504  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  {^cfX^lm™* 
presented  to  this  section.  In  a  supplemental  report  on  "  Laboratory 
Possibilities  "  the  chairman  said  : 
Advanced  medicine  requires  and  stimulates  advanced  pharmacy. 
There  may  be  some  question  as  to  the  justice  or  the  advisability  of  the  phar- 
macist undertaking  the  examination  of  pathological  specimens — whether  or 
not  it  is  within  the  legitimate  scope  of  his  operations  to  assist  in  making  diag- 
noses ;  but  there  can  be  no  possible  objection  to  him  supplying  the  means  for 
executing  the  processes  b}T  which  conclusions  are  reached.  Chemical  apparatus, 
microscopes  and  microscopical  accessories  are  profitable  and  creditable  stock 
for  the  sales  department,  while  the  preparations  of  reagents,  volumetric  solu- 
tions, test  solutions,  microscopic  stains,  etc.,  can  be  prepared  in  his  laboratory 
with  perfect  consistency  and  profitable  satisfaction. 
Physiological  chemistry  compasses  nearly  all  the  chemical  operations  of  the 
pl^sician  and,  besides  the  reagents  purchased  of  the  larger  manufacturing 
chemist— for  the  quality  and  strength  of  which  the  pharmacist  must  be  respon- 
sible— there  are  not  a  great  many  to  be  made  by  him,  yet  these  should  help 
to  keep  his  laborator}T  busy. 
Fehling's  solution  should,  no  doubt,  be  supplied  in  two  parts,  unless  expressly 
ordered  completed.  The  containers  for  these  solutions  and  all  other  reagents 
should  be  glass  stoppered  bottles,  as  these  add  so  materially  to  the  appearance 
of  an  outfit. 
Purdy's  solution,  at  one  time  very  popular,  is  occasionally  called  for  and 
much  of  Geunzberg's  test  for  acid  hydrochloric  is  used,  as  are  the  solutions  for 
the  diazo  reactions  and  the  principal  indicators. 
Although  no  great  variety  of  volumetric  solutions  are  called  for,  quite  a 
quantity  of  deci-normal  sodium  hydrate  solution  is  sold  and,  while  these  solu- 
tions require  time  and  care  for  adjustment,  experience  in  this,  as  in  everything 
else,  gives  facility.  A  standard  must,  of  course,  be  at  hand,  and  carefully  re- 
crystallized  acid  oxalic,  the  first  time  from  alcohol,  seems  the  most  satisfactory. 
These  solutions  should  be  verified  if  more  than  a  few  days  old. 
Volumetric  analysis  is  far  less  intricate  than  the  uninitiated  imagine  and  can 
be  accomplished  with  fair  accuracy  by  the  average  pharmacist  after  a  moder- 
ate amount  of  practice.  Ability  to  use  this  method  of  estimating  opens  up 
many  interesting  and  profitable  avenues  to  the  retailer. 
The  microscope  is  so  generally  used  in  medicine  to-day,  that  it  is  almost  as 
necessary  to  be  able  to  supply  physicians  stains  and  accessories  as  it  is  to  fill 
prescriptions.  The  variety  of  stains  is  not  large  for  ordinary  demands,  and 
not  more  than  six  or  eight  need  be  kept  made  up.  Gabbett's  stains,  carbol 
fuchsin  and  methylene  blue,  Erlich's  triacid  stain,  Jenner's  gentian  violet, 
hsematoxylin-alum  and  Toison's  dilution  solution  are  among  the  more  promi- 
nent. Success  in  their  preparation  depends  largely  upon  the  quality  of  the  dry 
colors  used.  Ordinary  commercial  anilin  will  not  answer.  Gruebler's  are  the 
best  to  be  had  and,  although  comparative!}-  expensive,  can  be  used  and  still 
a  good  profit  secured.  Formulas  for  all  these  stains,  reagents  and  solutions 
maybe  found  in  almost  any  modern  work  on  pathology;  "Simon's  Clinical 
Diagnosis' '  is  the  best  we  have  ever  seen  and  Von  Kahlden  is  good.  Some  of  the 
processes  for  making  them  seem  odd  and  unpharmaceutical  and  may,  in  many 
instanecs,  be  modified  to  advantage.    Ehrlich's  triacid  blood  stain  is,  perhaps, 
