52 
Editorials. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm, 
t      Jan.,  1886. 
A  specimen  of  Irish  broom,  collected  on  the  line  of  the  Baltimore  Rail- 
road. Prof.  Maisch  stated  that  many  years  ago  scoparius  grew  plentifully 
near  Fairmount  avenue  and  Twenty-second  street. 
There  being  no  further  business,  on  motion,  adjourned. 
T.  S.  WiEGAND,  Registrar. 
ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION,  PHILADELPHIA  COLLEGE  OF 
PHARMACY. 
The  third  social  meeting  was  held  at  the  College  hall  on  the  afternoon  of 
December  9,  the  President,  Dr.  C.  A.  Weidemann,  in  the  chair.  A  very 
interesting  lecture  was  delivered  by  Dr.  J.  M.  Anders,  the  subject  being 
"Diet  and  Drink."  The  lecturer  passed  in  review  the  different  classes  of 
food — nitrogenous  and  non-nitrogenous,  animal  and  vegetable,  and  the 
various  drinks — water,  milli,  fermented  liquors,  coffee,  tea,  etc.,  and  allud- 
ing to  the  physiological  observations  made  with  many  of  these,  showed  the 
adaptability  of  the  different  articles  under  various  conditions.  In  the  dis- 
cussion following  several  speakers  took  the  ground  that  wheat  starch, 
which  is  cheaply  produced  in  this  country,  is  in  every  respect  the  dietary 
equivalent  of  the  high-priced  arrow-roots  of  tropical  countries. 
After  various  recitations  and  the  reading  of  a  paper,  entitled  "  What  is 
the  Best  Way  to  Wait  on  a  Customer,"  the  meeting  adjourned. 
EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 
The  Endorsing  and  Vending  of  Nostrums  by  the  American 
Pharmaceutical  Association.— Under  this  caption  Mr.  A.  E.  Eberthas 
sent  us  a  communication,  which  we  print  below,  and  which  seems  to  be 
intended  to  correct  an  error  in  the  communication  published  on  page  654  of 
our  December  number.  Mr.  Ebert  apparently  assumes  that  Mr.  Shoema- 
ker's remarks  refer  to  the  representatives  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical 
Association  who  were  present  at  the  St.  Louis  meeting  of  the  National 
Wholesale  Druggists'  Association,  while  in  point  of  fact,  no  allusion  what- 
ever was  made  to  that  delegation,  Mr.  Shoemaker  distinctly  saying  :  "  There 
were  present  ....  a  very  respectable  delegation  from  the  National 
Retail  Druggists' Association  ....  some  at  least  prominent  memders 
of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association."  This  fact  is  not  disputed 
by  Mr.  Ebert,  and  the  two  sentences  which  we  have  italicized  in  his  com- 
munication, clearly  show  that  the  facts,  as  stated  by  Mr.  Shoemaker,  are  in 
accord  with  those  observed  by  Mr.  Ebert.  The  present  communication, 
therefore,  cannot  be  regarded  as  a  correction  of  the  previous  one  ;  but  it  is 
a  supplement  thereto,  and  an  imi^ortant  one,  since  it  shows  that  the  delega- 
tion of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association  was  on  the  alert  of  avoid- 
ing compromises,  repugnant  to  the  history  of  the  Association  since  its 
foundation.    A  synopsis  of  the  position  of  this  Association  to  nostrums  and 
