552 
Editorial. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
<-     August,  1 918. 
resentatives  a  bill  to  increase  the  efficiency  of  the  Army,  to  provide 
a  Pharmaceutical  Corps  in  that  department,  and  to  improve  the 
status  and  efficiency  of  the  pharmacists  of  the  Army.  The  bill  pro- 
vides for  the  establishment  of  a  Pharmaceutical  Corps  to  be  com- 
posed of  a  pharmacist  director,  with  rank  of  major,  five  deputy 
pharmacist  directors,  with  the  rank  of  captain,  and  such  number  of 
pharmacists,  with  rank  of  lieutenant,  and  of  pharmacist  apprentices, 
as  may  be  needed  for  the  service.  The  bill  delegates  to  the  Pharma- 
ceutical Corps  the  following  duties:  To  procure  by  purchase  or  manu- 
facture all  supplies  of  medicines,  drugs,  chemicals,  pharmaceutical 
apparatus,  and  hospital  and  surgical  dressings  necessary  for  the 
Medical  Department  of  the  Army ;  to  determine  the  quality  and 
purity  of  such  supplies ;  to  have  charge  of  the  medical  supply  depots 
of  the  Army  and  the  storage  and  safeguarding  of  such  supplies ;  to 
provide  for  the  issuance  and  distribution  of  such  supplies  and  the 
dispensing  of  medicines  in  the  various  hospitals,  dispensaries,  in- 
firmaries, trains  and  camps  of  the  Army ;  to  properly  care  for,  reg- 
ulate the  dispensing  and  to  systematically  account  for  all  spirituous 
liquors  and  habit-forming  drugs  purchased  for  the  department;  to 
procure  by  purchase  or  manufacture  such  drugs,  chemicals,  reagents, 
tests,  and  biologic  products  as  are  used  in  the  laboratories  and  the 
medical  and  surgical  practice  of  the  department  for  the  purpose  of 
diagnosis,  prophylaxis,  or  treatment;  to  account  for  all  moneys  re- 
ceived from  sales  of  medical  supplies,  in  accordance  with  the  pro- 
visions of  the  Army  regulations  or  disposed  of  by  order  of  com- 
petent authority  ;  to  inspect  the  department's  stores  and  supplies  of 
drugs,  medicines,  hospital  dressings,  reagents,  tests  and  biologic 
products  and  determine  their  deterioration  and  fitness  for  use ;  to 
cooperate  with  the  other  branches  of  the  department  in  rendering 
first  aid  and  wound  dressing  and  in  the  making  of  diagnostic  and 
chemical  tests  ;  to  establish  and  maintain  a  systematic  course  of 
study  and  training,  including  the  advances  made  in  medicine,  phar- 
macy, and  sciences  allied  thereto,  to  be  pursued  by  the  members  of 
the  Army  Pharmaceutical  Corps  who  are  seeking  promotion  in  the 
Corps. 
It  goes  without  saying  that  the  efficiency  of  the  Medical  Depart- 
ment will  be  increased  if  trained  and  experienced  pharmacists  pur- 
chase (or  manufacture),  test  and  dispense  the  drugs  selected  and 
prescribed  by  the  medical  men.  Also,  though  the  pharmacist  is  not 
trained  to  render  medical  aid  nor,  except  in  isolated  instances,  to 
