A  junTi'.is™'}  Gleanings  from  the  European  Journals.  273 
free  trade  to  every  citizen ;  therefore,  as  we  value  free  trade,  it  would 
be  more  consistent  with  our  condition  and  position  to  let  our  calling 
take  care  of  itself,  because  as  soon  as  we  claim  to  be  more  than  deal- 
ers in  drugs,  we  expose  ourselves  to  exactions  by  the  people,  based 
upon  assumptions  to  which  at  present  they  possess  no  right  whatever. 
If  they  wish  to  saddle  labors  and  responsibilities  on  us,  there  must 
be  compensation,  because  we,  a  part  of  the  people,  cannot  relinquish 
our  civil  rights  to  the  benefit  of  the  whole  for  nothing,  for  we  are  dei 
gracia  sovereign  citizens  of  a  free  country.  The  District  of  Colum- 
bia, the  State  of  New  York  or  Kentucky,  cannot  expect  to  obtain  a 
system  of  pharmaceutical  supervision  at  private  expense.  They  pos- 
sess no  pharmacopoeia,  etc.,  and  if  pharmacy  is  so  delicate  a  plant 
that  it  cannot  be  exposed  to  the  free  air,  then  its  cultivation  and  ac- 
climatization had  better  be  abandoned,  because  it  will  be  a  costly 
failure.  Neither  does  a  State  possess  the  right  to  exact  qualification 
and  responsibilities  from  one  portion  of  her  citizens  in  a  business, 
while  allowing  another  portion  to  sell  drugs  ad  libitum  without  con- 
ferring on  the  former  certain  well-defined  prerogatives  on  account  of 
such  qualification,  etc.  ;  but  these  prerogatives  do  not  consist  in 
keeping  account  of  the  sale  of  dangerous  drugs  for  nothing,  neither 
do  they  consist  in  paying  more  licenses  and  fees  than  the  quack 
nostrum  manufacturer  or  the  retail  or  wholesale  grocer-druggist, 
etc.;  on  the  contrary,  they  must  consist,  for  instance,  in  the  preroga- 
tive that  the  latter  is  entirely  enjoined  from  meddling  with  pharma- 
ceutical preparations,  on  account  of  his  incompetence,  and  when  the 
people  buy  drugs  from  him  in  their  assumption  "to  doctor"  them- 
selves— an  assumption  which  they  have  been  accustomed  to  so  long 
that  they  consider  it  as  a  right — then  they  (the  people)  must  be  made 
to  learn  and  know  that  they  also  assume  all  consequences  of  such 
doctoring,  and  that  they  are  ipso  facto  et  jure  prevented  from  bring- 
ing suits  for  damages  against  such  dealer  in  drugs. 
These  are  the  main  preliminaries,  if  our  position  shall  be  defined 
with  reference  to  free  trade,  qualification,  etc. 
Chicago,  May,  1874. 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  EUROPEAN  JOURNALS. 
By  the  Editor. 
On  the  Examination  of  Oil  of  Peppermint  a  valuable  paper  has 
been  published  by  Prof.  Fliickiger,  in  "  Pharm.  Handelsblatt,"  April 
17 
