FebTisTs!*''"* }  Editorials.  Ill 
ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION,  PHILADELPHIA  COLLEGE  OF 
PHARMACY. 
At  the  fourth  social  meeting,  held  January  13th,  Dr.  E.  T.  Bruen,  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  delivered  a  lecture  on  "the  germ  theory  of 
disease,"  giving  a  historical  sketch  of  the  various  views  held  in  regard  to 
the  contagiousness  of  certain  diseases,  more  particularly  since  the  discovery 
of  spermatozoa,  in  1679,  in  regard  to  malaria,  fermentation,  the  physico- 
chemical  theory,  and,  finally,  the  germ  theory  of  the  present  day.  He 
divided  the  infectious  diseases  into  three  classes,  according  to  the  manner 
in  which  they  are  communicated;  explained  the  causes  of  immunity 
against  various  diseases,  and  pointed  out  the  manner  in  which  the  growth 
and  reproduction  of  the  germs  may  be  inhibited.  The  best  agent  for  this 
purpose  is  mercuric  chloride  in  very  dilute  solution,  this  being  far  more 
effectual  than  other  chemicals  ;  but  the  different  germs  do  not  behave  alike, 
and  there  are  only  very  few  reliable  germicides,  the  surest  being  destruc- 
tion of  the  infected  material  by  fire. 
Mr.  Sayre  afterwards  read  a  paper  on  "  cocaine,"  giving  a  history  of  the 
coca  plant,  its  cultivation  and  uses,  and  its  chemical  history,  with  the  ther- 
apeutical uses  of  the  alkaloid. 
After  various  recitations  the  meeting  adjourned. 
EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 
Preliminary  Education  of  Pharmacists.— The  deficient  education 
of  many  young  men  entering  upon  the  pursuit  of  pharmacy  in  the  United 
States,  has  been  frequently  commented  upon,  and  proprietors  of  drug 
stores  have  been  repeatedly  urged  to  pay  more  attention  to  the  educational 
acquirements  of  those  whom  they  take  as  apprentices ;  yet  a  practical  plan 
of  securing  greater  uniformity  in  their  previous  education  has  not  been 
presented.  The  committee  entrusted  by  the  American  Pharmaceutical 
Association  with  preparing  the  draft  of  a  pharmacy  law  sixteen  years 
ago,  had  this  subject  under  consideration,  and  after  a  lengthy  discussion 
could  not  discover  a  direct  way,  promising  success,  for  accomplishing  that 
which  in  Europe  is  reached  by  the  enactment  of  laws  or  government  regu- 
lations. A  compromise  was  finally  reached  and  agreed  to  by  Professor 
Edward  Parrish,  who,  however,  had  no  hope  that  the  point  aimed  at  would 
be  gained.  This  draft  of  a  pharmacy  law  was  reported  to  the  Chicago 
meeting  in  1869  and  recommended  by  the  Association  ;  it  recognized  the 
existing  state  of  things  and  provided  for  the  future  that  pharmacists  before 
commencing  business,  should  become  Graduates  in  Pharmacy,  the  avowed 
aim  being  that  the  Colleges  of  Pharmacy  should  be  made  responsible  for 
the  education  of  all  pharmacists,  and  thus  in  an  indirect  manner  secure  the 
general  education  of  the  young  men  before  they  became  apprentices. 
Rhode  Island  is  the  only  State  where  this  law  was  enacted,  in  March, 
1870,  only  to  be  repealed  and  modified  in  the  year  following.  No  other 
pharmacy  law  has  had  a  provision  with  a  similar  object,  either  directly  or 
indirectly.    This  failure,  which  came  not  unexpected  to  Professor  Parrish, 
