34 
A  Higher  Degree  in  Pharmacy. 
\  Am.  Jour.  Phann, 
/    January,  1921. 
in  the  "minor"  subjects  may  also  be  presented  but  is  not  usually 
required. 
In  order  to  obtain  adequate  recognition  for  the  Ph.D.  in  Phar- 
macy these  standards  must  be  rigidly  adhered  to.  If  the  degree 
should  be  granted  to  candidates  who  could  not  fulfill  these  require- 
ments the  result  would  inevitably  be  a  cheapening  of  it  with  conse- 
quent disrepute  and  the  circumstance  would  react  very  unfavorably 
upon  pharmacy. 
As  applied  to  the  art  of  pharmacy  the  requirements  should  in- 
clude a  certain  amount  of  "practical"  experience  and  it  is  permis- 
sible that  a  small  amount  of  credit  be  given  for  unusual  or  extensive 
qualifications  of  this  sort.  Cre.dit  may  be  given  for  research  work 
conducted  in  and  published  from  industrial  laboratories  and  it  is 
desirable  that  this  be  done.  In  this  way  the  time  required  to  obtain 
the  degree  may  be  somewhat  shortened.  As  the  major  subject  of  the 
candidate,  "pharmacy"  should  always  be  chosen ;  the  minors  may  be 
selected  from  the  long  list  of  pharmaceutical  sciences  and  one  minor 
may  also  be  "pharmacy." 
In  addition  it  would  become  possible  for  any  college  of  pharmacy 
which  grants  the  higher  degree  to  confer  it  honoris  causa  upon 
eminent  pharmacists  whom  it  desires  to  honor.  The  possibility  of 
being  so  honored  would  furnish  an  additional  stimulus  to  inde- 
pendent investigators. 
The  effect  on  general  pharmacy  of  the  establishment  of  this 
degree  must  be  widespread  and  must  extend  far  beyond  the  stimu- 
lation of  research  and  solution  of  problems.  It  will  serve  to  draw 
a  distinction  between  the  man  who  studies  pharmacy  merely  for  the 
purpose  of  passing  the  State  board  examination  and  the  real  pharma- 
cist who  desires  a  profound  knowledge  of  pharmacy  and  of  the 
sciences  germane  to  it.  Eventually  the  faculties  of  our  colleges  will 
be  composed  of  Ph.D.  (Pharm.)  men  and  the  same  type  of  men  will 
be  found  in  charge  of  the  manufacturing,  control  and  research  lab- 
oratories of  our  pharmaceutical  factories.  A  general  rise  in  the 
whole  tone  of  the  art  of  pharmacy  must  follow  for  these  men  can 
demand  and  will  receive  the  recognition  accorded  to  first-rate 
technical  experts.  The  military  and  naval  services  could  no  longer 
withhold  commissions  from  pharmacists  when  the  candidates  pos- 
sessed such  qualifications. 
The  career  open  to  a  pharmacist  of  this  grade  would  unques- 
tionably attract  young  men  of  superior  abilities  and  high  aims  who 
