The stated Pharmaceutical Meeting of the Philadelphia College of
Pharmacy was held on Tuesday afternoon, February 19th, with M. I.
Wilbert, Ph.M., in the chair.
Prof. Charles H. La Wall was the first speaker on the program, and
presented a paper on “The Food and Drugs Act in its Relation to Public
Health.” (See p. 107.) The author reviewed conditions leading up to the
passage of the United States Food and Drugs Act of June, 1906, and in
considering the detailed provisions of the law, paid particular
attention to the section on misbranding.
Mr. Thomas H. Potts called attention to a form of deception in which it
is made to appear that the serial number placed by manufacturers on
packages is a Government guarantee number.
Prof. Henry Kraemer said that there is a need for more workers along
this line. He referred to the work which has been done by Dr. Wiley, and
said that he deserved great credit not only for his efforts in securing
the adoption of the Pure Food and Drugs Act, but also for standing out
so many years against the moneyed interests represented by unscrupulous
manufacturers.
The subject of drug legislation was brought up and Mr. Wilbert said that
pharmacists were making a mistake in not taking an active part in it. He
stated that in Vermont the druggists had hesitated in the matter, and
that the grocers of that State had succeeded in having a law enacted
which may prove inimical to the interests of pharmacists. He then called
attention to the bill introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature which
is practically that of the Wholesale Grocers’ Association, and does not
exempt physicians’ prescriptions and the preparations of the United
States Pharmacopœia and National Formulary in those portions of the bill
which relate to labelling. Mr. Wilbert further stated that this bill is
being introduced in the legislatures in a number of States, while the
bill formulated by the _Ladies’ Home Journal_ has now been introduced by
twenty State legislatures. It was also mentioned that a bill drafted by
the National Wholesale Druggists’ Association is being introduced in
some States, and that still another draft is that of the Proprietors’
Association.
Mr. Potts spoke of the meeting in Chicago of the representatives of the
National Association of Retail Druggists, the National Wholesale
Druggists’ Association and the Proprietors’ Association, and said that
an attempt was made to have a law drafted which would require both
physicians and retail druggists to use labels giving details as to the
composition of medicines prescribed and dispensed. He then remarked that
retail druggists are not opposed to legislation which is fair, but that
they are not in favor of hasty legislation, which, as proposed in some
instances, would drive retail druggists out of business.
A paper on “Sunday Closing: A Means of Elevating Pharmacy,” by Clarence
H. Campbell, a local druggist, was read in the absence of the author by
George B. Weidemann, P.D. The paper contained the statement that at the
recent conventions of the National Association of Retail Druggists held
in St. Louis and Atlanta, resolutions were unanimously adopted favoring
Sunday closing, and that helpful suggestions had been made as to the
ways and means of bringing about this end. The writer was of the opinion
that the long hours without proportionate compensation has an influence
in keeping young men from taking up pharmacy in the first place, or of
pursuing it after qualifying for the work. Mr. Campbell also considered
some of the arguments that have already been advanced in some of the
previous issues of this JOURNAL as to the necessity of reasonable rest
and recreation in broadening the horizon of the pharmacist.
Mr. Thomas H. Potts also presented a communication on the subject of
Sunday closing and shorter hours. After considering the need of a more
liberal spirit on the part of pharmacists and the necessity for an
improvement in the number of hours that the pharmacist is on duty, Mr.
Potts said that he fully admitted that the public must be taken into
consideration, but maintained that they can be educated, and very
readily, to acquiesce in this movement if concerted action be taken by
druggists.
Mr. Potts further remarked that in his opinion there is only one
possible plan to adopt and that is to agitate this question on every
favorable opportunity. He said that since the agitation begun last fall
by the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, a great many retailers have
closed their stores on Sunday afternoons, and in conversation with some
of them he was informed that they like the plan so well that they could
not be induced to return to the old conditions.
R. W. Cuthbert, chairman of the committee appointed by the college to
help forward the shorter-hour movement, reported that he was encouraged
by the results that had already been attained.