  admitted  throughout  the  argument.  "  Now,  the  American- 
Medical  Association,  as  a  large,  unwieldy,  migratory  body,  must  man- 
age such  an  interest  as  this  by  some  fixed  and  permanent  body  organ- 
ized for  the  purpose  within  the  Association."  (p.  24.)  Hence,  "  the- 
plan  which  is  to  be  submitted  to  the  American  Medical  Association,  at 
its  meeting  in  June  next,  is  that  it  shall  organize  a  Pharmacopoeia!.! 
Council,  to  be  incorporated  if  necessary,  consisting  of  five  members^ 
which  council  shall  be  charged  with  the  entire  management  of  the 
Pharmacopoeia  and  all  that  pertains  to  it,  and  be  responsible  only  to 
the  American  Medical  Association.  This  council  I  would  propose  to 
form  as  follows  :  The  nominating  committee  of  the  Association  to 
nominate  and  the  Association  to  elect  the  president  of  the  council 
then  the  association  to  invite  (not  u  direct  ")  the  Surgeon-Generals  of 
the  Army  and  Navy  each  to  appoint  one  member,  and  invite  the 
American  Pharmaceutical  Association  to  appoint  two  members."  (p.  25.) 
Now  for  the  modus  operandi.    "As  the  meetings  of  this  council  would 
