THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY 
Vol.  93 
A  BOUNDEN  DUTY. 
EDITORIAL  \*JL^  25  ftfl 
July,  1 02 1  J^^^mn    m^^§&^  7 
In  the  July,  1920,  issue  of  this  Journal  is  an  editorial,  written 
by  Mr.  George  M.  Beringer,  and  entitled  "The  End  of  the  Law  is 
Obedience."  Cleverly  and  carefully  written,  and  chiefly  concerned 
with  a  criticism  of  the  attitude  of  certain  pharmaceutical  organiza- 
tions in  regard  to  the  enforcement  of  Prohibition,  it  merits  at  this 
date,  one  year  after  its  writing,  a  thorough  study  and  an  understand- 
ing of  its  deft  argumentations. 
Let  the  reader  consult  his  files  of  the  Journal,  turn  to  this  edi- 
torial and  read  it  once  again.  It  is  as  pertinently  impertinent  and  as 
impertinently  pertinent  today  as  upon  the  day  of  its  writing. 
We  were  drawn  to  it  after  looking  over  a  certain  resolution 
drafted  and  endorsed  by  the  Pennsylvania  Pharmaceutical  Associa- 
tion, upon  recommendation  of  the  President,  Mr.  Sturgeon,  at  their 
recent  meeting  in  Philadelphia.  The  particular  resolution  referred 
to  follows  : 
"Whereas,  the  authorities  at  Washington  have,  without  con- 
sulting the  leaders  of  the  drug  industry  and  decidedly  contrary  to 
their  wishes  attempted  to  force  the  burden  of  carrying  out  the  pro- 
visions of  the  Volstead  Act  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  retail  drug- 
gists, thus  arbitrarily  shifting  the  outlawed  business  of  the  saloon 
upon  the  druggists  of  the  country,  and 
"Whereas,  such  action  upon  the  part  of  the  Treasury  Depart- 
ment and  the  Internal  Revenue  Commissioner  is  repugnant  to  the 
reputable  members  of  our  profession  and  is  hereby  resented,  there- 
fore be  it 
"Resolved,  that  we  earnestly  recommend  that  no  member  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Pharmaceutical  Association  will  permit  himself  or  his 
pharmacy  to  be  degraded  in  the  estimation  of  the  public'  by  falling 
into  the  trap  that  has  been  laid  to  bring  our  business  into  disrepute 
by  dispensing  beer  and  wine,  even  upon  physician's  prescription, 
