Am.  Jour.  Pharm.\ 
December,  1901.  J 
Pharmaceutical  Progress. 
577 
bag.  Even  of  expensive  flannel,  it  looks  just  about  the  same.  This 
picture  needs  much  color,  because  the  old  strainer  was  always 
stained  after  its  first  use  and,  if  you  could  paint  odors,  might 
mix  your  colors  with  cod-liver  oil,  because  that  gave  the  odor 
which  always  hung  around  the  strainer  of  our  fathers,  no  matter 
how  hard  we  tried  to  keep  them  clean.  It  is  by  such  a  picture  that 
I  would  make  clear  the  value  of  absorbent  cotton  to  the  dispenser — 
snowy  white,  always  clean,  sterile,  rapid,  effective.  This,  with  a 
number  of  properly  assorted  small  glass  funnels  having  long  stems 
makes  a  fair  picture  of  the  dispensing  of  solutions.  Gauze  and 
cotton  enable  us  to  do  as  we  would  be  done  by  when  cleanliness  is 
the  consideration. 
Need  I  mention  that  if,  when  filtering  or  straining,  the  operator 
will  use  a  funnel  with  a  sufficiently  long  stem  and  be  sure  that  the 
outside  of  the  funnel  and  the  neck  of  the  bottle  are  perfectly  dry,  the 
escape  of  air  will  be  insured  ?  Need  I  picture  the  reverse  of  this 
little  gain?  On  and  on  one  may  go  showing  how  careful  observa- 
tion and  generous  brotherhood  have  added  improved  methods  and 
devices  of  ^reat  value  :  striking  evidences  of  progress.  Not  only 
is  this  true  of  one  department  and  regarding  very  simple  things,  but 
it  is  equally  true  of  all  departments  ;  about  more  exalted  doings. 
Changes  have  affected  every  phase  of  our  calling  and  its  practice, 
and  the  sooner  we  recognize  these  and  the  advantages  accruing 
therefrom,  the  better  will  be  our  chances  of  success.  If  one  is 
skeptical,  he  may  reason  the  matter  out  on  logical  bases.  If  he 
doubts  the  advisability  of  locating  upon  a  thoroughfare  and  near 
the  centre  of  trade  rather  than,  as  was  formerly  desirable,  in  a  more 
remote,  residential  district,  does  he  not  see  that  influences  wonderful 
and  mighty  have  been  at  work  to  bring  this  about  ?  The  world  has 
grown  strangely  small,  and  each  one  of  its  subdivisions  has  grown 
smaller  in  the  same  degree.  Does  he  wonder  why  physicians  con- 
gregate in  the  most  advantageous  centre,  without  regard  to  local 
practice,  as  formerly  ?  The  telephone  has  brought  it  about  in  two 
ways,  which  are  quite  obvious ;  this  same  influence  is  soon  to  be  felt 
in  helping  to  concentrate  the  pharmaceutical  business.  The  passing 
of  the  strictly  local  drug  store,  as  a  drug  store,  and  the  increasing 
trade  in  side-lines  is  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  the  emergency 
pharmacy  is  no  longer  necessary  ;  it  is  replaced  by  the  physician's 
pocket,  largely  his  hypodermic  syringe  case,  which  is  often  supple- 
