576 
Pharmaceutical  Progress. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
X  December,  1901. 
panoramic  view,  recording  history  from  which  our  conclusions  must 
be  deduced. 
Pictures  and  history,  then,  will  offer  us  the  standards  by  which 
we  are  to  value  our  attainments,  notwithstanding  the  statement  of 
so  great  a  writer  and  so  great  a  critic  as  Lord  Macaulay,  who  says, 
"No  picture  and  no  history  can  present  us  with  the  whole  truth  " 
— and,  since  it  takes  the  master-hand  to  present  enough  of  the 
truth  to  make  a  comprehensive  whole,  the  underling  must  content 
himself  with  presenting  the  very  commonplace  in  minute  detail. 
I  will  illustrate  my  apology  by  sketching  in  outline — very  dark 
outline — the  "  drug-store  towel."  It  needs  but  a  few  strokes  to  show 
it  to  you — possibly  hanging,  oftener  lying  around  in  almost  any  posi- 
tion upon  the  prescription  counter.  It  looks  lonely,  because  there 
are  so  few,  or  none,  perhaps,  to  take  its  place.  Its  history,  so  freely 
written,  adds  nothing  to  its  credit.  The  few  strokes  I  have  made 
are  sufficient  for  the  towel ;  but  a  better  subject  needs  better  work, 
and  I  present  a  properly  dressed  dispenser,  with  two  towels 
attached  to  his  clothing — one  large  and  absorbent,  the  other  small 
and  fine,  for  finishing.  These  are  his,  have  his  mark  on  them. 
He  owns  several  other  sets,  which  he  may  have  laundered  as  often 
as  he  pleases.  You  will  notice  that  this  picture  is  much  more  attrac- 
tive because  of  the  presence  of  a  twenty-five-yard  roll  of  absorbent 
surgical  gauze  in  a  near-by  drawer,  in  which  will  also  be  seen  a  long 
pair  of  teller's  or  coupon  shears.  These  shears  and  this  gauze  will 
enable  the  dispenser  to  make  many  hundreds  of  the  cleanest,  most 
satisfactory  little  towels  imaginable ;  perfectly  dry  and  very  handy 
for  fine  work,  at  a  cost  of  seventy-five  cents  for  all. 
This  gauze  also  answers  admirably  for  wiping  off  capsules,  for 
drying  soluble  elastic  capsules,  after  washing  in  alcohol — so  often 
necessary.  These  small  pieces  should  be  retained  in  a  convenient  box 
or  drawer,  to  be  used  most  advantageously  for  protecting  the  larger 
towel.  Whatever  is  of  such  a  nature  as  would  greatly  soil  the  towel 
can  be  disposed  of  by  using  a  piece  of  this  once-used  gauze  and 
throwing  it  away.  It  is  much  better  than  paper,  or  even  sawdust, 
for  such  purposes. 
Two  or  more  thicknesses  of  absorbent  gauze  answers  admirably 
for  coarse,  rapid  straining..  This  must  bring  to  mind  vivid  pictures 
of  the  old-time  strainer,  and  offers  another  sample  of  my  would-be 
art.    It  may  be  more  than  of  the  cheaper  muslin  sort  or  yet  a  cork 
