Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Feb.,  1893. 
Editorial. 
burg,  36  (out  of  129  applicants)  were  granted  registered  pharmacists  certificates, 
and  41  (out  of  122  applicants)  certificates  as  qualified  assistants. 
Amendment  to  the  Pennsylvania  Pharmacy  Law. — On  p.  331  of  our  last 
volume  we  recorded  the  action  taken  by  the  Medical  Society  of  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania  in  favor  of  requiring  physicians,  who  intend  to  carry  on  the 
retail  drug  business,  to  pass  an  examination  under  the  pharmacy  law.  Governor 
Pattison,  in  his  message  to  the  legislature,  referred  to  the  same  matter  in  a 
direct  and  judicious  manner,  using  the  following  language  : 
"The  act  of  1887,  regulating  the  practice  of  pharmacy,  would  be  rendered 
more  effective  by  amendment.  Section  11  of  this  act  provides  that  '  Any 
graduate  of  any  accredited  medical  college,  who  has  had  not  less  than  three 
years  continued  practice  since  the  date  of  his  diploma,  and  who  is  registered, 
as  a  practitioner  of  medicine  and  surgery,  may  be  registered  under  the  phar- 
macy act  without  examination,  and  be  granted  a  certificate  to  all  the  privileges 
under  the  provision  of  the  law.'  The  special  training  required  by  the  pharma- 
cist can  only  be  had  after  a  term  of  apprenticeship  or  a  college  course,  and  even 
after  that,  he  is  required  to  pass  an  examination.  His  college  certificate  does  not 
carry  with  it  the  same  force  and  effect  as  the  diploma  and  experience  of  the 
physician.  It  is  recommended  that  Section  11,  of  the  act  of  1887,  be  repealed, 
so  as  to  place  the  demands  of  registration  for  all  applicants  under  the 
pharmacy  act  on  the  same  footing." 
We  understand  that  a  bill  has  been  introduced  repealing  the  obnoxious  sec- 
tion in  conformity  with  the  recommendations  of  the  State  Medical  Society  and 
of  the  Governor,  and  in  accordance  with  the  unanimous  sentiment  of  the 
pharmaceutical  profession  ;  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  none  of  the  legislators 
may  be  blind  enough  not  to  see  the  justice  of  the  proposed  measure. 
The  California  College  of  Pharmacy  held  its  nineteenth  annual  commence- 
ment in  Odd  Fellows  Hall,  San  Francisco,  November  10,  last,  when  the 
diploma  of  the  College  was  conferred  upon  33  candidates,  including  one  lady  ; 
and  certificates  of  proficiency  were  awarded  to  two  ladies  and  two  gentlemen. 
The  excessive  price  of  alcohol  in  the  United  States  has  been  ventilated  in  a 
circular  recently  issued  by  the  Philadelphia  Drug  Exchange.  Commencing 
with  July  1,  1862,  the  excise  tax  on  proof  spirit  was  20  cents  per  gallon  ;  March 
7,  1864,  it  was  made  60  cents ;  June  30,  1864,  $1.50;  December  22,  1864,  >2  : 
July  20,  1868,  50  cents  ;  June  6,  1872,  70  cents,  and  since  March  3,  1875,  it  is  90 
cents  per  gallon.  No  reason  whatever  can  be  assigned  for  such  a  vacillating 
course.  The  present  tax  amounts  to  $1,692  on  a  wine  gallon  of  94  per  cent, 
alcohol ;  but  the  customs,  duty  on  spirit  is  $2.50  per  proof  gallon,  which  is  equal 
to  $4  70  per  zuine  gallon  of  94  per  cent,  alcohol.  It  is  obvious  that  this  duty  is 
simply  prohibitory,  and  it  is  no  wonder  that  a  "trust  "  has  been  formed,  vir- 
tually monopolizing  the  trade  in  distilled  spirits,  and  exacting  for  these  goods 
any  price  they  choose  to  exact. 
The  circular  also  shows  that  in  May,  1892,  alcohol  was  obtainable  at  $r.9S, 
net,  per  gallon.  Since  the  Whiskey  Trust  was  formed,  the  price  has  been  con- 
tinually rising,  and  January  10,  last,  it  was,  in  10  barrel  lots,  $2.64.  Under  cer- 
tain restrictions  the  <rust  allows  a  rebate  of  7  cents  per  proof  gallon.  Deduct- 
ing the  government  tax  from  the  price  in  May  last  we  have  1.98 — 1.692  = 
28  +  cents  per  gallon  ;  while  after  deducting  the  government  tax  and  the 
