334 
Editorial. 
<  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t       July,  1875. 
Lizzie  5  Mr.  Jones'  daughter  Lizzie  ,  Miss  Lizzie  Jones  and  Mrs.  Jones  would  at 
once  inform  the  pharmacist,  approximately,  of  the  age  of  the  patient. 
The  Centennial  Celebration  of  1876. — The  erection  of  the  buildings  for 
the  International  Exposition  in  Philadelphia  progresses  favorably,  and  in  looking 
at  the  imposing  structures  we  are  forcibly  reminded  of  the  probability  that  many 
pharmacists,  druggists  and  others  interested  in  pharmacy  will  visit  the  United  States 
next  year,  and  should  be  received  with  that  hospitable  spirit  which  makes  the  stranger 
feel  at  home,  and  places  him  into  the  way  to  follow  his  individual  inclinations  in 
every  respect.  The  majority  of  the  visitors  will  not  merely  desire  to  take  a  look  at 
the  Exposition,  but  many  will  aim  to  see  something  of  the  New  World,  and  will  visit 
distant  parts  of  the  country.  To  secure  to  them  beforehand  the  conviction  that 
wherever  they  may  go  to  they  will  meet  with  friends  who  will  interest  themselves  in 
their  behalf,  would  make  their  intended  journey  much  more  pleasant,  as  it  would 
assure  them  that  they  would  receive  trustworthy  advice  upon  the  objects  of  their 
journey,  no  matter  to  which  part  of  this  continent  they  might  go. 
The  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  will,  at  the  quarterly  meeting  in  June, 
take  action  upon  the  report  of  a  committee  appointed  to  propose  suitable  measures, 
and,  while  this  report  may  contain  suggestions  which,  with  some  modifications, 
might  be  adopted  in  other  localities,  it  would  be  well  if  the  various  colleges  and 
pharmaceutical  associations  would  take  this  subject  into  consideration  and,  if  pos-. 
•sible,  mature  a  plan  of  their  Intended  action  which,  at  the  meeting  of  the  American 
Pharmaceutical  Association,  might  be  compared  with  others,  so  that  a  perfect  har- 
mony of  action  might  be  secured.  We  apprehend  that,  in  order  to  work  smoothly, 
much  correspondence  will  afterwards  be  necessary  In  arranging  the  details  during 
the  coming  winter,  and  the  outlines  of  the  plan  ought,  for  this  reason,  not  to  be 
delayed.   
Elixirs. — The  present  number  contains  essays  on  two  elixirs  for  which  we  have 
hitherto  not  published  any  formulas.  We  recognize  the  value  of  palatable  medi- 
cines, and  regard  with  favor  all  attempts  at  Improving  their  taste  and  appearance. 
We  are  not  opposed  to  these  modern  elixirs,  except  as  regards  the  manner  in  which 
they  have  been  forced  upon  the  market  as  specialties,  and  prescribed  as  such  by 
physicians,  notwithstanding  It  had  been  repeatedly  shown  that  many  could  be 
regarded  In  no  other  light  than  nostrums,  thinly  disguised  under  vague  claims  of 
pretended  composition.  It  should  be  the  aim  of  the  pharmacist  to  put  the  physi- 
cian into  the  way  of  prescribing  for  his  patients,  In  a  pleasant  form,  any  combination 
he  may  consider  adapted  to  the  case,  instead  of  oiTerIng  these  so-called  elegant  prep- 
arations, as  adapted  to  a  certain  class  of  ailments,  in  a  similar  manner  as  the  con- 
coctions of  the  nostrum  manufacturer  are  put  forth  5  and  viewed  in  this  light,  it  is 
surprising  to  us  that  physicians  in  general,  and  medical  societies  more  particularly, 
have  not  taken  a  firm  stand  against  the  whole  system.  The  plan  proposed  by  Mr. 
J.  F.  Hancock,  and  adopted  by  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association  at  Rich- 
mond, Va.,  In  1873,  is  doubtless  the  correct  one,  since  It  enables  the  physician  to  com- 
bine nearly  all  soluble  medicines  with  an  agreeably-flavored  vehicle,  and  it  seems  to 
us  that  if  one  simple  elixir  was  insufficient  to  meet  the  varying  taste  of  the  public, 
two  or  three  might  be  devised,  under  different  names,  from  which  the  physician 
might  select  the  one  best  adapted  for  his  purpose.   At  the  meeting  of  the  American 
