Minutes  of  the  College. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
May,  1879. 
authors  may  be  permitted  to  observe,  in  relation  to  themselves,  that  they  have 
expended  much  time  and  labor  in  the  preparation  of  the  work;  have  sought  dili- 
gently for  facts  from  every  readily  accessible  source  ;  have  endeavored  by  a  compar- 
ison of  authorities  and  a  close  sciutiny  of  evidence  to  ascertain  the  truth,  whenever 
practicable,  and  have  exerted  themselves  to  the  extent  of  their  abilities  to  render  the 
*  Dispensatory '  worthy  of  public  approbation  both  for  the  quality  and  quantity  of 
its  contents  and  the  general  accuracy  of  its  statements. 
"The  immense  sale  that  this  work  has  enjoyed  for  forty-six  years  is  the  best  proof 
as  to  how  far  these  aspirations  were  realized. 
"  Whilst  holding  the  chair  of  Materia  Medica  and  Pharmacy  in  our  College,  he 
was  appointed  delegate  to  the  first  convention  held  for  revising  the  United  States 
Pharmacopoeia,  and  thus  was  begun  a  connection  which  lasted  for  four  decades  and 
through  five  revisions.  A  notable  incident  occurred  in  connection  with  the  labors  of 
the  Revision  Committee  of  184.O;  this  committee  had  prepared  their  report  and  it 
was  ready  by  October,  1840,  but  concluded  to  defer  all  action  until  the  Philadelphia 
College  of  Pharmacy  should  present  their  report  $  this  communication  was  sent  to 
them  near  the  end  of  the  year  1841,  and  the  preface  to  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  1840 
refers  to  it  as  folllows  :  A  committee  of  that  body  (the  College  of  Phamacy),  charged 
with  the  work  of  revision,  had,  in  the  mean  time,  been  zealously  engaged  in  prose- 
cuting the  object  of  their  appointment,  and  the  result  of  their  labors  having  received 
the  sanction  of  the  College,  was  transmitted  to  the  committee  of  the  convention. 
This  contribution  from  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  consisted  of  a  revised 
copy  of  the  Pharmacopoeia,  elaborated  with  ability  and  great  industry,  and  present- 
ing, along  with  numerous  individual  additions  and  alterations,  some  new  features  in 
the  general  plan.  It,  therefore,  required  close  attention  and  deliberate  examination 
on  the  part  of  the  committee,  who  found  themselves  under  the  necessity  of  going  over 
the  whole  ground  which  they  had  recently  traversed.  This  caused  a  delay  in  the 
publication  of  over  a  year. 
"  From  that  time  invitations  were  regularly  issued  to  colleges  of  pharmacy  to  send 
delegates  to  the  Revision  Convention,  and  amongst  all  of  the  physicians  who  served 
upon  the  revision  committees,  none  were  found  who  appreciated  to  a  greater  extent 
the  services  of  the  pharmaceutical  section  than  Dr.  George  B.  Wood. 
"In  May,  1850,  he  was  transferred  to  the  Professorship  of  Theory  and  Practice 
of  Medicine,  to  take  the  place  formerly  held  by  Dr.  Chapman.  He  held  this  posi- 
tion until  i860,  when  he  resigned  and  was  appointed  Emeritus  Professor,  since  which 
time  his  labors  have  been  principally  confined  to  revising  his  works  and  in  managing 
his  property,  which  gradually  assumed  larger  and  larger  proportions. 
"Although  removed  of  late  years  by  failing  health  from  active  interest  and  parti- 
cipation in  the  affairs  of  our  college,  he  was  ever  ready  to  lend  a  listening  ear  when 
improvements  were  suggested,  and  assist  in  many  ways  by  substantial  aid. 
"  The  30th  day  of  March,  1879,  ls  an  eventful  one  in  the  annals  of  pharmacy, 
marking,  as  it  does,  the  closing  of  the  earthly  career  of  one  whose  name  has  ever 
been  a  tower  of  strength  in  both  the  medical  and  pharmaceutical  professions. 
"  Signed,  on  behalf  of  committee, 
"  A.  B.  Taylor, 
"  Joseph  P.  Remington, 
"  Daniel  S.  Jones." 
