Pharmaceutical  Meeting. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
1     February,  1900. 
Mr.  Boring,  Mr.  Wiegand,  Professor  Remington  and  Mr.  Ellis  followed  with 
high  tributes  to  the  integrity,  scientific  attainments  and  devotion  of  Professor 
Grahame  to  the  profession  of  pharmacy. 
The  Committee  on  Deceased  Members  was  instructed  to  prepare  a  suitable 
memorial  notice  for  publication,  in  the  American  Journai,  of  Pharmacy. 
Mr.  Jenks  presented  to  the  College,  for  the  library,  eight  volumes,  from  1818 
to  1825,  inclusive,  of  the  "American  Medical  Recorder  of  Original  Papers  and 
Intelligence  on  Medicine  and  Surgery,"  conducted  by  "John  Eberle,  M.D., 
member  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society  and  of  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences  of  Philadelphia." 
On  motion,  the  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  extended  to  Mr.  Jenks  for  his 
gift. 
On  motion,  the  meeting  adjourned. 
W.  Nelson  Stem, 
Secretary. 
MINUTES  OF  THE  PHARMACEUTICAL  MEETING. 
The  regular  monthly  pharmaceutical  meeting  was  held  Tuesday,  January 
16th,  in  the  Museum  of  the  College,  with  William  Mclntyre  in  the  chair. 
Dr.  Joseph  McFarland,  of  this  city,  and  perhaps  best  known  as  the  author  of 
a  work  on  ' '  The  Pathogenic  Bacteria, ' '  was  the  first  speaker  on  the  pro- 
gramme, and  made  a  very  interesting  address  on  "  Immunity,  What  is  It,  and 
Upon  What  Does  It  Depend?"  The  speaker  said  that  in  the  sense  in  which 
the  term  is  ordinarily  employed  immunity  means  resistance  to  disease,  and  that 
when  considered  in  connection  with  micro-organisms  the  subject  may  be 
divided  into:  (1)  immunity  to  infection,  and  (2)  immunity  to  intoxication. 
The  most  important  factors  to  be  considered  in  the  production  of  infection  are 
(1)  the  kind  of  bacteria,  (2)  the  number  of  bacteria,  for  the  greater  the  number 
of  bacteria  present  the  greater  the  resistance  required  to  withstand  them,  and 
(3)  their  avenue  of  entrance,  as  for  instance  if  certain  kinds  of  bacteria  are 
introduced  into  the  skin  they  cause  no  trouble,  but  if  introduced  into  the 
stomach,  may  and  do  cause  serious  illness.  (4)  The  kind  of  soil  which  the  bacteria 
find  is  also  of  much  importance.  If  the  individual  be  in  such  a  condition  as 
to  favor  the  growth  of  the  bacteria  introduced  into  his  organism,  he  is  said  to 
be  susceptible  to  their  influence.  If,  however,  his  system  is  in  such  a  condition 
as  not  to  favor  the  development  of  the  micro-organisms,  he  is  said  to  be 
immune. 
Immunity  to  infection  may  be  divided  into  two  distinct  classes,  namely, 
active  and  passive,  the  former  being  dependent  upon  the  natural  powers  of 
the  individual,  while  the  latter  is  a  condition  brought  about  by  artificial 
means.  Active  immunity  represents  a  sort  of  combat  between  the  individual 
and  the  bacteria,  and  this  phase  of  the  subject  has  furnished  a  theme  for 
much  scientific  speculation.  Two  theories  are  in  vogue  for  explaining  it, 
viz.,  the  cytogenic  and  the  hematogenic.  According  to  the  cytogenic 
theory,  there  are  certain  cells  in  the  body  which  are  comparatively  free  and 
independent  entities,  and  which  wander  about  in  response  to  certain  stimuli. 
These  are  the  leucocytes  or  white  blood  corpuscles,  and  it  is  held  by  some 
investigators,  prominent  among  them  being  Metchnikoff,  that  they  have  the 
