Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
February,  18J8.  / 
Editorial. 
121 
barrels,  valued  at  $52,734,000,  against  61,396,394  barrels,  valued  at  156,963,137, 
in  1896. 
Phosphate  Rock. — The  production  in  1897  was  890,000  long  tons,  valued  at 
12,694,058,  against  878,689  long  tons,  valued  at  $2,643,706,  in  1896. 
Salt. — The  production  of  salt  (including  both  evaporated  and  rock  salt)  in 
1897  amounted  to  14,455,788  barrels  of  280  pounds,  valued  at  $6,385,750,  against 
13.354,573  barrels,  valued  at  $5,540,098,  in  1896. 
Quicksilver. — The  production  of  mercury  for  1897  amounted  to  26,079  flasks 
of  76^  pounds,  valued  at  $991,002,  against  29,863  flasks,  valued  at  $1,104,997, 
in  1896. 
Silver. — The  production  for  1897  amounted  to  56,117,000  troy  ounces,  valued 
at  $33. 557.9^.  agiinst  58,488,810  ounces,  valued  at  $39,245,991,  in  1896. 
Soda  (manufactured). — The  production  for  1897  amounted  to  177,000  metric 
tons,  valued  at  $4,071,000,  against  158,975  metric  tons,  valued  at  3,656,425,  in 
1896. 
Sulphur.  —The  production  for  1897  amounted  to  1,690  long  tons,  valued  at 
$34,645,  against  2,800  long  tons,  valued  at  $64,200,  in  1896. 
Zinc. — The  production  for  1897  amounted  to  100,103  short  tons,  valued  at 
$8,247,544,  against  77,637  short  tons,  valued  at  $6,074,219,  in  1896. 
Zinc  Oxide. — The  production  of  zinc  oxide  paint  in  1897  amounted  to  26,275 
short  tons,  valued  at  $2,102,000,  against  16,799  short  tons,  valued  at  $1,259,925, 
in  1896.  S.  P.  S. 
IS  THE  APOTHECARY  SHOP  DOOMED? 
Under  the  foregoing  title  the  editor  of  the  Journal  of  the  American  Medical 
Association,  for  December  25,  1897,  predicts  a  gloomy  future  for  the  modern 
pharmacist.  Coming  from  the  official  organ  of  the  National  Association  the 
remarks  should,  perhaps,  receive  more  than  merely  passing  attention.  We 
cannot  believe,  however,  that  the  views  expressed  represent  the  sentiments  of 
the  great  number  of  physicians  who  constitute  the  membership  of  that  body. 
The  writer  delivers  himself  with  the  air  of  one  who  has  suddenly  grasped  a  new 
idea,  and  is  in  haste  to  give  his  discovery  to  the  world.  Whereas  he  has 
simply  restated  a  very  old  subject.  It  is  only  necessary  to  consult  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  numerous  pharmaceutical  association  meetings  held  during  the  past 
dozen  years,  to  be  convinced  that  this  subject  was  long  ago  exhausted.  The 
aforesaid  editor  sees  commercial  extinction  for  the  pharmacists  because  "the 
physician  has  his  medicines  ready  made  ;  his  pills,  tablets,  coal-tar  combina- 
tions, organic  compounds,  elixirs,  etc.,  are  used  as  they  come  from  the  manu- 
facturer." The  "  corner  drug  store  "  is  not  in  a  position  to  fill  prescriptions 
accurately,  because  the  proprietor,  one  clerk,  and  boy  are  so  busy  with  the 
numerous  other  matters  in  such  an  establishment.  This  kind  of  reasoning  puts 
them  into  the  anomalous  position  of  being  too  busy  to  do  business.  Finally, 
the  following  :  "  Even  at  present,  very  few  pharmacists  do  more  than  act  as 
agents  for  the  wholesale  druggist.  They  buy  their  tinctures  and  extracts,  pills 
and  plasters  already  made.  Their  infusions  are  water-diluted  extracts;  their 
waters  are  mixed  essences.  They  have  not  the  time  nor  the  means  to  make 
their  own  preparations,  and  the  chances  are  that  the  crude  drugs  they  would 
make  them  from  would  be  beneath  the  standard."  This  quotation  does  not 
sound  like  the  leader  in  a  reputable  medical  journal,  but  rather  reminds  us  of 
