"^"jari'mL''-}      Side-Talh  toith  the  "  Freshmenr  7 
in  moist  soil.  The  seed  sown  in  the  wet  soil  failed.  The  plants  re- 
ceived good  garden  culture,  and  attained  a  height  of  three  feet.  After 
the  petals  had  fallen  and  the  capsule  attained  some  size,  horizontal 
incisions  were  made  around  the  capsules  in  the  afternoon,  and  the 
exudation  removed  in  the  morning  and  dried  in  the  sun.  Some  of  the 
capsules  failed  to  yield  any  juice,  owing  to  the  wound  being  too 
deep,  and  the  juice  passing  into  the  cavity  of  the  capsule.  The 
yield  of  opium  was  small,  many  of  the  plants  being  imperfect.  Mr. 
Kennedy  made  a  partial  examination  of  it  and  detected  meconic  acid, 
and  when  treated  by  Mohr's  process,  with  subsequent  crystallization 
of  the  precipitate  from  alcohol,  yielded  8.75  per  cent,  of  morphia 
crystals,  which  gave  the  proper  reactions  with  nitric  acid  and  chloride 
of  iron. 
Mr.  Kennedy  hopes  to  make  a  more  successful  experiment  next 
year. 
A  LITTLE  SIDE-TALK  WITH  THE  "FRESHMEN"  IN 
PHARMACY. 
By  the  Editor. 
Some  months  ago  Prof.  Attfield,  of  London,  in  reply  to  certain 
queries  relative  to  the  manner  of  teaching  practical  pharmacy  by  the 
Pharmaceutical  Society,  informed  us  that  what  is  here  called  extem- 
poraneous pharmacy  was  not  taught  by  that  institution,  but  that 
pharmaceutical  and  analytical  chemistry  occupied  the  students  in 
their  practical  school,  giving  as  a  reason  that  all  matters  pertaining 
strictly  to  Galenical  pharmacy  needed  by  students  were  derived  from 
the  preceptors  where  their  time  was  served.  Unfortunately^,  as  much 
cannot  be  said  in  this  country.  The  demand  for  pharmaceutical  ser- 
vice has  far  outstripped  the  supply  of  well-grounded  pharmaceutists  ; 
mere  tyros  from  necessity  have  many  times  assumed  the  position  of 
principals,  and  in  turn  being  teachers,  their  tuition  has  not  seldom 
been  the  reflection  of  their  own  disadvantages.  It  was  to  meet  this 
difficulty  at  home  that  the  Chair  of  Pharmacy  was  established  in 
Philadelphia  24  years  ago,  and  in  the  Practical  School  commenced 
the  present  session  it  is  proposed  to  afford  practical  instruction  in  the 
most  essential  details  of  a  dispensing  store.  The  chief  hope  of  begin- 
ners is,  however,  the  preceptor,  and  the  books.  If  among  these  there 
are  "freshmen  "  who  need  a  word  of  advice,  who  feel  discouraged  at 
the  slowness  of  their  progress,  or  the  apparently  trivial  character  of 
