Amj7u°i,5-r;i?94arm'}  Beneficent  Society  of  American  Apothecaries.  347 
From  these  sprang  the  aggregation  of  numbers  known  as  Societies, 
Orders,  and  organizations  under  various  titles,  the  outgrowth  of 
which  has  extended  into  all  civilized  communities,  and  has  become 
not  only  a  local  power,  but,  when  forces  are  intelligently  marshalled, 
a  potent  factor  in  shaping  public  measures  and  controlling  policy. 
Our  topic  here,  however,  has  to  do  with  a  particular  feature,  which 
may  either  become  a  distinct  purpose  or  may  be  incorporated  with 
the  general  objects  of  such  associations.  This  is  a  plan  of  humane 
and  benevolent  intent,  and  has  become  a  permanent  auxiliary  or  the 
sole  and  single  purpose  of  united  bodies.  Therefore,  the  scheme  of 
a  "  Benevolent  Society  of  American  Apothecaries"  is  new  only  in 
name  and  title,  the  principle  having  long  been  well  established. 
The  subject  is  one  which  deserves  consideration,  and  under  deter- 
mined effort  might  readily  be  expanded  into  a  far-reaching  method 
of  beneficence.  One  impediment  would  confront  at  the  outstart, 
and  that  is  that  there  never  has  been  manifested  among  the  body  of 
apothecaries  any  tendency  towards  fraternization,  if  we  except  cer- 
tain organizations  to  promote  trade  interests,  but  no  conceptions  or 
appreciation  of  higher  plane  of  moral  purpose  has  ever  characterized 
the  representatives  of  this  calling.  The  history  of  all  unendowed 
benevolent  enterprises  emphasizes  the  fact  that  these  are  of  slow  and 
patient  growth.  There  is  nothing  to  discourage,  therefore,  an  effort 
at  beginning.  Faith  and  labor  can  overcome  all  ordinary  difficul- 
ties, and  where  these  are  stimulated  by  a  knowledge  of  a  worthy 
and  virtuous  object  to  be  obtained,  hope  will  never  languish.  Under 
our  free  laws  of  unrestricted  trade,  the  increase  in  occupations  goes 
on  in  large  ratio,  and  that  of  the  apothecary  is  certainly  no  excep- 
tion. Its  votaries  may  be  found  everywhere,  in  large  and  small 
communities,  in  an  excess  of  numbers  greatly  exceeding  the  possi- 
bilities of  prosperous  business  existence,  yet  each  individual,  free  to 
exercise  his  choice,  adds  one  more  to  an  already  over-augmented 
number.  Failure  to  realize  expectation  and  consequent  disappoint- 
ments must  multiply  in  the  same  ratio,  and  one  day  there  comes  a 
realization  that  labor,  though  long-continued,  patient  and  faithful  to 
a  degree,  has  yet  been  in  vain.  Sad  is  it  for  him  whom  this  day 
finds  unprepared.  The  occupation  of  the  apothecary  is  somewhat 
peculiar,  in  that  it  seldom  leads  to  the  adoption  of  other  employ- 
ment, and  once  embarked  in,  the  individual  clings  and  settles  into  a 
seemingly  fixed  groove  and  purpose.    This,  too,  often  under  circum- 
