Am.  Jour,  Pharm. 
Oct.,  1921. 
A  Dream  of  the  Future 
693 
so  as  to  include  subjects  which  would  cover  clinical  analyses,  and  the 
training  for  which  would  enable  the  student  to  undertake  this  work. 
The  differentiation  could  take  place  here  with  less  difficulty  and  dis- 
turbance than  anywhere  else — that  is,  because  those  who  pass  the 
Qualifying  examination  and  those  who  elect  to  proceed  to  the  Major 
examination  and  qualify  as  pharmaceutical  chemists.  I  shall  go 
more  fully  into  this  point  later  in  my  address. 
CLINICAL  ANALYSTS. 
Here  I  would  remind  you  of  the  report  of  the  Consultative 
Council  on  Medical  and  Allied  Services,  which  indicates  that  it  is 
proposed  that  a  Committee  shall  be  appointed  to  investigate  and 
report  upon  the  question  of  what  should  be  the  future  functions  of 
pharmacists  in  relation  to  the  services  the  Council  were  devising,  and 
as  to  the  most  appropriate  training  and  qualifications  for  those  who1 
are  to  perform  these  functions.  In  Section  VI  of  this  report  it  is 
stated :  "It  is  a  matter  for  consideration  whether  in  certain  cases,  at 
any  rate,  individuals  might  not  combine  the  duties  of  the  pharma- 
cist with  those  of  the  laboratory  assistant." 
This  leads  us  to  consider  whether  there  is  room  for  such  trained 
men  apart  from  the  proposed  primary  and  Secondary  Health  Cen- 
tres. Does  the  average  general  practitioner  need  the  assistance  of  a 
trained  clinical  analyst  to  aid  him  in  diagnosis  and  subsequent  treat- 
ment? Would  there  be  sufficient  demand  for  such  work  in  towns 
of,  say,  over  50,000  people  to  warrant  the  pharmacist  in  acquiring 
the  requisite  knowledge  and  setting  up  the  necessary  bacteriological 
and  chemical  laboratories  for  this  purpose?  I  think  there  is  room 
for  such  a  development,  especially  where  there  is  not  at  the  present 
time  a  clinical  institute  providing  for  such  work  in  the  neighborhood. 
In  connection  with  this  there  are  several  wholesale  houses,  especially 
those  with  a  retail  branch,  who  need  men  qualified  to  undertake  this 
work. 
I  have  recently  visited  the  laboratory  of  a  pharmacist  where,  in 
addition  to  a  very  flourishing  business  as  a  pharmaceutical  chemist, 
he  carries  on  an  extensive  bacteriological  practice.  He  conducts  urine 
analyses,  both  chemical  and  bacteriological,  carries  out  blood-counts, 
the  examination  of  secretions  for  tubercle  bacillus,  diphtheria,  etc., 
the  Wassermann  reaction,  and  the  preparation  of  autogenous  and 
other  vaccines.    This  pharmacist  invites  and  encourages  inspection 
