Am'j^ne,r'i9Pi4arm'}  Plea  for  More  Effective  C 'ooperation.  263 
medicine  problem  renewed  and  serious  consideration,  and  make  an 
honest  effort  to  adjust  their  interests  in  accord  with  the  interests  of 
the  public  and  thus  effectually  counteract  the  frequently  made  asser- 
tion that  the  economic  questions  involved  must  outweigh  all  others 
so  far  as  the  drug  trade  may  be  concerned. 
A  PLEA  FOR  MORE  EFFECTIVE  CO-OPERATION  AMONG 
PHARMACEUTICAL  ORGANIZATIONS. 
By  W.  B.  Day. 
Even  a  superficial  observer  of  pharmaceutical  affairs  must  have 
been  struck  by  the  increase  in  the  number  of  organizations  which 
depend  upon  pharmacists  for  their  membership.  Not  only  have  we 
the  two  great  national  associations  but  each  commonwealth  is  more 
or  less  thoroughly  organized  with  its  state,  county  and  city  associa- 
tions. 
At  first  glance  this  situation  appears  most  encouraging  and  seems 
to  show  an  appreciation  of  the  value  of  these  organizations  and  a 
commendable  spirit  in  affiliating  with  them  and  sharing  their  en- 
deavors and  their  advantages,  but  when  we  look  into  the  matter 
more  closely  we  find  that  with  all  these  opportunities  for  affiliation 
with  an  active  society,  the  majority  of  pharmacists  remain  indifferent. 
There  are  nearly  fifty  thousand  drug  stores  in  the  United  States 
and  probably  over  seventy-five  thousand  qualified  pharmacists.  Less 
than  five  per  cent,  of  these  are  members  of  the  American  Pharma- 
ceutical Association,  and  certainly  not  more  than  twenty  per  cent, 
are  members  of  the  National  Association  of  Retail  Druggists.  Very 
few  state  associations  include  within  their  membership  more  than 
a  fifth  of  the  qualified  pharmacists  of  their  respective  states. 
In  some  of  the  larger  cities  strong  local  associations  exist,  but,  on 
the  other  hand,  there  are  many  counties  and  cities  where  organiza- 
tion has  never  been  effected,  or  if  effected  has  perished  through  dis- 
use and  neglect.  Contrast  with  this  'the  situation  in  Great  Britain, 
where,  of  all  European  countries,  the  conditions  most  resemble  our 
own.  The  last  report  of  the  Registrar  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society 
of  Great  Britain  shows  7788  members  out  of  16,608  qualified  phar- 
maceutical chemists  and  chemists  and  druggists.  Allowing  for  those 
who  have  retired  from  business  or  are  engaged  in  some  other  line 
