vi  Notes  and  News.  { AmMJa°rchJmrm' 
The  Philadelphia  Association  of  Retail  Druggists  held  recently,  as 
was  announced,  their  first  progressive  euchre  and  dance.  Nearly  2,000  persons 
were  present,  and  over  225  prizes  were  distributed.  Mayor  Ashbridge  of  the 
city  made  some  happy  introductory  remarks,  and,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the 
movement  was  supported  by  the  prominent  pharmacists  of  the  city,  it  was 
expected  that  the  entertainment  would  be  an  eminently  successful  one,  and  this 
hope  was  more  than  realized. 
Plant  Psychology. — In  a  most  interesting  article  by  K.  Kiister  {Apoth. 
Zeit.,  1899,  pp.  448  and  458)  is  given  a  digest  of  the  most  important  literature 
bearing  upon  the  problem  as  to  whether  plants  have  souls.  The  whole  problem 
is  one  intimately  connected  with  philosophical  psychology  and  opens  up  a  most 
interesting  field  of  speculation.  The  important  contributions  on  this  subject 
are  those  of  G.  T.  Fechner,  entitled  "  Nana  oder  Ueber  das  Seelenleben  der 
Pflanzen;"  Martiu's  upon  "Die  Seele  der  Pflanzen"  and  Dr.  Wille  on 
"  Waldseelen." 
Commercial  Education  in  the  United  States  is  considered  in  the  Amer. 
Gas  Light  Jour. ,  1898,  p.  897.  Almost  all  of  the  larger  universities  are  recogniz- 
ing the  need  of  special  training  for  those  who  are  to  follow  commercial  life. 
The  Consular  Reports  show  that  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  conditions  to  be 
met  in  foreign  markets  is  of  great  importance.  The  Philadelphia  Museum 
is  designed  to  supply  this  information.  It  is  .very  apparent  how  a  failure  to 
observe  explicit  directions  of  importers,  as  to  dimensions  and  methods  of  pack- 
ing or  to  consider  the  customs  of  possible  consumers,  stand  in  the  way  of 
the  sale  of  otherwise  excellent  goods.  In  China,  a  fanciful  Chinese  dragon,  as 
a  trade-mark,  will  sell  goods  better  than  if  the  house-mark  were  used.  In 
Nicaragua  the  machetes  used  by  the  natives  are  those  made  in  Hartford, 
Conn.,  because  Collins  produced  a  blade  of  exactly  the  shape  the  natives 
desired. 
Munyon  and  His  Remedies. — An  exceedingly  well  written  and  timely 
article  on  Munyon  and  his  remedies  appears  in  the  Amer.  Drug,  and  Pharm. 
Record,  1900,  p.  75.  It  is  just  such  an  article  as  every  pharmacist  ought  to  see 
and  every  daily  newspaper  in  the  country  publish.  If  some  philanthropist  or 
public-spirited  citizen  would  only  look  into  the  work  of  such  men  as  Munyon, 
we  cannot  but  believe  that  the  race  would  be  benefited  thereby.  The  article 
in  question  brings  out  in  an  interesting  manner  the  falsity  of  much  of  the 
so-called  philanthropy  as  practised. 
California  Fig  Culture.— It  was  W.  T.  Swingle  who  first  showed  that  the 
absence  of  the  blastophaga  or  caprifigs  in  California  was  the  cause  of  the  failt 
ure  of  fig  culture  in  California.  The  caprifig  is  the  home  of  a  winged  insecr 
which,  when  it  exists,  is  covered  with  pollen.  On  entering  a  new  fig  fiowe- 
to  deposit  her  eggs,  the  pollen  is  brought  in  contact  with  the  pistils  of  the 
flowers  in  the  fig.  There  are  about  seventy -five  known  varieties  of  caprifig, 
and  it  is  a  question  as  to  whether  different  varieties  of  the  caprifig  would  im- 
part to  the  edible  fig  different  flavors,  etc.  It  is  said  that  no  horticultural 
industry  would  be  more  profitable  in  California  than  fig  raising  if  it  could  be 
made  a  success.— Scientific  Amer.,  1899,  p.  410. 
