328  Pharmaceutical  Corps  in  U.  S.  Army.  {Am-$™r-^rm- 
Unfortunately  the  United  States,  in  this  matter,  has  copied  the 
methods  of  the  British  Army  Medical  Department,  whose  service 
has  been  denounced  at  home  as  "  obsolete,"  "  incompetent "  and 
"  inefficient."  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  are  the  only 
two  prominent  nations  whose  army  medical  service  does  not  pro- 
vide for  an  organized  pharmaceutical  corps. 
In  England  this  serious  defect  has  been  forcefully  pointed  out 
and  the  comparisons  made  with  the  well-organized  and  equipped 
medical  and  pharmaceutical  corps  of  the  continental  armies  have 
not  been  considered  as  at  all  creditable  to  their  home  government. 
The  British  government  has  recently  commissioned  pharmacists  sent 
to  France  and  information  at  hand  indicates  that  England  is  like- 
wise awakening  to  the  necessity  of  availing  herself  of  the  special 
knowledge  of  trained  phamacists.  In  the  colonial  Armies  raised 
by  Australia  this  step  has  already  been  taken  and  a  pharmaceutical 
corps  has  been  organized  and  controls  the  pharmaceutical  service 
for  its  armies  and  likewise  for  the  transport  service.  With  the 
desire  to  learn  fully  the  organization  and  work  of  the  pharmaceutical 
corps  in  the  various  armies,  the  Australian  government  has  depu- 
tized Major  Cossar  of  its  pharmacy  staff  to  make  a  special  tour  of 
study  among  all  the  allied  armies. 
The  bill  introduced  by  Mr.  Edmonds  will  provide  the  machinery 
needed  for  the  establishment  of  this  desirable  innovation  and  im- 
provement in  the  medical  service  of  the  American  Army.  By  estab- 
lishing a  system,  it  will  provide  for  a  reserve  corps  and  for  the 
automatic  extension  of  the  service  in  time  of  war.  It  provides  for 
the  various  duties,  qualifications,  grades,  studies  and  advancement 
of  those  entering  the  service.  The  very  moderate  rank  provided 
for  in  this  act,  ranging  from  major  to  lieutenant,  should  be  extended 
so  as  to  advance  the  status  of  the  head  officer  of  the  corps  to  the 
rank  of  colonel. 
As  the  United  States  Army  is  now  being  reorganized  in  con- 
formity with  the  organization  of  the  French  Army,  is  it  not,  like- 
wise, an  opportune  time  to  organize  a  pharmaceutical  service  copied 
after  their  excellent  plan? 
George  M.  Beringer, 
President  National  Pharmaceutical  Service  Association, 
Samuel  L.  Hilton, 
Chairman,  Committee  on  Status  of  Pharmacists  in  Government 
Service,  American  Pharmaceutical  Association. 
