STRAY ITEMS AND COMMENTS

Quit Use of Dear Sir.-One of New York's largest stores abolished "Dear Sir," "Dear Madam" and "Yours Truly" from its letter writing. After a conference the store managers decided to eliminate all salutations and conclusions. At the bottom of each

sheet of the firm's writing paper is now printed: "We have never heard a good reason for the use of 'Dear Madam,' 'Dear Sir,' 'Your's very truly,' and other similar phrases in business correspondence. For the sake of accuracy, brevity and economy we have discontinued their use."

Athletic Sports are enjoyed by pharmacists in British Columbia as well as in the United States. At a recent meeting, the entertainment included a base ball game, a three-legged race and other similar sports for the men, while ball throwing contests and foot races engaged the married women, the ladies and girls. A pill rolling contest sounds pharmaceutical until you see the picture where the pharmacists are rolling the pills by means of toothpicks. A smoking race is another new item on entertainment programs.

The U. S. Army at Texas City is reviewed in a recent issue of State Topics by the Assistant Secretary of War. The health of the soldiers is remarkably good, sickness being only about one per cent. The writer says:

The men are as brown as berries, hard as nails, and ready for anything. The sanitation and discipline are so good that the little illness is really negligible-next to nothing.

There are no such peace-lovers on earth as the trained offcers of the United States Army; and there is no one that trembles so much for the safety of the country for which he may be made a sacrifice as the trained and thinking United States Army officer--who realizes that our country today is less prepared than any other great nation on the face of the earth to defeat oppression and maintain our obligations, integrity, selfrespect, and even existence.

Are You a Pharmacist? If so, you will be interested in what the editor of the Pharmaceutical Journal, of London, says about the title. He contends that a person may be a pharmacist but never a retail pharmacist, a manufacturing, wholesale or analytical pharmacist. The editor says that it is degrading to apply such qualifying words to pharmacist, the same as it would be to speak of a retail physician, a retail surgeon, a retail dentist or a retail analyst. In the United States, pharmacists are not so particular. In fact, we doubt whether they are really very particular about such titles in England.

Natural Tooth Brushes are described in a consular

report from Santo Domingo. It appears that the stems of several shrubs and trees are used by the natives in lieu of tooth brushes, and are known as "chew sticks." Among them are the stems of the orange, the lemon, and the mebrillo or quince tree, all of which have an agreeable flavor. The most commonly used, however, is a plant known as "guano," probably the same as the one called in Spanish "palma de guano." The natives use the green stem, the end of which they chew up and use as a tooth brush. Various chew sticks are similarly used elsewhere in the West Indies.

The

Why You Should Attend Your State Meeting.-J. W. Gayle, Frankfort, Secretary of the Kentucky Ph. A., addresses his fellow members as follows: "THE ONLY WAY FOR A DRUGGIST to have an effective hand in the matters vitally touching his business in all its various features is to attend and participate in the proceedings of these annual meetings. Association needs, and should have, the advice and co-operation of every druggist; but much more does every druggist need the special information, the broadening influence and the invigorating enthusiasm which follows this close and intimate commingling of men intensely interested in a common cause. Come to the meeting and you will not only help but you will be immeasurably helped."

Corn Syrup Is a Trade Name for glucose when advertised for table use. The State of Wisconsin prohibits such a label in the State. The government permits of the corn syrup label in interstate commerce. The supreme court, from which there is no appeal, rules that a manufacturer outside of Wisconsin can make glucose, label it corn syrup and ship it into the State, for sale in original packages. Now, the question comes, can a party in Wisconsin manufacture glucose, label it corn syrup, ship it out of the State and again into the State and sell it in accordance with the ruling of the supreme court? Evidently, a Philadelphia lawyer is needed in Wisconsin.

The Way They Do It In Kentucky. Some time ago, a man took the examination for registration in that State under an assumed name and secured a certificate of registration for a party who was not present at the examination. Now, the Board of Pharmacy of Kentucky requires each applicant for registration to furnish a photograph on the back of which he must sign his name and have written a statement from his employer, who, as well as a special referee, certify to the identity of the photograph. Incidentally, the referee who is selected by the Board must certify that the applicant is not addicted to the use of alcohol or habit-forming drugs and he knows no reason why the applicant should not be examined.

Be a Better Pharmacist.-How? No better way can be suggested than to learn from the leaders in the profession, the men who make the U. S. P. and N. F., the teachers in the schools of Pharmacy, the chemists in the large manufacturing houses, and from the pharmacists who have made a success of the business.

Such an opportunity will be given you at the annual meeting of the American Pharmaceutical Association in Nashville, Tenn., Aug. 18 to 24.

To meet with these great men, hear them discuss the problems that confront the pharmacists every day, to know them yourself and to ask them questions which interest you, will be a great education to you and make you a better pharmacist than you ever were or ever will be otherwise.-[T. J. Shannon, Secy. Tenn. Pharmaceutical Assn., Sharon, Tenn.

IN BRIEF

Do not be careless in your methods.

Treat all of your customers with due consideration.

Did you attend your state meeting this year? If not, why not?

Lookout for the stranger who represents an unknown concern.

One million thousand bricks were used in New York City last year.

Wild flowers are attractive in the store. Try them for decorative purposes.

The British Columbia Pharmaceutical Association is twenty-three years old.

Cincinnati is preparing for a royal reception for the N. A. R. D., August 25.

Floor cleaning preparations are in demand. Here is an opportunity for pharmacists.

College graduation before registration is on its way but not traveling very rapidly.

The government has failed to find any adulterated olive oil for importation since 1909.

The detection of adulterations by means of the microscope dates back to about 1850.

The chewing gum output in the United States amounts to 30,000,000 sticks annually.

A pint of liquid can now be sent by parcel post. The original limitation was 12 ounces.

A smile is an asset in pharmacy as well as in other lines where customers are necessary.

How do you spend your vacation? Tell the readers of the MEYER BROTHERS DRUGGIST about it.

In 1811, St. Louis was the only town in what is now Missouri that was larger than New Madrid.

The Pa. Ph. A. went on record at the annual meeting favoring the inclusion of whiskey in the U. S. P. IX.

The holidays are far away but it is not too early to begin planning on your buying for the holiday

The Kansas City council proposes to confine the sale of corrosive sublimate tablets to orders on prescriptions.

The Missouri board of pharmacy has organized for the ensuing fiscal year with the same officers as heretofore.

Pennsylvania requires only two years' drug store experience before registration. Missouri asks for four years.

Preparations are being made by the St. Louis College of Pharmaccy to celebrate its semi-centennial in 1914.

The University of Nebraska School of Pharmacy now requires four years' high school work before matriculation.

Trade conditions throughout the country are becoming more encouraging. Are pharmacists prepared for opportunities?

The Kansas City R. D. A. and other similar or

ganizations that adjourn during the summer will resume meetings in September.

When a new competitor enters your field, do not try to drive him out in a hurry. Remember, the chances are that he is with you to stay.

Summer resorts are as popular with Wisconsin pharmacists as in Missouri, where the state associations enjoy a real outing each summer.

Salesmen's organizations are becoming as numerous as the large cities. The annual picnic of the Kansas City organization is a great event.

Cut rate practices at Little Rock, Ark., are very demoralizing. Just think of selling two one dollar articles for $1.01. What will be the outcome?

Moses Cleaveland founded the city of Cleveland 117 years ago. Today the citizens of that city are too busy to write all the letters of his name.

A properly antiseptic dentrifice will prove effective in affording a reasonable degree of cleanliness in the tooth brush. So says a British dentist..

That great homeless body of pharmaceutical scientists, the A. Ph. A., is the manner in which the Journal of the A. Ph. A refers to the association.

Iowa pharmacists evidently like beef. A loccal paper reports that 1,200 at the state convention delegates consumed 825 pounds of beef at a barbecue.

The Eleventh International Pharmaceutical Congress, to be held at The Hague, September 21-27, will be attended by delegates from many countries. The goods may be all right but when standard goods are offered at a low price, investigate the man who has them for sale. His title may not be clear.

Enid will entertain the Oklahoma Ph. A., May 22, 1914. Ten railroads provide ample facilities for reaching this prosperous city of 14,000 inhabitants.

One way of meeting competition by a cutter is to also cut. Then you are no better off than the cutter. We invite correspondence from dealers who manage to circumvent the cutter.

Harmony is described as a scarce article at the 1912 meeting of the Penn. Ph. A. but plentiful in 1913. Harmony counts at pharmaceutical conventions. May it prevail at all meetings in 1914!

A gingered horse caused the arrest of two men in London. They had administered ginger and capsicum to give the horse the appearance of being young and full of life. The pharmacist who sold the drugs was not arrested.

The use of parcels post stamps was a nuisance necessary in order to determine the business transacted during the first six months. After the purpose was accomplished, parcels post stamps became of interest only to stamp collectors.

Dr. John H. Long, for many years a member of the faculty of the Northwestern University Medical School and also of the School of Pharmacy, has been made dean of the Illinois institution, to succeed the late Professor Oldberg. Dr. Long is a member of the Committee of Revision of the U. S. P.

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS

By George W. Hague, Ph. G., Freeport, N. Y.

When Freezing Ice Cream, a thing many pharmacists make, replace one-third of the rock salt with washing soda. This will make the cream freeze more quickly and at the same time cause a saving of ice.

The Term Heat in pharmacy is frequently misapplied. When a preparation is directed to be prepared by gentle heat, many times it is heated nearer to a boil. Water and sand baths are frequently disregarded when heating or evaporating liquids. Of all pharmaceutical processes, heat is the most abused one.

To the Post-Graduate.-When you are seeking a drug store position, after earning the Ph. M., Phar. D., or Ph. C. degree, it is your duty to yourself to select an employer who will appreciate your higher education. The employer who does not believe in pharmacy schools and the subjects they teach, is usually the one to destroy a young man's ambition for higher work and usefulness. Seek a place where higher pharmacy can be carried out.

When a Small Business Grows into a large one, the proprietor usually purchases modern fixtures, show cases, etc. He never spends anything to better equip his laboratory. A drug store doing a business of twenty thousand dollars per annum needs one, two and five gallon measures; it needs some large percolators and funnels; it needs more than one size of filter papers. Improvement is sometimes needed more in the rear of the store than it is in the front.

A Word to Young Clerks.-Experience and observation has revealed the fact that certain goods sell faster on some hours and some days than they do on others. Thus: Calomel, blue mass pills and citrate of magnesia sell faster on Saturday nights and Sundays; headache remedies sell better Sundays; muriatic acid usually sells better early in the morning, because plumbers need it to take to work with them; nitric acid usually moves faster in the morning because masons need it to wash brick, etc. It would be well for young clerks to make a study of these things and be prepared to supply them when wanted.

About Dead Beats.-This is a difficult class to keep free from; as they seem to have a bill started before you know it. They usually start in by first trusting the merchant, such as returning something for credit and then telling the merchant not to bother refunding the money now, they will trade it out later. The account is usually traded out many times. A second way is for them to have a bill that the merchant cannot change, and the merchant will of course tell them to pay some other time. A second account is started. The deadbeat usually tries to fix it so the merchant is the cause of the bill being started.

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THERAPEUTICS FOR PHARMACISTS

Cancer Not Necessarily a Disease of Advanced Age. Do not assume that, because your patient is young, the lump in any part of the body-tongue, breast or anywhere else cannot, therefore, be a carcinoma. Remove it and see what it is made of. -[C. B. Lockwood in Clin. Jour.

Mental Hygiene: Its Importance.-Jan. 1, 1910, there were 187,454 insane persons in institutions in the United States, a number which exceeds the combined enlisted strength of the United States Army, United States Navy, and United States Marine Corps; and it also exceeds the number of students enrolled in all colleges and universities in the U. S.-[Journal A. M. A.

Industrial Disease.-Industrial disease is a misleading term, used for convenience only, or through ignorance, to indicate certain pathologic states, the results of insanitation in industry. Industry itself is never necessarily unwholesome. Industry processes, it is true, are objectionable and crude oftentimes, but bad industrial conditions are always remediable.-[W. Talbot in Amer. Jour. Public Health.

Fincke's "Hautlack" Dressing for Recent Wounds. -Venice turpentine, 15; mastic, 12; dark rosin, 25; pale rosin, 8; alcohol (90 per cent.), 180. The skin in the neighborhood of the wound is first shaved, and the varnish is then applied after drawing together the edges of the wound if necessary. After the lapse of half a minute a bandage is applied. [Spendler (Bull Pharm. Lyon, 1912, 113; Schweiz. Woch. Chem. Pharm., 1913, 516).

Treatment of Ringworm with Burning Taper.-A method of treating early isolated patches of ringworm, highly spoken of by the author, consists in the simple process of singeing, i. e., in the use of the barber's taper. This sterilising method, he says, with an application of tincture of iodine, should cure the majority of cases of ringworm in the early period. [J. F. Briscoe (Lancet, October 12, 1912, 1,054).

Treatment of Boils.-Furunculosis is regarded by the author as a purely local affection resulting from successive inoculations, and consequently the treatment should be confined entirely to the matter of dressing. Thus, to abort the boil, he recommends that a drop of iodo-acetone should be used. A gauze compress is then applied, well saturated with glycerole of starch, to which has been added boric acid, or oxycyanide of mercury. This is covered with absorbent wool, but no impermeable tissue should be used. The dressing is fixed in place with a bandage, and is renewed once or twice daily. To dry up the boil, it should be well powdered with talc to which has been added a little paraffin. In this way the boil is cured in less than a fortnight, and successive inoculations are avoided. [Gallois (Amer. Med. Chir. infant; through Practitioner, September, 1912).

PUBLIC EXPRESSIONS

Read This Before You Write.

Contributions on subjects of interest to the pharmaceutical profession are always welcome. Write upon but one side of the sheet and spell out in full the names of medicines; never use abbreviations. The editor pays no attention to anonymous communications.

Conditions in South Dakota.-One serious matter for the consideration of every druggist in South Dakota is the well founded complaint, too true in many parts of the state, that we charge too much for many articles used in large quantities by farmers, stockmen and manufacturers, such as Paris Green, Formaldehyde, Blue Vitriol, Copperas, Peroxide of Hydrogen, Crude Carbolic Acid, Wood Alcohol, Denatured Alcohol, and other articles of like character. We must compete with those outside the state who are flooding our customers with price currents quoting a low price. This matter of price was a serious complaint advanced by our opponents at Pierre and given as a reason why these items should be thrown upon the open market, and hardware and general dealers be allowed to sell them without restriction. Therefore we are urged to act promptly and revise our schedule of prices. This matter will be thoroughly discussed at the next annual meeting, but we should not wait; act at once. Let the druggists get together in every town or city and adopt a low schedule.

Let us observe and keep all laws we have faithfully, and inviolate, or two years hence we may not fare so well at Pierre.-[E. C. Bent, Dell Rapids, S. D.

A Story That is True.-Johnson was the proprietor of one of three drug stores in a southern town of about 8,000 population. Johnson's store was located on the proper side of the main street, and under the principal hotel of the town, and as Johnson had borrowed the money with which to fit up his store from an indulgent but well meaning father-in-law, he had from the start a very modern and nicely equipped store. The jobber from whom he had purchased his opening stock had seen to it that he had the very latest thing in fixtures known to the trade, and the soda fountain people had put in on the old man's money something choice in the way of modern, up-to-the-minute apparatus, with low draught faucets, nickel-plated work board, ice cream compartments and a new milk pump. In fact, it was in every way a dandy outfit and Johnson began his business career with everything in his favor, including a little balance in bank to take care of obligations which would become manifest in the first few months of his business life, so his fatherin-law told him, and for which the old man provided.

Everything went as merry as a wedding bell for some time, and while Johnson was not yet making money, he flattered himself that he soon would, and then he would be all right. He employed two of the "town boys" to handle his soda water business, which was keeping the tables busy pretty much all the time, and take it all in all, began to think that Smith, his competitor, who had an old-time store on the next corner, was an old fogy indeed and was entirely out of the running and also that as soon as business moved along a little better, he would offer Smith's clerk a little better salary and take him away from Smith.

Smith's clerk was a young fellow named Brown, and was one of these polite, attentive, gentlemanly and alert boys one meets so rarely, and he was also a student, was studying hard to pass the state board examinations, and was saving his money and investing it in a small way. Having come from an excellent family, all of whom lived in or near the town, he had grown up as Johnson did, with all the boys and girls in the town, and being a nice fellow and neat and tidy in his personal appearance, also being perfectly normal, he was popular with both the girls and boys of the town, and the mothers and fathers also. The handicap of working for Smith was nothing to him, for he was under a preceptor who was scientifically inclined and he was getting the best sort of a chance to "tone up" for his exams. It made him feel sore occasionally to see the popularity of Johnson's store in that it was always crowded in the evenings with a noisy and merry crowd of soda water and ice cream customers and the electric piano was playing its loudest, while everyone was discussing and commenting on the baseball score of the game that day between the home nine and the opposing team from an envious town a few miles away, the score being the most prominent feature in the store, in that it was given the place of honor in big chalky letters in the center of the magnificent bevelel plate glass mirror of the soda water fountain. Brown said nothing, however, for just at that moment Dr. Allen, who was the principal physician of the town, and who favored Johnson because he had a modern store and because he had been the physician of Mrs. Johnson's family for years, walked up, saying "Brown I wish you would put up these prescriptions and send them out to Old Lady Wilson. I can't get in that darned place up the street for the crowd of people in there loafing around and having a good time, and anyway, Johnson is out at the ball game and I am afraid to have one of the soda water boys compounding my prescriptions."

Brown thanked the doctor and assured him that the prescriptions would be attended to at once by Mr. Smith, who was in the rear, as he (Brown) had not yet become a full-fledged Registered Pharmacist, whereupon the doctor exclaimed, "All right, but I am satisfied that you could handle them just as well as Smith, but, anyway, get them out as soon

as possible, for the poor woman is suffering, and Johnson has gotten so that I never know when my patients are going to get their prescriptions when I leave them with him."

Johnson in the meantime had returned, and was standing out in front of his store gesticulating wildly and discussing the game, while the soda water boys inside were busy at the tables and counter and incidentally were watching him out of the corners of their eyes while they rang up 5 cents for three 10-cent drinks just served at one of the tables. A number of town "fans" were congregated at the cigar case, jollying the combination soda and cigar clerk, who was selling them six two for a quarter perfectos for twenty-five cents, and one fellow reached over and helped himself to a package of Spearmint gum, neglecting purposely to pay for it. A lady walked in from the hotel entrance and after standing for several minutes without the slightest attention being paid to her, said to one of the soda water boys, "Where is the R clerk?" "He's out on the sidewalk, ma'am, I'll call him for you just soon as I git this 'cake' finished." Whereupon she returned to the hotel, and walking out of the front door passed Johnson's and went on down to Smith's on the next corner.

Next morning Johnson's store was open at seven o'clock, as usual, and while one of the boys read the morning paper and smoked a two-for-a-quarter cigar out of the cigar case, the porter slouched around making a pretense of cleaning up, but in reality slurring everything, for the corners between the tile floor and the marble base of the show cases and woodwork were not cleaned, but just daubed, and the mirrors and plate glass were almost smeared. In packing the ice cream coolers one of the metal parts was torn apart from its fastenings, and left that way. Nearly two gallons of mushy ice cream, which should have been packed the night before, had to be thrown away. Meantime, one of the errand boys had been set to work at the sink washing up the soiled graduates, mortars, etc., and upon hearing a crash back there which sounded like a wreck was being consummated, the soda water clerk, who had opened up, and was sitting in Johnson's desk chair, with his feet upon the desk, looked up with a grin and said, "Break 'em up, kid, the boss is rich."

A few minutes aften ten, a bank messenger comes in and opening his wallet takes out a draft, and asks, "Billy, is Mr. Johnson in?" "Naw, kiddo, guess he's feedin' his face; he ain't got down yet," answers Billy, but just as he does so in walks Johnson. "Good morning, Mr. Johnson, I've a little draft for you from Dork, Pavis & Co." "Oh, the devil you have; oh well just endorse it 'will remit,' and I'll send 'em a check some time; confound these fellows anyway; they are a nuisance, they are always drawing, I'll just cut them out and not buy anything more from them." Soon after he walks over to the postoffice and gets his mail, consisting of several letters and two newspapers. On the way back he narrowly escapes being

run over by a motorcycle because he has opened the newspaper at the sporting page, and is busily engaged in looking up the "results" of yesterday's National League games, and the batting averages and percentages of the different players and teams. He threw his letters upon his desk top to wait for some more opportune time for attention.

Looking out the doorway, he suddenly perceives Higgs on the other side of the street, who travels for one of the large drug houses. "Hey, there! Come over here, I want to see you," says he. "All right, answers Higgs, and comes over. "Say," says Johnson, "why don't you come in and see a fellow once in a while; I want some goods." Higgs looks embarrassed, and replies, "Come back in your office, old man, I want to talk to you." The pair walk back and Higgs says, "Johnson, I hate to have to say this to you, for I once thought that you were going to be one of my most valuable customers. The house has cut you off the credit list and instructed me not to sell you. You owe us a balance of $140.00 now which is four months past due, and for which they write me they have drawn three times, and each time the draft was returned bearing the endorsement, 'will remit,' on the first one, and 'No attention' on the two subsequent ones; they also write me that they have written you several times, without having even had the courtesy of an acknowledgement of your receipt of their letters; in fact, you have ignored them entirely. I have a letter in my pocket now authorizing me to place our claim against you in the hands of an attorney, with instructions to force payment at once."

"Why, confound their impudent hides," says Johnson, "just wait a minute and I'll give you a check for that hundred and forty dollars, and I'll never buy another dollar's worth from such a set of cusses as long as I am in business. You and I have always been the best of friends, but I never did like that bunch you travel for and don't want anything more to do with them." (Phone rings.) "Hello, hello, yes this is Johnson's. What's that? Fourth National Bank? I am overdrawn sixty dollars and you are holding my check for $100.00 in favor of Fean & Link? Oh, just take care of the check and I will make a deposit today. What, you can't do it, and will return my check endorsed 'Not sufficient funds'? Say, hold that check, I'll be right over there." "Oh, by the way, Higgs, I have dated your check ahead about two weeks; that will be all right, won't it?"

Smith's former clerk, Brown, now owns that store, and is making good. Believe me, this is no figment of the imagination, but is a true story. The business of running a retail drug store is just as important as keeping the stone at the top of the hill after you have rolled it there.-[H. G. Posey.

EXAMINATION QUESTIONS from board of Pharmacy examinations appear in each issue of MEYER BROTHERS DRUGGIST.