THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY 
APRIL,  1 91 9 
EDITORIAL. 
THE  EVIL  OF  DISPARAGEMENT., 
The  idealist,  who  by  legitimate  arguments  and  methods  seeks 
to  improve  the  practices  of  his  vocation,  deserves  praise  and  en- 
couragement. The  higher  his  aim,  the  more  ethical  his  purpose, 
the  greater  the  possibility  of  a  measure  of  success.  He  performs  a 
service  of  value  not  alone  to  his  chosen  sphere  of  activity  but  also 
in  that  general  advancement  that  we  designate  as  the  progress  of 
the  world. 
The  true  idealist  is  naturally  an  optimist  and,  appreciating  the 
value  of  the  efforts  of  his  predecessors,  he  predicates  the  advances 
that  he  advocates  upon  the  foundations  that  they  have  established 
By  his  very  efforts  in  behalf  of  professional  idealism,  he  evidences 
that  he  realizes  that  the  goal  is  still  in  the  distance  and  far  ahead. 
The  thinking  observer  is  convinced  that  the  desired  purity  of  prac- 
tice is  not  universally  observed  in  any  of  the  professions ;  that  pro- 
fessional idealism  is  not  now  extant  and  that  this  is  still  an  ethical 
ignus  fatuus.  The  frailties  of  the  human  race  and  the  perversities  of 
human  minds  are  continuously  cropping  out  and  attempting  to  de- 
molish the  work  of  the  idealist.  The  several  professions  are  cursed 
by  their  shysters,  their  quacks,  and  their  hypocrites  who  shatter 
the  ideals.  The  philosopher  knows  full  well  that  all  professional 
advancement  will  be  the  fruit  resulting  from  the  cultivation  of  the 
idealists. 
In  marked  contrast  to  the  services  of  the  true  idealist  are  the 
efforts  of  the  false  idealist,  the  disparager.  He  develops  pessimism 
and  with  a  deranged  vision  obstructing  a  view  of  the  progress 
already  made  in  his  vocation,  he  endeavors  to  present  his  distorted 
picture  and  mental  aberration  to  his  associates.    He  may  even  hold 
