Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
May,  1906. 
Benjamin  Franklin. 
219 
The  medical  school  founded  by  Morgan,  in  addition  to  acting  as 
an  incentive  for  the  establishment  of  other  schools,  has  itself  taken 
a  most  important  part  in  the  progress  of  the  science  of  medicine  in 
this  country,  and,  as  noted  above,  was  also  the  direct  incentive  that 
led  to  the  establishment  of  schools  of  pharmacy. 
From  a  modern  point  of  view  it  might  be  asserted  that  at  least 
some  of  the  practices  of  Benjamin  Franklin  were  not  to  be  condoned. 
You  are  undoubtedly  aware  of  the  fact  that  Franklin  was  probably  the 
originator  of  the  modern  type  of  department  store ;  certain  it  is  that 
he  was  one  of  the  first  to  give  publicity  to  the  wares  he  chanced  to 
have  on  hand  and  that  these  commodities  varied  from  needles  and 
pins  to  horses  and  slaves. 
Not  the  least  remunerative  among  this  varied  stock  of  merchan- 
dise were  tea,  coffee,  spices,  patent  medicines  and  household  remedies. 
In  looking  over  the  advertisements  in  the  earlier  numbers  of 
Franklin's  Gazette,  or  more  properly,  The  Pennsylvania  Gazette,  we 
find  that  he  offered  for  sale  :  "  Choice  Bohea  Tea,  Very  Good  Coffee, 
Very  Good  Chocolate,  Fine  Palm  Oil,  Very  G  x>d  English  Saffron 
Very  Good  Spermacety,  Crown  Soap,  The  True  and  Genuine  God- 
frey's Cordial,  and  Senaka  Rattle  Snake  Root,  with  directions  how 
to  use  it  in  the  Pleurisy." 
This  latter  advertisement  is  particularly  interesting  as  it  illus- 
trates the  interest  manifested  by  Franklin  to  introduce  and  to  advo- 
cate the  use  of  indigenous  remedies. 
That  Franklin  himself  aspired  to  some  knowledge  of  the  art  of 
medicine  appears  from  many  of  his  letters,  and  it  is  not  at  all 
improbable  that  he,  from  time  to  time,  recommended  sundry  rem- 
edies to  his  associates  and  friends  and  thus  became  guilty  of  what 
would  now  be  considered  "  counter  prescribing." 
Franklin  was,  however,  more  than  a  mere  dealer  in  drugs  and 
medicines,  he  was  a  staunch  and  a  very  ardent  advocate  of  hygienic 
measures  of  all  kinds  and  in  this  one  respect,  at  least,  was  very  far 
in  advance  of  his  times.  He  constantly  and  persistently  advocated 
cleanliness,  sobriety  and  fresh  air,  and  many  are  the  tales  told  by 
himself  and  others  about  unexpected  experiences  and  marked  differ 
ences  of  opinion.  Franklin's  advice  to  insist  on  a  constant  supply 
of  fresh  air  in  your  bed  chamber  is  said  to  have  been  accompanied 
by  the  assurance  that  "  no  outward  air  that  can  come  in  to  you  is  so 
unwholesome  as  the  unchanged  air,  so  often  breathed,  of  a  close 
chamber." 
