EDITORIAL. 
575 
could  easily  have  spared  a  few  days  to  the  national  cause,  with  two  of  the 
ex-vice-presidents  among  them,  the  sleep  of  indifference  must  have  over- 
taken our  friends  of  the  metropolis  of  the  Old  Dominion,  else,  for  very  ex- 
ample's sake,  they  would  have  extended  a  southern  welcome  on  their  borders 
to  the  assembled  delegates  and  members  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical 
Association. 
The  meeting  extended  to  eight  sessions,  and  transacted  an  unusual 
amount  of  business  of  a  scientific  character  in  the  form  of  reports  on  spe- 
cial subjects.  That  on  the  preliminary  revision  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  is  a 
paper  of  considerable  extent  emanating  from  several  sub-committees.  The 
voluntary  contribution  of  Dr.  Edward  K.  Squibb,  on  the  revision  of  the 
Pharmacopoeia,  is  a  most  valuable  paper,  replete  with  practical  information. 
The  report  on  the  progress  of  Pharmacy  is  a  succinct  resume  of  the  numer- 
ous contributions  to  chemistry,  materia  medica  and  pharmacy  during  the 
year,  together  with  information  on  the  subjects  of  organizations,  poisons, 
the  drug-trade,  and  an  extensive  tabular  statement  of  the  importation  of 
drugs  from  abroad.  Prof.  Guthrie,  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  the  Adul- 
teration of  Drugs,  gave  a  picture  of  the  condition  of  the  drug  market  that 
shows  the  need  of  something  besides  the  Drug  Law  of  1848  to  preserve  its 
purity.  It  is  well  known  that  "  home  adulteration"  is  largely  carried  on, 
and  Prof.  Guthrie  appears  to  be  cognizant  of  some  of  the  evil  doers,  but  he 
complains  of  the  apathy  of  those  who  should  lend  their  aid  in  bringing 
these  sinners  against  humanity  to  the  light  for  public  reprobation.  "We 
believe  this  evil  will  have  to  be  approached  in  a  manner  different  from 
that  heretofore  pursued.  Let  the  committee  ferret  out  the  instances  of 
adulteration,  prove  beyond  a  doubt  that  the  alleged  cases  are  real,  then 
describe  the  means  of  detection  and  the  appearance  of  the  altered  drugs, 
and  let  it  be  widely  known  through  the  journals ;  and  then,  having  this 
undoubted  evidence  of  the  existence  and  extent  of  the  evil,  let  the  Asso- 
ciation, both  in  its  collective  and  individual  capacity,  give  its  best  efforts 
to  obtain  from  our  State  legislatures  laws  making  the  adulteration  of 
drugs,  involving  life  and  health,  like  that  . of  food,  a  felony,  or  at  least  a  mis- 
demeanor. When  this  is  accomplished,  the  action  of  committees  will  not 
be  paralyzed,  as  at  present,  by  the  threatening  of  the  law  of  libel. 
The  syllabus  of  a  course  of  instruction  in  Pharmacy  which  has  been  in 
preparation  during  the  two  years  just  passed,  was  presented  at  this  meet- 
ing. It  is  a  work  of  about  70  pages,  intended  as  an  aid  to  students  of 
pharmacy  in  the  prosecution  of  their  studies  when  they  have  not  the  oppor- 
tunity to  listen  to  lectures.  It  is  mostly  of  a  suggestive  character,  pointing 
to  that  which  should  be  studied,  and  how  to  learn  it,  rather  than  giving 
positive  information,  although  there  are,  in  the  outline  given,  very  many 
facts  stated. 
We  have  purposely  refrained  from  publishing  many  of  the  papers  of  in- 
terest until  after  the  issue  of  the  volume  of  Proceedings,  which  is  now  pass- 
