396       Pennsylvania  Pharmaceutical  Association.     { Ank^Just5£m' 
A  Pharmacist's  Note  Book. 
By  Clement  B.  Lowe. 
The  author  gives  the  results  of  his  every-day  experience  in  the 
conduct  of  the  prescription  department,  innovations  in  shop  furni- 
ture, printing,  the  care  of  drug  store  grounds,  the  Sunday  question, 
etc.  The  work  of  the  association  will  be  made  most  profitable  by 
such  comparison  of  ideas  and  methods  among  the  members. 
The  Estimation  of  Free  Hydrochloric  Acid  and  Lactic  Acid. 
By  Frederic  E.  Niece. 
The  author  gives  methods  which  involve  gravimetric  and  volu- 
metric procedure,  and  which  have  proven  trustworthy  and  accurate, 
so  far  as  chemical  requirements  are  concerned. 
Substitution  Legislation. 
By  M.  I.  Wilbert. 
The  author  takes  as  his  text  the  enactment  of  the  Bostwick- 
Dowling  Bill  in  New  York.  The  bill,  as  passed  by  the  Legislature 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  made  it  a  misdemeanor  "  to  substitute 
any  drug,  medicine,  food  or  preparation  in  lieu  of  any  article  pre- 
scribed, ordered,  required  or  demanded  ;  or  in  any  other  way  to 
deviate  from  the  terms  of  the  prescription,  order  or  demand."  The 
author  says : 
"  Without  mincing  matters  in  any  way,  we  must  admit  that 
restrictive  measures  of  this  kind  are  but  the  logical  outcome  of  loss 
of  confidence,  and  lack  of  respect  and  appreciation  on  the  part  of 
the  public  and  its  servants.  Unfortunately,  too,  this  measure  may 
be  considered  as  a  public  indorsement  of  opinions  that  have  been 
repeatedly  expressed,  not  alone  in  the  daily  papers,  but  also  in 
various  medical  journals,  and  even  in  medical  text-books.  The 
reasons  for  this  marked  decline  in  the  social  status  of  the  pharma- 
cist is,  no  doubt,  to  be  found  in  the  rampant  spirit  of  commercial- 
ism that  appears  to  pervade  all  branches  of  the  drug  business  at  the 
present  time,  to  the  almost  total  neglect  of  progress  along  profes- 
sional lines.  A  rather  short-sighted  commercial  policy  appears  to 
be  particularly  well  developed  among  retail  druggists,  to  the  almost 
absolute  disregard  of  professional  or  scientific  matters." 
