204.  UOttUary.  \         March,  1920. 
OBITUARY. 
EUGfiNE  COLLIN. 
In  the  decease  of  Eugene- Jean-B apt iste  Collin  on  December  22, 
19 1 9,  France  has  lost  one  of  her  most  prominent  scientists  who  occu- 
pied a  preeminent  position  in  the  field  of  microscopy  and  anatomical 
structure  of  drugs  and  foods  and  who  had  devoted  his  life  in  a  modest 
yet  most  effective  manner  to  scientific  study.  He  was  born  at 
Carignan,  Ardennes,  on  June  22,  1845.  At  an  early  age  he  obtained 
his  education  as  bachelor  of  letters  and  sciences  and  then  applied 
himself  to  pharmacy.  He  was  a  hospital  interne  in  1 868  and  during 
this  period  wrote  his  first  paper  on  materia  medica  for  which  he  was 
awarded  the  first  prize. 
In  1 87 1  he  arrived  at  the  distinction  of  a  pharmacist,  first-class, 
and  on  this  occasion  presented  a  thesis  on  the  structure  of  the  official 
rhubarbs.  He  determined  to  apply  himself  to  the  microscopic  study 
of  drugs  and  foods  and  the  detection  of  adulterants  and  sophistica- 
tions, a  branch  of  science  which  at  that  time  was  but  little  explored. 
His  investigations  covered  a  multitude  of  substances  and  his  con- 
tributions to  scientific  literature  were  numerous  and  on  a  diversity 
of  subjects.  Among  these  may  be  mentioned  his  studies  of  starches, 
canella,  pepper,  coffee,  tea,  cinchona,  cantharides  and  marjoram. 
Associated  with  another  name  familiar  to  students  of  botany  of 
drug  plants  there  was  published  "The  Vegetable  Origin  of  Simple 
Drugs,"  by  Planchon  and  Collin,  in  which  Collin  prepared  the  major 
portion  of  the  work.  In  1894,  he  published  "A  Guide  to  the  Prac- 
tical Determination  of  Officinal  Powders;"  in  1902  appeared  his 
"Precis  de  Materia  Medicale;"  and  in  1907  a  "Treatise  on  Vegetal 
Toxicology,"  being  a  study  of  the  application  of  the  microscope  to 
the  study  of  the  vegetable  poisons.  In  1905,  there  was  published 
"An  Anatomical  Atlas  of  Vegetable  Drugs,"  by  Henry  George 
Greenish  and  Eugene  Collin. 
His  work  was  not  without  due  appreciation  and  recognition  and 
Collin  was  elected  to  honorary  membership  in  many  pharmaceutical 
societies.  He  was  an  honorary  member  of  the  Philadelphia  College 
of  Pharmacy  and  only  last  year  was  elected  to  honorary  membership 
in  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  He  received  the  award 
of  the  Hanbury  medal  in  1903. 
By  appointment  of  the  Minister  of  Commerce,  he  held  the  posi- 
tion of  microscopist  in  the  central  laboratory  for  the  suppression  of 
frauds  and  here  his  work  for  many  years,  and  especially  during  the 
world  war,  is  said  to  have  been  of  inestimable  value  to  his  fellow 
countrymen.  G.  M.  B. 
