180  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry.  {Am*A£ru1'3£rm" 
To  make  the  plan  effective,  however,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
secure  not  alone  the  endorsement,  but  also  the  active  co-operation 
of  every  honest  and  ethically-inclined  physician,  as  well  as  every 
scientific  and  up-to-date  pharmacist. 
The  physician  must  be  made  to  see  and  to  fully  appreciate  the 
fact  that,  unless  he  is  in  possession  of  the  amount  and  the  kind  of 
information  that  will  be  forthcoming  under  the  rules  that  have  been 
adopted,  he  cannot  consistently  use  any  given  proprietary  prepara- 
tion and  do  justice  to  himself  and  to  his  patient. 
The  pharmacist,  on  the  other  hand,  must  be  made  to  see  the  jus- 
tice of  the  position  here  taken,  and  to  appreciate  the  fact  that  the 
establishment  of  this  Council  will  enable  him,  as  an  individual,  to 
array  himself  as  being  in  favor  of  honesty  and  honorable  practices 
and  opposed  to  secrecy,  quackery  and  dishonest,  or  at  least  ques- 
tionable, dealings  in  connection  with  medicines  and  medicinal  prepa- 
rations. The  pharmacist  must  also  learn  to  appreciate  the  fact  that 
he,  individually,  is  more  or  less  responsible  for  the  social  as  well  as 
professional  standing  not  only  of  himself,  but  of  all  others  in  his 
particular  field  or  calling,  and  that  he,  as  an  individual,  will  be  clas- 
sified and  judged  by  the  doings  and  practices  of  others  with  whom 
he  associates. 
It  is  greatly  to  be  desired,  therefore,  that  pharmacists  of  all  classes 
take  an  active  interest  in  this  work,  and  that  after  carefully  reading 
the  proposed  rules  they  give  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chem- 
istry of  the  American  Medical  Association  the  benefit  of  such  com- 
ment and  criticism  as  they  may  see  fit  to  make. 
That  the  chairman  of  the  Council,  as  well  as  every  individual 
member,  will  duly  appreciate  any  suggestions  and  advice  is 
evidenced  by  the  following  paragraph  from  the  circular  letter  re- 
cently published  in  the  Journal  of  the  American  Medical  Association 
(March  4,  1905,  p.  719): 
"  The  Council  appreciates  the  importance  and  difficulties  of  the 
work  to  be  undertaken,  and  does  not  expect  to  take  a  step  forward 
without  being  sure  that  it  is  right  and  just  to  all  concerned.  It 
does  not  dare  to  hope  for  perfect  results,  and  can  only  promise  to 
strive  earnestly,  honestly  and  impartially  to  avoid  serious  errors  of 
commission  and  omission. 
