ii8  Applied  Pharmacognosy.  [ 
I  trust  that  every  student  in  this  audience  will  receive  his  diploma 
at  the  appointed  time.  We  occasionally  meet  students  who  go  to 
college  for  a  diploma  and  not  an  education.  I  recall  a  classmate 
of  mine  who  took  his  freshmen  year  in  this  college  and  did  not  show 
up  again  until  the  senior  year.  He  stated  that  he  had  spent  his 
junior  year  in  another  college  taking  a  Ph.G.  degree  and  by  re- 
turning here  for  the  senior  year  would  receive  another  degree.  Pos- 
sibly, a  man  with  as  much  ability  to  corner  the  market  in  degrees 
will  succeed  in  his  own  way. 
Many  graduates  seem  to  think  that  with  commencement  study 
ends.  If  that  is  the  way  you  feel  about  it  you  want  to  change  your 
future  plans  at  once. 
I  recall  a  former  analytical  assistant  of  mine  who  considered 
attending  pharmaceutical  and  chemical  association  meetings  and 
the  reading  of  journals  a  waste  of  time.  His  work  was  typical  of 
his  knowledge. 
Upon  asking  him  why  he  ignited  a  tablet,  which  had  been  given 
him  to  test  for  morphine,  he  replied  that  he  was  going  to  test  the 
ash  for  the  morphine.  When  told  he  was  not  getting  the  results 
he  should  in  making  a  preparation  he  stated  that  he  had  not  studied 
it  in  college.  If  I  felt  that  way  about  my  work  I  would  have  to  stay 
in  college  the  balance  of  my  life. 
One  of  the  most  essential  things  in  your  work  is  several  good 
drug  journals  and  if  interested  in  chemistry  a  journal  on  chemistry 
also.  They  are  absolutely  necessary  if  you  want  to  keep  abreast  of 
the  times.  You  may  have  plenty  of  ideas  of  your  own  to  keep  you 
busy  but  the  other  fellows  have  some  too  and  unless  you  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  new  discoveries  that  are  being  announced  every  day 
it  won't  be  many  years  until  you  will  find  yourself  surrounded  by 
cobwebs  of  a  vintage  of  the  year  you  graduated. 
Some  men  will  say  I  haven't  the  time  to"  read  journals  or  I 
haven't  the  money.  Membership  in  the  American  Pharmaceutical 
Association  is  $5.00  a  year  and  the  best  drug  Journal  can  be  had  for 
$r.5o  per  year.  Two  cents  a  day  will  pay  for  them.  As  to  time, 
thirty  minutes  a  day  would  more  than  suffice  to  read  every  line  in 
the  two  publications  and  at  the  same  time  do  a  little  thinking,  also 
to  see  that  each  number  is  put  away  in  some  systematic  manner  for 
future  reference. 
I  recall  two  men  who  have  been  my  assistants  by  the  way  they 
did  analytical  work  with  pencil  and  paper  rather  than  with  the  bal- 
