Am.  Jour.  Pbarm.  \ 
September.  1905.  J 
A  Retrospect  of  Pharmacy. 
427 
This  same  Evan  Jones  was  principal  in  an  affair  that  was  the 
subject  of  town-talk  and  serious  results.  Daniel  Rees,  his  appren- 
tice, was  interested  in  the  current  stories  of  the  mysteries  of  Free 
Masonry,  so  Mr.  Jones  and  some  friends,  from  a  spirit  of  fun,  offered 
to  show  him  the  character  of  the  initiation  ceremonies  of  the  Order. 
They  had  him  led  blindfolded  into  the  cellar  of  the  shop  one  even- 
ing, where  the  party,  disguised  as  devil's  imps  with  horns  and  other 
appropriate  insignia,  were  assembled  around  a  pan  of  blazing  alcohol. 
When  his  eyes  were  uncovered  they  attempted  by  their  antics  to 
terrify  him,  and  in  the  scrimmage  his  clothes  caught  fire,  and  he 
was  so  badly  burned  that  he  died  a  few  days  after.  This  led  to  a 
judicial  trial  for  manslaughter  and  Jones  was  convicted  and  sentenced 
to  be  officially  burnt  in  the  hand,  but  a  lawyer  friend  of  his,  a  certain 
John  Remington,  interceded  and  procured  his  pardon. 
In  England  the  Church,  through  the  Order  of  Monks,  claimed  a 
right  to  the  monopoly  of  healing  the  body  as  well  as  the  soul.  Then 
came  the  Guild  of  Barber-Surgeons,  who  procured  Acts  of  Parlia- 
ment giving  them  special  privileges ;  these  were  followed  by  the 
College  of  Physicians  and  the  Fraternity  of  Apothecaries,  each  at- 
tempting to  regulate  trade  relations  by  laws  favorable  to  their  re- 
spective interests. 
Although  the  sale  of  drugs,  by  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  was  a  leading  interest  in  the  general  business  of  this  city, 
there  had  as  yet  been  no  practical  co-operative  effort  to  introduce 
the  London  idea  of  guild  or  fraternity  as  a  trade  protection  and 
stimulus. 
In  Philadelphia  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  was  at  this  time 
the  leading  educational  institution.  Under  the  direction  of  Dr. 
John  Morgan  it  had  introduced  a  medical  department,  which  may 
be  said  to  have  taken  a  leading  part  in  the  medical  teaching  in  the 
young  Republic.  Possibly  to  increase  influence  and  to  forestall  others 
taking  advantage  of  the  indifference  of  the  drug  trade  to  its  own 
interest,  they  instituted  a  pharmaceutical  department,  the  history  of 
which  is  given  by  Dr.  George  B.  Wood,  in  1827,  as  follows  : 
"  The  degree  of  Master  of  Pharmacy  was  instituted  with  the  very 
laudable  view  of  improving  the  profession  of  the  apothecary,  which 
in  this  city  has  assumed  an  importance  far  beyond  what  it  possesses 
in  other  parts  of  the  United  States.  Any  person  is  entitled  to  the 
degree  who  shall  have  served  an  apprenticeship  of  at  least  three 
