AmAl(i>g.?iS2arn'  }  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  447 
ment  to  Art.  iv  of  the  Constitution,  changing  the  word  shall  to  may,  created 
much  discussion,  but  was  finally  tabled,  when  it  was  shown  that  the  word  shall 
was  not  mandatory,  but  merely  directory,  and  that  the  interest  from  life  mem- 
bership was  to  go  into  the  common  account,  merely  in  lieu  of  the  annual 
contributions  of  contributing  members. 
Chapter  ix,  Article  viii,  of  the  by-laws,  was  amended  so  as  to  give  two  sessions 
to  the  Section  on  pharmaceutical  legislation  and  education.  The  proposed 
amendment  to  Chapter  viii,  Ait.  v,  to  receive  delegations  from  State  pharma- 
ceutical associations  only,  was  laid  on  the  table. 
A  communication  from  Mr.  Abernethy,  relative  to  the  publication  of  an 
official  dose  book,  was  read  and  referred  to  the  Section  on  scientific  papers. 
The  Section  on  Commercial  Interests  held  its  sessions  on  Friday,  July  15^  the 
chairman,  W.  H.  Torbert,  presiding ;  A.  Bassett,  Secretary.  The  Committee 
appointed  at  New  Orleans  reported  that  they  had  been  present  at  the  meeting 
of  the  National  Wholesale  Druggists'  Association  at  Louisville  in  October, 
1891,  and  conferred  with  that  Association  and  the  Association  of  Manufac- 
turers and  Proprietors  with  the  result  that  the  plan  for  the  prevention  of  cutting 
of  prices  elaborated  at  New  Orleans  was  adopted  by  the  two  Associations  named, 
with  slight  modifications,  and  that  a  committee  had  been  appointed,  consisting 
of  members  of  the  three  Associations,  with  the  view  of  working  out  the  details 
and  taking  steps  to  put  the  plan  in  operation.  The  chairman  in  his  address 
stated  that  while  the  plan  had  been  very  generally  approved,  even  by  lawyers 
in  many  States,  some  lawyers  considered  it  to  be  in  conflict  with  the  anti-trust 
laws,  and  that  this  opinion  had  been  a  stumbling  block  in  the  way  of  its  suc- 
cessful and  general  adoption. 
Letters  referring  to  the  same  subject  were  read  from  a  Committee  of  the 
Michigan  State  Pharmaceutical  Association,  from  the  president  of  the  Inter- 
state Retail  Druggists'  League  at  St.  Louis,  and  from  the  Illinois  Pharmaceu- 
tical Association. 
A  communication  from  the  Colorado  State  Pharmaceutical  Association  urged 
that  efforts  be  made  for  securing  the  repeal  of  the  annual  tax  of  $25  imposed 
upon  druggists  for  the  purpose  of  retailing  liquors  for  medicinal  use  and 
distilled  spirits  for  mechanical  purposes. 
A  communication  from  the  Arkansas  Association  of  Pharmacists  suggested 
a  memorial  to  the  Congress,  urging  the  repeal  of  all  copyright  laws  which  pro- 
tect the  names  or  the  process  of  manufacture  of  any  and  all  chemicals  and 
remedies  used  for  the  relief  of  human  suffering  which  are  put  up  and  recom- 
mended to  the  use  of  ph)sicians  and  others,  no  matter  under  what  name  or 
form,  except  those  agents  known  as  patent  or  proprietary  remedies. 
The  discussion  took  a  wide  range,  and  it  was  finally  concluded  that  a  Com- 
mittee of  three  consider  the  subject  and  report  at  the  final  session  to  the 
Association,  which  was  done  by  recommending  that  the  proprietors  put  the 
A.  P.  A.  plan  in  force  promptly,  and  omit  the  delay  in  the  submission  of  it  to 
the  retailers  for  approval.  Messrs.  Torbert,  Bassett,  Hechler,  Rano  and 
Canning  were  appointed  a  special  committee  of  the  Section  for  the  prevention 
of  cutting,  and  the  same  committee  was  also  recommended  to  the  Asso- 
ciation for  appointment  as  delegates  to  the  National  Wholesale  Druggists' 
Association . 
