442  German  Pharmacists  and  Pharmacies.  {Am'siptr,'i89iarni' 
Pharmacopoeia  for  the  assaying  of  opium,  its  shortcomings — what- 
ever they  may  be — should  be  known. 
In  a  reference  to  my  paper  on  the  assaying  of  opium  preparations 
in  the  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,  August,  1890,  the  foot-note,  on  page 
409,  is  quoted  by  the  "  Helfenberger  Annalen  "  for  1 890,  page  69, 
in  a  very  incorrect  manner,  which  is  best  shown  by  placing  the 
English  version  of  the  quotation  along-side  of  the  foot-note,  viz : 
From  Am.  -Jour.  Ph.,  1890,  p.  409.  From  Helfenb.  Ann.,  1890,  p.  69 
Dieterich's  unfavorable  results  are  (translation).    Dieterich's  unfavor- 
unf airly  obtained.    He  exhibits,  in  able  results  are  dishonestly  obtained, 
the  Helfenberger  Annalen  for  1889,  He  exhibits,  in  the  Helfenberger 
a  brilliant  array  of  54  comparative  Annalen  for  1889,  a  brilliant  array  of 
assays,  of  which  not  a  single  one  is  54  comparative  assays,  of  which  not 
made  according  to  Fli'ickiger.  a  single  one  agrees  with  Fli'ickiger. 
Dieterich  choose  to  translate  "unfairly"  by  •  "  unredlich  ;"  but 
this  German  word  signifies  in  English  dishonest — and  this  word  is 
not  synonymous  with  unfair. 
Detroit,  August  3,  1891. 
GERMAN  PHARMACISTS  AND  PHARMACIES. 
By  Alfred  Dohme,  Ph.D. 
Much  has  recently  been  said  and  written  in  disparagement  of  our 
schools  of  pharmacy  and  especially  of  our  pharmacies,  so  that  the 
latter  have  even  been  termed  grog-shops,  groceries  and  confection- 
eries. The  greater  part  of  this  pessimistic  philosophy  and  elo- 
quence comes,  if  one  will  take  the  trouble  to  investigate  matters 
slightly  below  the  surface,  from  an  element  among  our  people  which 
is  foreign  in  birth  as  well  as  sentiment  to  this  our  native  land.  A 
man  naturally  clings  to  his  native  home  all  during  life,  no  matter 
how  long  a  time  has  elapsed  since  he  last  saw  and  gathered  around 
it,  especially  so,  however,  if  he  had  left  it  during  youth  or  early 
manhood.  When,  hence,  he  once  again  returns  to  said  home  and 
country,  everything  looks  splendid  ;  he  sees  things  through  flawless 
glasses  and  he  has  no  fault  to  find  with  anything  therewith  con- 
nected. Pharmacists  are  no  exception  to  this  rule  and  they  who 
came  over  from  some  part  of  Europe  to  try  their  fortune  on  these 
shores,  on  returning  thither  find  everything  more  advanced,  better 
and  more  complete  than  over  here  in  this  fast  country.  It  is  from 
these  men  that  we  learn,  and  they  often  take  pleasure  in  airing  their 
opinions  while  abroad  as  well  as  at  home,  sometimes  even  publicly, 
