AmMa0y,^i8?^arm•}         Pharmacy  as  a  Profession.  231 
In  some  degree,  by  preliminary  examinations,  but  still  more  effec- 
tively by  establishing  graded  courses  and  lengthening  the  course  of 
study  to  three  and  four  years. 
The  preliminary  examination  and  the  graded  courses  have  been 
features  of  the  work  of  our  College  for  some  years  now,  and  the 
lengthening  of  the  course  to  three  years  obligatory  work  will  next 
follow.  We  must  recognize  the  fact  that  the  profession  of  pharmacy 
is  setting  a  higher  standard  for  its  followers  every  year,  as  each  suc- 
cessive revision  of  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia  shows,  and  more  time 
will  have  to  be  devoted  to  the  work  of  training  for  it.  If,  as  said, 
a  considerable  part  of  the  first  year  must  perforce  be  devoted  to 
teaching  the  student  how  to  study,  to  observe,  and  to  handle  the 
necessary  pharmaceutical  and  chemical  apparatus,  three  years  is  not 
going  to  be  at  all  in  excess  of  the  minimum  requirement  for  systematic 
instruction.  We  have  had  three  years  of  college  work  from  a  large 
number  of  our  students  in  recent  years,  because  of  the  division  of 
either  the  Junior  or  the  Senior  course  into  the  parts,  which  has  been 
allowed  under  the  name  of  the  modified  Junior  and  Senior  courses. 
But  the  division  was  an  arbitrary  one,  made  to  suit  the  student's 
convenience  or  fancy,  and  not  always  judicious.  The  whole  subject 
of  chemistry,  for  instance,  in  all  its  branches  and  applications  had 
to  be  covered  in  two  courses  of  lectures,  and  yet  the  student  begin- 
ning without  any  knowledge  of  it,  was  supposed  to  be  turned  out 
well  posted  on  the  whole  range  of  inorganic  and  organic  chemistry 
and  able  to  carry  through  the  tests  and  assays  required  by  the 
U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia.  With  three  courses  of  instruction,  carefully 
graded  and  connecting  together,  it  will  be  possible  to  cover  more 
ground  and  cover  it  better  than  can  now  be  done. 
It  is  with  much  pleasure,  therefore,  that  I  can  announce  that  the 
Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  has  determined  to  take  this  step 
towards  improving  the  advantages  she  offers  for  thorough  pharma- 
ceutical education.  With  the  beginning  of  the  fall  term  of  1895, 
all  students,  candidates  for  her  degree  of  graduate  in  pharmacy,  will 
be  obliged  to  enter  for  a  three  years'  course,  or  coming  from  other 
colleges,  and  passing  examinations  for  advanced  standing,  to  take  a 
corresponding  portion  of  that  time. 
Not  only  will  the  lecture  work  be  extended  through  three  courses 
of  systematically  graded  instruction,  but  during  this  time  three 
thoroughly  equipped  laboratories  will  be  open  for  instruction  in  the 
