Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
Noveiuber,  1899.  J 
Valuation  of  Drugs  and  Foods. 
529 
As  regards  transportation,  a  very  important  topic  for  physicians 
in  thinly-settled  districts,  it  may  be  said  that  the  sheets  of  wood 
pulp  are  very  light,  and  quite  a  quantity  can  be  carried  under  the 
buggy  seat.  When  you  have  it,  you  have  cloths,  material,  appara- 
tus ;  in  fact,  everything  for  poultices  except  the  hot  water.  The 
only  drawback  is  its  bulk,  but  one  cannot  get  perfection  in  every 
feature. 
I  have  briefly  outlined  these  few  of  the  many  uses  to  which  wood 
pulp  can  be  put.  Probably  there  is  not  a  single  druggist  who  can- 
not suggest  many  more  and  better  uses  now  that  his  attention  is 
drawn  to  this  material.  There  are  numerous  uses  to  which  the 
pulp  can  be  put  in  every  store  and  laboratory,  as,  for  filtering 
cloudy  elixirs,  wiping  up  grease  and  dirt,  a  non-conducting  surface 
to  rest  pots  and  crucibles  on,  as  a  cover  for  a  steam  heater  or  con- 
denser, etc. 
As  a  commercial  article,  permit  me  to  make  these  suggestions : 
For  the  medical  profession,  keep  an  assorted  supply  of  the  sheets 
of  wood  pulp,  of  course  acquainting  them  with  the  uses  and  virtues 
of  the  material  by  actual  demonstration.  They  will  be  quick  to 
appreciate  the  cleanliness  and  convenience  of  wood  pulp  as  an  aid 
to  their  practice,  and  will,  no  doubt,  make  much  use  of  it. 
THE  VALUATION  OF  VEGETABLE  DRUGS  AND  FOODS.1 
By  Henry  Kraemer. 
After  the  identification  of  a  drug  or  food,  the  next  question  to  be 
considered  is  its  quality  or  value  in  a  commercial  sense.  While  the 
identification  of  drugs  and  foods  is  universally  recognized  as  being 
of  importance  in  handling  them,  yet  it  is  also  apparent  that  commer- 
cial success  is  dependent  upon  something  more  than  this,  i.  e.y  the 
intrinsic  worth  or  value  of  the  drug  or  food  to  the  consumer.  In 
times  that  have  passed  there  was  a  kind  of  personal  knowledge  of 
drugs  and  foods  which  enabled  one  readily  either  by  reason  of 
appearance,  odor,  taste  or  the  sense  of  touch,  to  pronounce 
upon  the  value  of  them.  As  to  whether  our  system  of  edu- 
cation is  the  cause  of  men  not  endeavoring  to  obtain  this  "personal 
knowledge "  of  drugs  and  foods,  or  whether  these  tests  are  not 
1  Presented  in  abstract  at  the  meeting  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Asso- 
ciation, September,  1899. 
