264  William  Procter,  Jr.  { Am j^er.*i9obarm" 
Twenty-six  years  have  elapsed  since  Professor  Procter  passed 
away.  It  is  true  that  pharmacy  has  witnessed  many  changes  in  the 
last  quarter  of  a  century,  but  his  work  still  remains.  Methodical 
and  careful  in  his  habits,  far-seeing  in  his  vision,  equipped  by  his 
experience  in  writing  and  teaching  with  the  every-day  needs  of  the 
pharmacist,  no  wonder  need  be  expressed  that  time  has  made  so 
few  ravages,  and  very  little  of  his  work  can  be  said  now  to  be 
obsolete.  He  lived  in  what  might  well  be  termed  the  heyday  of 
galenical  pharmacy.  He  witnessed  the  birth  of  fluid  extracts. 
Indeed,  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  he  was  the  chief  nurse  of 
these  infants,  and  while  others  came  after  and  assisted  in  the  nur- 
ture of  the  children,  he  was  ever  faithful,  and  he  lived  long  enough 
to  see  them  grow  to  lusty  manhood.  If  he  were  but  permitted  to 
see  the  development  in  this  branch  of  the  pharmaceutical  art,  what 
satisfaction  and  comfort  it  would  be  ! 
In  1849  there  was  issued  from  the  press  his  American  edition  of 
Mohr  and  Redwood's  Practical  Pharmacy.  This  voluminous  work 
was  enriched  by  additions  from  his  own  pen.  The  work  never  went 
through  a  second  edition,  attributed  in  a  great  measure  to  the  cost 
of  proper  illustration,  which  the  publishers  were  not  willing  to 
incur,  and  without  which  the  value  of  the  work  would  have  been 
lost. 
In  October,  185  I,  there  was  assembled  in  the  city  of  New  York 
a  convention  of  pharmaceutists,  in  pursuance  of  a  call  made  by  the 
New  York  College  of  Pharmacy,  for  the  purpose  of  considering  the 
law  relating  to  the  inspection  of  drugs  at  the  Custom  House,  and 
to  fix  upon  some  standard  which  would  enable  inspectors  to  act 
with  uniformity  and  discernment.  The  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy  was  represented  by  Chas.  Ellis,  Wm.  Procter,  Jr.,  and 
Alfred  B.  Taylor.  This  gathering  of  men  of  note,  called  to  discuss 
the  customs  law,  was  impressed  with  the  advantages  which  would 
be  derived  by  the  pharmacists  of  the  United  States  from  a  large 
association,  national  in  character,  where,  by  personal  intercourse 
and  exchange  of  experience,  the  practice  of  pharmacy  throughout 
our  widely  extended  country  would  be  more  harmonized,  and  the 
general  standard  of  education  elevated.  It  was  therefore  "  resolved 
that  a  convention  be  called,  consisting  of  three  delegates  from  each 
incorporated  and  unincorporated  pharmaceutical  college  or  society, 
to  meet  in  Philadelphia  on  the  first  Wednesday  in  October,  1852." 
