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William  J,  Jenks. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm 
May,  1905. 
His  scholastic  education  was  finished  at  the  institute  of  John 
Bullock,  in  Wilmington,  Del.  This  select  school  was  conducted  by 
the  father  of  the  late  Charles  Bullock,  and  enjoyed  an  excellent 
reputation,  and  was  well  patronized  by  many  of  the  prominent 
families  of  Friends  of  that  day.  Here  he  paid  particular  attention 
to  the  sciences,  and  to  the  study  of  the  Latin  language. 
After  leaving  this  school,  in  the  fall  of  1838,  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
years,  William  J.  Jenks  came  to  Philadelphia,  and  at  once  entered 
the  store  of  Smith  &  Hodgson,  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Sixth  and 
Arch  Streets,  to  learn  the  mystery  and  the  art  and  science  of  the 
apothecary.  This  firm  conducted  both  a  retail  and  a  wholesale 
drug  business,  and  manufactured  many  of  the  pharmaceuticals  and 
chemicals  supplied  to  their  customers.  They  also  imported  many 
rare  drugs,  some  of  which  have  since  become  obsolete,  or  nearly  so. 
Mr.  Jenks  was  wont  to  describe  some  of  the  old  drawers  and  bottles 
that  had  accumulated  in  the  "  back  store,"  so  called,  which  was  on 
Sixth  Street,  and  contained  such  drugs  as  sagapenum,  sarcocolla, 
bdellium,  tacamahac,  mummy  and  issue  peas.  Some  of  these  had 
come  down  to  them  from  their  predecessor  in  business,  John  Biddle. 
This  firm  was  composed  of  Daniel  B.  Smith  and  William  Hodgson, 
Jr.  Daniel  B.  Smith  was  well  versed  in  chemistry  and  botany  and 
the  sciences  generally,  and  was  undoubtedly  the  most  influential 
and  best  educated  pharmacist  in  Philadelphia  at  that  time.  He  was 
not  only  prominent  in  pharmaceutical  circles  as  a  writer  and  editor, 
but  was  greatly  interested  in  the  problems  of  education  and  social 
advancement  of  his  day,  and  for  a  number  of  years  he  was  a  teacher 
at  Haverford  College. 
William  Hodgson,  Jr.,  was  an  Englishman  by  birth,  who  had 
served  his  apprenticeship  with  the  celebrated  firm  of  John  Bell  & 
Co.,  of  London.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  very  skilful  and  neat 
compounder  and  dispenser.  This  firm  enjoyed  the  confidence  of 
the  leading  physicians  and  the  patronage  of  many  of  the  best  fami- 
lies of  the  city.  This  store  had  an  established  reputation,  and  the 
embryo  pharmacist  of  that  time  was  considered,  indeed,  fortunate  to 
obtain  employment  therein  and  the  knowledge  and  experience  which 
the  firm's  business  afforded. 
William  J.  Jenks  was  happy  in  his  association  with  these  precep- 
tors, and  always  spoke  admiringly  of  their  kindness  and  con- 
sideration for  their  employees.    He  endeavored  to  profit  by  the 
