AmMay^76.rm' }  Pharmaceutical  Colleges  and  Associations.  233 
The  Western  Wholesale  Drug  Association  is  the  title  of  a  new  associa- 
tion composed  of"  Wholesale  Druggists  in  the  Western  States,  and  constituted  in 
Indianapolis,  March  15th  and  16th,  under  the  presidency  of  Mr.  James  Richardson, 
of  St.  Louis  ;  Messrs.  A.  B.  Merriam,  of  Cincinnati,  and  N.  H.  Collins,  of  St.  Louis, 
acting  as  Secretaries.  Various  committees  appointed  at  the  first  session  reported  at 
the  subsequent  sessions.  The  employment  of  commercial  travelers  found  no  favor, 
but  the  total  abolition  of  the  system  being  impossible  now,  various  rules  in  regard 
to  these  were  adopted.  The  following  resolution  relating  to  sales  on  credit  was 
adopted  : 
Resolved,  That  this  convention  recommend  that  all  credits  be  shortened  as  soon  as  possible,  and  as 
much  as  practicable,  and  that,  as  a  rule,  the  goods  sold  for  the  least  profit  should  be  sold  on  the  shortest 
time. 
The  following  recommendations  from  the  Committee  on  Legislation  were  adopted : 
1.  That,  on  the  formation  of  a  permanent  association,  the  necessary  steps  be  at  once  taken  to  put  our- 
selves in  communication  and  co-operalion  with  Philadelphia  and  other  Eastern  drug  exchanges  to  secure 
such  tariff  regulations  or  charges,  as  may  best  promote  our  mutual  interests,  and  that  similar  action  b6 
taken  regarding  the  matter  of  stamp  tax,  to  render  it  as  simple  and  as  little  burdensome  as  possible. 
2.  That  a  united  effort  be  made  to  relieve  wholesale  druggists  selling  alcohol,  wines  or  liquors  for  medi- 
cinal purposes  only  (so  far  as  they  can  control  it)  from  the  necessity  of  exhibiting  the  wholesale  liquor 
dealer's  sign,  now  required  under  the  general  law,  and  so  far  as  possible  to  secure  exemption  from  unin- 
telligent or  unjust  local  enactments,  or  ordinances  in  regard  to  licenses. 
3.  That  the  law  now  in  operation  in  New  York  and  some  of  our  Western  States,  requiring  those  desir- 
ous of  practicing  pharmacy  to  pass  a  competent  examination  before  being  allowed  to  do  so,  is  a  protection 
to  the  wholesale  druggist,  as  well  as  to  the  public,  and  we,  therefore,  seek  to  extend  its  benefits  to  those 
States  which  have  not  yet  adopted  it. 
4.  That  we  emphatically  condemn  the  adulteration  of  drugs  and  chemicals,  especially  such  as  are  used 
as  medicinal  agents,  and  that  we  pledge  ourselves  to  use  our  influence  and  our  efforts  to  discourage  it, 
and  to  elevate  the  standards  of  purity  and  excellence  in  such  cases. 
After  the  adoption  of  the  constitution  and  by-laws,  Mr.  James  Richardson  was 
elected  President ;  A.  Peter,  of  Louisville,  R.  McReady,  of  Cincinnati,  R.  Brown- 
ing, of  Indianapolis,  Thomas  K.  Lord,  of  Chicago,  and  John  Ewing,  of  Pittsburgh, 
Vice  Presidents  ;  A.  B.  Merriam,  Secretary  ;  and  S.  M.  Strong,  of  Cleveland,  Treas- 
urer 5  Board  of  Control — C.  F.  G.  Meyer,  St.  Louis,  chairman  5  C.  C.  Riekirt,  Cin- 
cinnati ;  R.  A.  Robinson,  Louisville ;  Henry  W.  Fuller,  Chicago  j  D.  R.  Noyes, 
St.  Paul. 
On  motion  of  Mr.  Noyes,  of  St.  Paul,  the  following  resolution  was  adopted  : 
Resolved,  That  the  association  is  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  retail  drug  trade,  and  seek  to  promote 
their  interests  as  well  as  our  own. 
The  next  meeting  will  be  held  in  Chicago,  on  the  second  Wednesday  of  Febru- 
ary, 1877. 
Pharmaceutical  Society  of  Great  Britain. — At  the  pharmaceutical  meet- 
ing held  March  1st,  Mr.  Rees  Price  read  a  paper  on  the  preparation  of  ferrous  phos- 
phate. The  British  "  Pharmacopoeia "  directs  to  precipitate  3  oz.  of  ferrous  sul- 
phate by  t\  oz.  of  sodium  phosphate,  in  the  presence  of  1  oz.  of  sodium  acetate, 
to  stir  well  and  filter,  the  acetate  being  added  for  the  purpose  of  neutralizing  the 
sulphuric  acid  set  free,  and  liberating  acetic  acid,  in  which  the  ferrous  phosphate  is 
less  soluble.  The  author  found  that,  by  following  this  process,  28*2  per  cent,  of 
iron  remained  dissolved  in  the  filtrate,  which  could  be  precipitated  by  the  further 
