Asnepte°mberfia89™'}    American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  511 
called  for  the  reports  of  the  Special  Conference  Committees  and  the  National 
Committee  on  Trade  Interests,  both  of  which  were  appointed  last  year  at  the 
annual  meeting,  but  their  chairmen  were  absent  and  no  reports  were  received. 
Secretary  Burge  read  resolutions  recommending  organization  of  pharmacists. 
Mr.  B.  A.  Robinson  read  a  paper  in  reply  to  Chairman  Seabury's  query  : 
"  Are  non-secret  preparations,  in  imitation  of  well-known  domestic  medicines, 
legitimate  products  ;  and  is  it  honest  for  a  dealer  to  allow  his  name  to  be 
printed  on  the  label  so  as  to  give  an  unknown  compound  currency,  when  he 
is  ignorant  of  the  contents  of  such  preparation  ?  Why  does  he  not  prepare 
his  own  family  and  household  remedies  ?" 
The  paper  was  received  and  referred  to  the  Publication  Committee,  but  no 
further  comment  was  elicited.  Secretary  Burge  then  read  a  communication 
from  Secretary  Holmes,  in  which  the  latter  said  a  publication,  entitled  The 
Mortar  and  Pestle,  had  been  undertaken  by  the  officers  of  the  Commercial 
Section,  with  a  view  of  organizing  the  pharmacists  for  their  mutual  benefit. 
Four  numbers  were  stated  to  have  been  issued  ;  the  first  issue  was  said  to  have 
been  mailed  to  every  druggist  in  every  town  having  four  druggists,  or  in  all  20,000 
copies.  The  subsequent  issues  were  each  in  succession  of  a  lesser  number  of 
copies,  and  the  territory  of  their  distribution  narrowed  until  only  the  New  Eng- 
land States  and  some  of  the  largest  cities  of  the  Middle  and  Central  States  were 
supplied.  A  fifth  number  was  about  to  be  issued  when  the  editor  was  taken  sick. 
It  was  said  to  have  been  difficult  to  get  sufficient  matter  for  the  publication,  on 
which  account  its  appearance  had  been  irregular.  Many  of  the  members  said 
they  had  never  seen  the  paper.  Others  had  received  a  number  at  each  issue. 
Some  had  subscribed  for  it  at  $1  per  year.  The  Editor,  Clay  W.  Holmes, 
stated  in  his  communication  to  the  Section  that  he  stood  ready  to  refund  all 
subscriptions  pro  rata  to  those  who  were  dissatisfied.  The  total  expense  of 
the  publication  was  $709.  Subscription  receipts  to  the  extent  of  $212  had 
been  received.  .  The  appropriation  of  $200  made  last  year,  by  the  Asso- 
ciation, was  spent  in  the  effort  to  organize  the  pharmacists  of  the  country 
for  their  mutual  benefit  by  this  means.  Chairman  Seabury  defrayed  the 
remainder  of  the  expense.  This  gentleman  stated  that  The  Mortar  and 
Pestle  will  be  continued,  and  that  hereafter  all  members  will  receive  it.  Mr. 
Alpers  moved  that  all  mention  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association 
on  the  stationery  of  the  publication  in  question  be  prohibited  ;  and  it  was  so 
ordered.  It  was  then  moved  and  carried  that  all  reference  to  the  Mortar  and 
Pestle  be  expunged  from  the  minutes.  Professor  Hallberg  moved  that  the 
Association  approve  of  an  organization  to  manufacture  and  sell  medicines  for 
popular  use,  stating  that  such  a  procedure  was  a  logical  plan  whereby  the 
pharmacist  may  obtain  relief  from  the  patent  medicine  monopoly.  A  rising 
vote  laid  the  motion  on  the  table.  The  meeting  thanked  the  retiring  officers 
for  their  services.  The  newly  elected  officers  were  not  present,  hence  they  could 
not  be  installed  at  the  time.  There  being  no  further  business  of  the  Section 
whatever,  and  the  reading  of  the  minutes  having  been  voted  down,  the  only 
session  of  the  Commercial  Section  adjourned  until  next  year's  ineetirg. 
SECTION  ON  SCIENTIFIC  INTERESTS. 
The  first  session  of  this  Section  was  held  on  Friday,  August  14th.  President 
Good  held  a  preliminary  session  of  the  Association  proper,  which  he  convened 
