384        Pennsylvania  Pharmaceutical  Association.     { AmAigali,Pimr.m' 
sionalism.  In  the  writer's  opinion  the  raft  of  commercialism  is 
nearing  a  whirlpool,  he  says  the  time  has  arrived  when  it  becomes 
imperative  for  pharmacists  to  seize  the  lifeline. 
Query  No.  23. 
By  John  F.  Patton. 
The  author  states  that  his  answer  must  be  tinged  with  regret  at 
the  loss  of  that  which  can  never  return,  namely :  wasted  time,  and 
lost  oppportunity.  He  says  for  years  all  the  forces  of  condition  and 
circumstances,  to  say  nothing  of  his  education  and  training,  have 
conspired  to  make  the  pharmacist  a  tradesman,  and  regrets  that  there 
seems  to  be  a  lack  of  professional  pride  and  ambition  in  the  phar- 
macist who  is  willing  to  trade  in  and  to  a  certain  extent  stand 
sponsor  for  the  many  nostrums  he  is  daily  called  upon  to  hand  out 
over  his  counter,  instead  of  making  an  effort  to  produce  and  sell  his 
own  goods. 
What  Should  be  the  Attitude  of  the  Pharmacist  in  Refer- 
ence to  the  Crusade  Against  Patent  Medicines? 
By  John  R.  Thompson. 
The  author  states  that  it  is  either  right  or  wrong  to  sell  pro- 
prietary medicines  to  the  public,  and  while  allegations  have  been 
made  concerning  nostrums  in  the  lay  journals,  the  pharmacist  has 
so  far  maintained  an  attitude  of  guilty  silence.  He  admits  that 
some  harm  is  worked  on  the  public  by  charlatans  in  the  trade,  as 
there  is  harm  worked  by  the  bad  element  in  every  calling,  but  that 
the  traffic  has  become  so  enormous  that  the  goods  are  sold  simply 
as  merchandise,  without  any  responsibility  being  assumed  by  the 
seller.  He  believes  that  the  selling  of  ready-made  remedies  is  honor- 
able and  legitimate,  providing  that  the  medicines  themselves  are 
honorable  and  legitimate,  and  concludes  by  saying  it  is  the  duty  of  the 
pharmacist  to  protect  his  business,  to  aid  the  crusaders  where  they 
have  discovered  a  real  wrong,  but  to  oppose  them  most  heartily 
when  they  attack  what  is  legitimate  and  right. 
Popularizing  Standard  Preparations. 
By  M.  I.  Wilbert. 
The  author  compares  the  curriculum  of  the  average  college  of  phar- 
macy of  to-day  and  that  of  the  average  college  of  medicine  of  to-day, 
