IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL EYE of Missouri in particular and boards of pharmacy members in general is Robert A. Doyle, of East Prairie, who is vice-president of the Missouri Board of Pharmacy. Mr. Doyle is thoroughly familiar with both the practical and theoretical sides of pharmacy. In his board work, he keeps constantly in mind a reasonable standard for the average pharmacist. He is a quiet and useful worker for the Mo. Ph. A., the A. Ph. A., and the N. A. R. D.

ROBERT A. DOYLE

MARTIN H. RAMING

Martin H. Raming, president of the Mo. Ph. T. A., was represented on the cover of the MEYER BROTHERS DRUGGIST for July. He again reminds our Missouri readers of the June 12 convention at the Elms Hotel, Excelsior Springs, in 1917.

Do You Watch your want book?

Do You Buy from well-known firms?

Only Ten Months to the 1917 convention of the Mo. Ph. A., at Excelsior Springs.

With a Critical Eye, look over the U. S. P. IX. Possibly you can find a typographical error, overlooked by the proofreaders.

September 1, 1916, is an important day for the drug trade. At that time, the U. S. P. IX supersedes the U. S. P. VIII as the official standard.

Market Review, Page 252.
Want Advertisements, Page 31.
Missouri Reciprocity, Page 254.
Books for Pharmacists, Page 19.
Index to Advertisements, Page 32.

Board of Pharmacy Secretaries, Page 12.
What Illinois Merchants May Sell, Page 254.

Board of Pharmacy Examination Questions, Page 242.

Should Prohibition Destroy the Standing of the Pharmacist?-Pharmacists differ in politics. They are separated along religious lines and by no means are all strictly neutral regarding the great war in Europe. Pharmacists have their individual convictions on the subject of prohibition, total abstinence and temperance. Some pharmacists refuse to pay the retail liquor dealer's internal revenue tax and manage their stores without selling alcohol in any shape or form, which comes within the provisions of the internal revenue law. Others handle liquors as they do medicines in general and sell strictly for medicinal purposes. Some, in states where conditions permit, pay a dramshop license and handle bottled goods extensively. Then comes a class of dealers which is confined to prohibition or local option sections of the country. Some of these actually transfer from the saloon business to the drug business. The transfer is merely in name and accomplished by putting up a drug store sign in place of a saloon sign.

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The condition, however, which we have particularly in mind is quite separate and distinct those just mentioned. Prohibitionists belong to the reform class of individuals moved by something more than enthusiasm and ambition. They take it for granted that the ends justify the means. They make the broad assertion that alcohol has no excuse for existence and then proceed in their efforts to prevent its manufacture. Pharmacy is here concerned in a way which is particularly perplexing, as the pharmacist understands alcohol is necessary in the manufacture of many preparations and chemicals that do not contain alcohol in the finished product. It is also required in producing preparations that are never used for the effect of the small per cent of alcohol which remains in the product. Just what would happen to the drug trade if alcohol was entirely eliminated can scarcely be imagined much less described. The hue and cry which would come from the public when cut off from the supply of medicines depending upon alcohol has never been experienced but would follow actual prohibition.

We are led to discuss the subject at this time by a correspondent of the MEYER BROTHERS DRUGGIST Who calls attention to the proposed prohibition amendment to the constitution of Missouri. If adopted and put into efficient service, it would eliminate alcohol in any shape or form except for sacramental purposes. Our correspondent suggests that some provision should be made for the use of alcohol in pharmaceutical manufacture.

It is probably too late to secure any modification of this kind. It is not, however, too late to let the public know what conditions would follow the adoption of such a regulation. Pharmacists must also realize

that prohibition greatly increases the responsibility of the the pharmacist, detracts from his standing in community and interferes with the execution of the technical side of his calling. The pharmacist is a public convenience at the present time for all kinds of accommodations, not demanded from those in other lines of business. The drug trade must pay some of the internal revenue tax of ordinary times and help meet war taxes as well as stand the expense of such moral regulations as the Harrison Anti-Narcotic Law. Why place the burden of prohibition on his shoulders, especially when prohibition does not prohibit?

The Importance of Serum Therapy During Times of War cannot be over-estimated. The investment required in order to satisfactorily produce these modern medicines is enormous. Time is also necessary in order to produce goods of satisfactory quality. These facts place a government in an embarrassing position when war becomes imminent. It is pleasing to note that the National Association of Manufacturers of Medicinal Products of the United States has adopted a resolution placing its resources for manufacturing medicinal supplies and medicines and antitoxins at the call of the United States government. The resolution urges on the government the mobilization of all private resources for the manufacturing and the delivery of medicinal supplies for the army and navy and public health service. The members of this association have pledged their co-operation in helping the government mobilize medicinal and surgical supplies with the least possible delay, confusion and expense. It is not until an emergency of this kind that we fully comprehend what a serious problem it is to quickly supply an abnormal demand for pharmaceuticals and medicinal chemicals, as well as antiseptic dressings and goods of that class. When it comes to serums, toxins, antitoxins and other remedial agents of this class, nothing but time and great capital can meet the situation unless advantage is taken of the manufacturing plants already established.

Pharmacy Has Many Side Lines. In fact, the drug department is lost in the average drug store on account of the multiplicity of side lines. The modern school of pharmacy has numerous laboratories and a long list of subjects on which lectures are delivered. The curriculum is no longer confined to pharmacy, materia medica and chemistry. Some of these departments of the school of pharmacy, like commercial pharmacy, banking and lectures on law are didectly due to the nature of the modern drug store. Others like bacteriology and microscopy come as a result of expansion in general education. The latest requirement of pharmacy students is not likely to lead to a new department or side line in the store. We refer to the military training now required of all pharmacy students at the University of Iowa and some other schools of pharmacy. First-year students go through a regular military drill. The second-year students are utilized in hospital work. The drug business contributes more than its share to war taxes and some will be called on to send a good proportion of

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Few Pharmacists Are Botanists but all pharmacists have much more to do with botanical drugs than they have with those of animal origin. The old day pharmacist gathered vegetable drugs and preserved them. Not infrequently, the pharmacist cultivated some of his drugs. Botanical excursions were common with pharmacists and physicians, a half a century more ago. Today, we are returning to the cultivation of drugs and the care of indigenous medicinal plants. It is even proposed to again make preparations from the fresh plants. All of this emphasizes the value of botany to the pharmacist. Indigenous botanical drugs are scattered over the entire United States. Some are localized but everywhere medicinal plants grow. Pharmacists will find it a pleasant recreation as well as interesting study to give the local medicinal flora attention. In the larger cities, pharmacists can find medicinal plants in botanical gardens. This is particularly true in New York City, Washington and St. Louis. The schools of pharmacy are giving increased attention to drug culture and field botany. The war in Europe has demonstrated the advisability of drug cultivation in the United States.

Reciprocity is not General nor is it Free as Water. -In order to have a certificate of registration in one state recognized in another, it is necessary to go through something more than mere formalities. The person must be really competent as a pharmacist. He must have secured his certificate of registration for the purpose of practicing pharmacy in the state where he was examined. It is necessary to have twelve months' experience after the examination in order to give evidence of this fact. It was never the intent or the purpose of the reciprocity arrangement to permit a clerk in one state to go to a neighboring state and take an easier examination and then return to his own state and secure reciprocity. Do not try to dodge the issue in order to fool the boards of pharmacy. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy has the matter well in hand and will see to it that reciprocity is a convenience for legitimate purposes and not a means of helping incompetent persons to register. The first step towards reciprocity is to correspond with the secretary of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, H. C. Christensen, Chicago.

What Will Become of the American Phenol Plants After the War?-Several million dollars have been invested in plants for the manufacture of phenol during the present war. Of all the "infant industries" fostered by the war, the production of phenol stands well to the front. When the seas are again free for the commerce of the different countries, the United States must expect a decrease in the demand for phenol which will seriously impair the revenue from these large plants. At the present time, this country is producing about a thousand tons a month of

phenol. This is many times the amount manufactured previous to the war. Perhaps it would be naturally concluded that superfluous plants will be dismantled, but such is not the evident intention of the manufacturers. They are looking for other lines of manufacture to keep their establishments busy. It is probable that some of the phenol factories will become analin dye works. The outlet for dyes in these countries and the possibilities of increasing the demand is much better than the possibilities of disposing of immense quantities of phenol.

What Will Become of the American Dyestuff Industry? The arrival of the German sub-sea vessel, containing about one million dollars' worth of German analin dyes has set the manufacturers in this country busy figuring on probabilities. This shipment in itself is less than one per cent of the annual consumption of analin dyes in the United States. It is a question as to the length of time the war will continue, the extent to which under-sea traffic can be carried on, the manner in which congress will place protective tariffs on dyestuffs and the ability of manufacturers in the United States to produce really satisfactory goods that most concerns manufacturers and dealers in this country. We are now experiencing the greatest war of arms that has ever occurred. Time must terminate the conflict but it may lead to a correspondingly great contest throughout the world along commercial lines. The United States has been neutral in the present war but will not be able to keep out of the commercial contest.

Life Members is a feature of the state pharmaceutical associations and many other pharmaceutical bodies. A study of the rules and regulations under which members may become life members indicates that the custom is one given little careful study or business consideration. Life membership should be the means of financially aiding the organization. From a business point of view, the association should get the better of the bargain. A life member falls short of a "sustaining member" or a patron, in this respect, but should contribute to the material welfare of the organization. Instead of this being the general rule, it frequently happens that life membership conditions permit a member to practically buy an annuity policy or take life insurance at the expense of the association.

Will the Metric System Become Obligatory?—The metric system is a legal system in the United States and obligatory system in the army, navy and Marine Hospital Service. A bill has been introduced in the House, providing that after July 1, 1920, the metric system shall be the sole and only standard of weights and measures in the United States. The MEYER BROTHERS DRUGGIST has been advocating the use of the metric system for a third of a century. We have seen the system become more popular, as it became better understood. Whether or not the commercial interests of this country will adopt it remains to be

seen.