542  Nezv  York  German  Apoth.  Society.    I '^^^ 
^  \  November,  1911. 
NEW  YORK  GERMAN  APOTHECARIES'  SOCIETY. 
The  New  Yorker  Deutscher-Apotheker-Verein,  the  oldest  phar- 
maceutical association  in  the  United  States,  celebrated  the  sixtieth 
anniversary  of  that  society  on  September  28th  with  a  great  Kommers 
in  the  banquet  hall  of  Terrace  Garden,  New  York  City.  It  is  now 
sixty  years  since  Messrs.  Ramsperger,  Waldorf,  Gnadendorf,  Hasse 
and  Rudolfi  came  together  in  Zocke's  restaurant  and  determined  to 
meet  regularly  and  to  enjoy  the  German  "Gemiitlichkeit"  for  which 
each  one  was  yearning.  They  elected  Mr.  Gustav  Ramsperger  the 
first  President,  and  it  was  indeed  a  thrilling  occasion  to  have  him 
as  the  sole  survivor  of  the  old  guard,  present  to  recite  the  history 
of  this  organization  from  the  time  of  its  humble  beginnings,  until 
to-day  it  is  one  of  the  strongest  and  most  influential  organizations 
in  America. 
These  pioneers  of  the  early  organization  met  together  late  at 
night,  after  their  stores  were  closed,  not  only  tO'  think  of  the  Father- 
land and  the  ties  across  the  sea,  but  to  become  the  most  intense 
and  virile  of  Americans.  During  these  hours  of  relaxation  and 
enjoyment  they  were  thinking  of  the  advancement  of  their  business 
and  profession.  Each  one  possessed  a  vigorous  intellect  and  was 
dominated  by  a  high  ethical  standard.  And  as  they  drank  from  their 
steins  of  beer  and  smoked  their  cigars,  they  discoursed  on  the 
doings  of  the  day,"  the  humorous  incidents  in  the  store,  and  the 
difficulties  of  the  prescription  counter.  They  furthermore  read  orig- 
inal poems  and  sang  original  songs.  Some  of  them  under  the  chair- 
manship of  Mr.  Weissmann  started  a  pharmaceutical  museum.  Here 
were  gathered  together  the  galenical  preparations  obtained  from 
different  apothecaries  and  which  demonstrated  the  necessity  for  uni- 
formity of  processes.  In  fact,  it  was  this  work  which  suggested  the 
National  Formulary.  In  the  early  days  there  were  but  twenty-two 
members  and  as  they  came  to  know  each  other  better,  the  ties  be- 
came so  strong  and  the  loyalty  to  the  Verein  so  great  that  the  asso- 
ciation must  be  perpetuated  and  they  enrolled  members  of  German 
descent,  until  to-day  there  are  several  hundred  members. 
Dr.  William  C.  Alpers,  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  esteemed 
of  American  pharmacists,  acted  as  toastmaster.  He  was  overflowing 
with  enthusiasm  and  good  humor  and  conducted  the  Kommers  in  the 
true  spirit  of  the  Verein.  Mr.  Carl  F.  Schleussner,  an  ex-president 
of  the  Verein,  presented  to  Mr.  Ramsperger  a  loving-cup  on  the 
