Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Feb.,  18Z6. 
Editorial. 
107 
EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 
College  Attendance. — Of  289  students  who  are  first  matriculants  at  the  Phila- 
delphia College  of  Pharmacy,  the  following  practical  business  experience  was 
reported  at  the  beginning  of  the  lecture  course  : 
Not  over  3  months,  . 
.    .  3 
Not 
over  3    years,  . 
.    .  58 
"  6 
.    .  1 
"     3£  " 
.    .  50 
"  9 
.    .  3 
a 
"  4 
.    .  24 
"       "  12  " 
.    .  3 
"  5 
.    .  28 
"  15 
.    .  10 
i' 
"  6 
.    .  16 
"  18 
.    .  4 
IC 
u  7 
2 
"      "  21 
.    .  13 
it 
"  8 
.    .  3 
"      "    2  years, 
.    .  11 
1 1 
"    10  " 
.    .  1 
"    2i  " 
.    .  58 
li 
"  11 
,    .  1 
It  will  be  observed  that  about  16  per  cent,  of  the  number  had  been  engaged 
at  the  drug  business  for  periods  not  exceeding  two  years,  and  of  these  only 
about  3  per  cent,  had  an  experience  of  one  year  or  less.  The  average  for  the 
whole  number  is  a  little  over  three  years,  and  over  57  per  cent,  of  these 
matriculants  had  been  in  the  drug  business  between  two  and  three  and  a  half 
years.  It  is  evident  from  the  above  that  only  a  very  small  number  of  the 
apprentices  avail  themselves  of  the  theoretical  instruction  provided  by  the 
lectures  in  the  early  part  of  their  pharmaceutical  apprenticeship,  a  course 
which  has  been  recommended  and  is  followed  by  some  of  our  best  pharma_ 
cists.  On  the  other  hand,  it  will  be  noticed,  on  the  perusal  of  the  class-lists, 
that  many  students  extend  their  studies  over  three  years,  in  the  place  of  two 
years,  which  are  indispensable.  Such  a  course  deserves  to  be  encouraged  on 
the  part  of  the  employers;  in  fact;  to  a  number  of  the  young  men  an  exten- 
sion of  their  studies  to  four  years  would  be  quite  profitable.  It  is  too  fre- 
quently the  case  that  the  importance  of  the  junior  course  of  studies  is  not 
appreciated  as  it  should  be,  since  it  is  preparatory  to  the  senior  course,  for 
which  a  solid  foundation  must  be  laid.  Many  young  men  could  most  profit- 
ably spend  two  years  in  the  former,  and  then,  with  ordinary  but  careful 
application,  would  the  better  be  prepared  for  their  senior  studies.  These 
remarks  apply  more  particularly  to  such  who,  though  quite  proficient  in  the 
ordinary  English  branches,  have  not  previously  had  any  instruction  in  the 
elements  of  natural  sciences,  and  who,  aside  from  the  practical,  receive  little 
or  no  theoretical  instruction  from  their  preceptors,  but  are  frequently  even 
left  to  select  their  reading  at  random.  With  constant  work  through  the  day, 
often  till  late  in  the  evening,  be  it  behind  the  counter  or  in  the  making  of 
preparations,  the  fatigue  is  sufficient  for  preventing,  or  at  least  interfering 
with,  systematic  mental  labor.  Those  who  are  thus  situated  would  derive 
the  greatest  benefit  from  a  division  of  their  studies  in  such  a  manner  as  is 
contemplated  by  the  modified  courses,  by  which  either  the  junior  or  senior 
course,  or  both,  may  be  extended  over  two  years. 
Dr.  V.  Podwissotzki,  whose  labors  in  phytochemistry  are  well  known,  has 
accepted  a  call  as  Professor  of  Pharmacognosy  and  Pharmacy  in  the  Imperial 
Russian  University  at  Ka;an.  He  entered  upon  his  new  field  of  labor  during 
the  present  winter. 
