^"pi'^rf'JgT'}         Teaching  of  Pharmacognosy.  427 
Conclusion. — In  presenting  the  above  queries  I  realize  that  I 
am  presenting  problems  that  can  only  be  settled  by  extensive 
experimental  work.  The  main  practical  question  is  to  decide  how 
great  these  various  factors  probably  are  and  whether  the  necessary 
co-operative  work  is  to  be  undertaken. 
Analytical  Department,  Smith,  Kline  and  French  Co. 
THE  TEACHING  OF  AND  EXAMINATIONS  IN 
PHARMACOGNOSY.^ 
By  Henry  Kraemer.^ 
While  it  is  true  in  teaching  that  success  depends  in  large  part 
upon  the  earnestness  and  personality  of  the  teacher  as  well  as  his 
knowledge  of  the  subject,  much  also  depends  upon  the  methods 
that  are  followed.  It  was  the  Agassiz  method  that  developed  a 
school  of  clear-headed  and  distinguished  American  zoologists. 
Agassiz's  words,  study  nature,  not  books,"  ring  true  and  are 
well  worthy  to  be  framed  and  hung  up  prominently  in  all  lab- 
oratories. Some  teachers  feel  that  they  would  like  to  impress 
upon  the  students  the  facts  which  they  have  acquired  or  the  point 
of  view  which  they  have  attained.  Others  use  some  particular  text- 
book and  it  is  upon  the  facts  that  are  to  be  gleaned  from  this  that 
the  student's  efficiency  is  finally  determined.  A  happier  method  is 
the  one  in  which  after  certain  fundamental  principles  have  been 
mastered  the  teacher  draws  out  from  the  student  what  he  observes 
with  the  specimen  in  hand.  Of  course  to  the  ordinary  student 
this  may  be  irksome  as  it  is  often  difficult  for  him  to  discern  the 
progress  that  has  been  made.  It  is  also'  harder  for  the  teacher, 
as  in  nearly  every  class  there  will  be  found  some  who  are  keen 
observers  and  likely  to  ask  questions  which  require  the  teacher 
to  admit  that  he  does  not  know  it  all.  It  has  usually  seemed  neces- 
sary in  order  to  maintain  discipline  for  the  teacher  to  stick  near 
his  desk  and  the  studelit  to  follow  the  exercises  laid  down.  Happily 
^  This  is  a  continuation  of  a  previous  paper  presented  to  this  Association 
(see  Proceedings,  vol.  56,  1908,  p.  672). 
^  Presented  at  the  Boston  Meeting  of  the  American  Pharmac'eutical 
Association,  August  17,  191 1. 
