Am.  Jour.  Pharm.l 
February,  1901.  J 
Notes  and  News. 
i 
NOTES  AND  NEWS. 
Pennsylvania  StAte  Pharmaceutical  Examining  Board. — In  the 
twelfth  annual  report  it  is  stated  that  the  entire  number  of  registered  pharmacists 
passed  in  nearly  two  years  (ending  January  3r,  1900)  was  only  336,  or  about  20 
percent,  of  the  total  number  examined. 
The  Etiquette  of  Academic  Costume.— Academic  Costume  should  be 
used  on  all  formal  occasions  where  the  members  of  an  educational  institution 
meet  in  a  collective  capacity,  and  as  the  commencement  is  the  chief  ceremony 
of  the  academic  year,  the  use  at  commencement  time  may  be  taken  as  a  guide 
for  other  occasions. 
The  cap  is  treated  in  a  manner  similar  to  the  use  of  the  military  helmet  or 
chapeau,  and  when  academic  bodies  are  in  procession  should  be  always  on  the 
head,  the  tassel  hanging  over  the  left  eye.  The  cap  is  on  the  head  during  all 
the  more  important  parts  of  the  ceremony,  but  is  usually  removed  when  the 
officers  and  candidates  take  their  seats,  with  the  exception  of  the  presiding 
officer,  who  will  wear  the  cap  during  the  entire  exercises,  with  the  exception 
of  the  time  that  he  may  be  making  a  lengthy  address  or  during  the  delivery  of 
addresses  to  the  general  audience.  When  the  candidates  are  upon  their  feet, 
standing  up  to  receive  any  particular  address  in  connection  with  the  conferring 
of  degrees,  the  cap,  of  course,  should  be  on,  as  the  whole  body  is  then  in  full 
dress.  When  the  presiding  officer  confers  degrees,  whether  he  be  standing  or 
sitting,  he  should,  of  course,  have  on  the  cap,  and  the  candidates  presenting 
themselves  raise  the  cap  from  the  head  in  salute  to  the  presiding  officer,  he 
acknowledging  it  by  a  similar  salute  or  with  more  dignity,  perhaps,  without 
salute. 
The  gown  should  rest  easily  on  the  shoulders  of  the  wearer,  and  all 
motions  of  the  hands  in  adjusting  the  gown  should  be  avoided.  A  gown 
should  be  balanced  in  the  making  and  secured  to  the  person  so  that  it  will 
hang  naturally  and  gracefully,  and  the  hitching  up  of  the  gown  around  the 
shoulders,  which  so  often  is  seen  in  the  pulpit  and  on  the  platform,  should  be 
avoided,  as  it  seems  to  indicate  the  unfamiliarity  of  the  wearer  with  his  apparel 
and  indicates  that  the  clothes  do  not  properly  fit  the  man.  Gown,  cap  and 
hood  should  be  worn  with  perfect  freedom  and  unconsciousness. 
The  hood,  which  expresses  the  possession  by  the  wearer  of  a  degree  either 
already  received  or  certified  as  due  to  the  candidate,  is  always  worn  on  full- 
dress  occasions.  It  becomes  more  symbolic  when  placed  over  the  shoulders  of 
the  candidates,  in  the  course  of  the  ceremony,  by  an  attendant  connected  with 
the  official  life  of  the  institution,  since  it  shows  that  the  hood  has  the  same 
significance  as  the  diploma,  which  is  conferred  at  the  same  time  ;  however, 
many  institutions  find  it  more  convenient  to  have  its  candidates  come  up  for 
their  degrees  with  the  hood  already  on  their  shoulders,  the  candidate  being 
invested  with  it  after  due  certification  by  the  authorities  that  he  is  to  be  raised 
to  the  dignity  of  the  degree  indicated. 
The  symbolism  of  the  hood  is  most  interesting,  showing  by  its  cut  whether 
it  is  pertaining  to  the  bachelor,  master  or  doctor  degree  ;  by  the  velvet  trim- 
ming, as  to  whether  the  degree  is  of  arts,  science,  philosophy,  theology,  laws, 
medicine,  pharmacy  or  other  department  of  learning  to  which  degrees  pertain, 
