340 
Editorial. 
Am.  Tour.  Pharm. 
June,  19 19. 
A  single  example  is  cited,  and  this  can  be  multiplied  very  many 
times  in  matters  of  material  importance.  Five  years  ago,  the  presi- 
dential address  set  forth  that  "  The  nation-wide  adoption  of  a  legal 
requirement  that  every  pharmacist  must  be  a  graduate  of  a  school 
of  pharmacy  before  being  licensed  to  practice,  is  the  very  first  step 
essential  for  the  professional  elevation  of  pharmacy."  i:  It  remains 
as  an  initial  duty  of  this  association  to  see  that  this  condition  is 
changed  and  changed  promptly/''  His  recommendation  that  a  com- 
mittee be  appointed  to  agitate  this  question  and  to  procure  in  each 
state  the  enactment  of  a  pre-requisite  law,  was  endorsed  by  the 
Committee  on  President's  Address  and  later  approved  by  the  asso- 
ciation. It  is  not  known  that  any  further  action  has  been  taken 
and  this  important  subject  has  lain  dormant,  buried  in  the  grave- 
yard of  resolutions,  while  prominent  members  of  the  association 
have  been  writing  lengthy  epistles  upon  the  lack  of  professional 
standing  of  pharmacy.  One  year  of  real,  live,  activity  will  out- 
balance a  century  of  resolutions. 
"  To  carry  out  an  enterprise  in  words 
Is  easy,  to  accomplish  it  by  acts 
Is  the  sole  test  of  man's  capacity." 
The  causes  of  this  lack  of  action  and  the  consequent  loss  of 
opportunity  and  prestige  are  not  hard  to  find,  nor  should  they  be 
difficult  of  correction.  Delay,  procrastination,  are  evident  factors 
and  the  advice  from  the  Code  of  Manu,  quoted  in  the  introductory 
paragraph  is  quite  appropriate. 
A  structural  weakness  in  the  methods  of  the  American  Pharma- 
ceutical Association  is  the  absence  of  a  plan  that  will  provide  for 
the  continuity  of  its  efforts.  After  a  member  has  been  elevated  to 
the  high  office  of  president,  he  takes  very  much  to  heart  the  wel- 
fare of  the  association  and  makes  a  careful  study  of  its  plan  and 
possibilities  of  service  to  the  vocation  of  pharmacy  and  to  the 
public.  He  prepares  a  well  thought  out  address  embodying  his 
suggestions  for  improvements  and  changes,  presides  at  a  few  meet- 
ings of  the  annual  session  and  then  passes  the  gavel  of  authority 
to  his  successor.  His  recommendations  may  have  been  favorably 
considered  and  approved  by  the  few  members  present  at  the  final 
session,  there  has  not  been  provided,  however,  the  adequate  means 
for  enforcing  or  putting  these  into  accomplishments.  His  successor 
is  likely  to  repeat  the  same  course  of  procedure. 
