280  EDITORIAL. 
On  the  subject  recently  much  discussed,  of  a  free  and  unlimited  exer- 
cise of  pharmacy,  the  Congress  was  unanimous  in  declaring  that  neither 
the  public  nor  the  profession  desired  this  singular  innovation. 
The  desire  for  the  compilation  of  a  universal  Pharmacopoeia  was  warmly 
received,  and  this  wish  is  very  near  its  realization  for  at  least  a  great  part 
of  Europe.  A  Committee,  of  whom  the  learned  M.  Dankwortt  is  the 
chairman,  has  edited,  in  Latin,  a  universal  Pharmacopoeia,  of  which  the 
printing  is  nearly  finished,  and  of  which  M.  Guibourt  could  appreciate 
the  merit.  It  is  evident  that  the  best  means  of  realizing  the  greatest  pos- 
sible unity  in  pharmacology  is  to  give  an  example.  The  Pharmacopoeia 
of  M.  Dankwortt  has  made  an  abstract  of  all  the  usages  which  require 
special  knowledge  of  weights  and  measures,  and  has  adopted  the  most 
rational  formulas  without  reference  to  the  country. 
The  delegates  were  also  unanimous  in  asking  the  adoption  of  the  Latin 
language  and  metrical  system  in  its  relations  to  pharmacy.  But,  says  M. 
Hobinet,  we  cannot  hide  from  ourselves  that  at  Brunswick,  as  at  Kennes, 
(the  place  at  which  the  last  French  Congress  met,)  all  these  questions,  and 
some  others  relative  to  the  status  of  eleves  (clerks,]  the  scarcity  of  young 
apprentices,  the  creation  of  provident  institutions  to  aid  pharmaceutists, 
all  these  questions  were  but  accessories.  The  grand  question,  the  real 
question,  that  which  has  exercised  all  the  best  minds  and  set  in  motion  re- 
spectable men  of  sedentary  habits,  was  that  which  can  be  called  by  no 
other  name  than  the  question  of  specialities,  ^secret  medicines.^  This  was 
reserved  for  the  last  deliberations,  after  all  the  secondary  questions  were 
disposed  of.  The  section  charged  with  the  treatment  of  this  question  were 
as  distinguished  as  they  were  convincing :  Dr.  Bjorklund,  of  St.  Peters- 
burg, and  M.  Brants,  of  Vienna.  Their  written  reports,  inserted  entire 
in  the  records  of  the  Congress,  are  marked  with  a  lively  and  vehement  in- 
dignation. They  enforce  the  severest  blame  and  reprobation  on  the  trade 
in  secret  remedies  and  panaceas. 
M.  Robinet  appears  to  have  been  astonished  at  the  demonstrative  man- 
ner of  his  German  confreres,  under  the  excitement  of  debate  on  this  agi- 
tating question,  and  doubts  his  ability  to  translate  into  French  their  ani- 
mated discussions.  His  impressions  of  the  personeile  of  the  German  mem- 
bers was  very  favorable.  He  describes  them  as  exhibiting  gravity,  self- 
possession  and  personal  distinction.  All  of  them  give  assurance  of  hav- 
ing moved  in  the  higher  walks  of  society,  and  as  to  their  knowledge  and 
experience  they  are  too  well  known  in  France  to  need  praise  from  him. 
Such  are  the  men,  from  one  end  of  Europe  to  the  other,  who  are  so  warped, 
worried  and  pressed  upon  by  this  speciality  ;  as  if  their  information  and  their 
prudence  were  insufficient  to  accomplish  for  their  country  the  noble  mission 
of  contributing  to  the  relief  of  suffering  humanity.  They  see  themselves  re- 
duced by  the  credulity  and  ignorance  of  the  people  to  play  a  humiliating  part 
as  retailers  of  medicines  they  have  not  prepared,  and  of  which,  for  the  most 
part,  they  are  ignorant  of  the  composition.    Constrained  to  distribute  with 
