MINUTES

OF THE

THIRTIETH ANNUAL MEETING.

First Session.-Tuesday Afternoon, September 12th, 1882.

THE American Pharmaceutical Association assembled at its thirtieth annual meeting, in the ball-room of the Cataract House, at Niagara Falls, N. Y., President, P. W. Bedford, in the chair; John M. Maisch, Secretary.

At 3.30 P.M. the President declared that there was more than a quorum of members present, and after calling the meeting to order, appointed a Committee on Credentials, consisting of Messrs. Eli Lilly, of Indianapolis, P. C. Candidus, of Mobile, and A. W. Miller, of Philadelphia. The credentials were handed in and the committee retired to attend to the duties assigned to them.

The Local Secretary, Mr. Hiram E. Griffith, being introduced by the President, welcomed the Association with the following remarks, which were received with hearty applause:

MR. PRESIDENT, LADIES, AND MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION: It becomes one of the most pleasant duties of my life to bid you welcome to my boyhood's home-to the historic shores of old Niagara.

There are before me many faces of very dear friends, and I hope this occasion of your visit here will be replete with many joyous moments, to which you may refer ever after in life with great pleasure, and I only regret, dear friends, that this is not my castle and you my honored guests, for faithful and true knights are here that are steadily battling in the fields of this great century of advancement and steadily pushing the world up into light.

There is no doubt but there is variety enough here to please all. You who are tempted to turn aside from your daily paths to find pleasure in geology will perceive that the finger of time and hand of ages have been busily at work to aid your Local Secretary by arranging before you shelves of specimens miles in length. Entomologists, if not successful in capturing anything new or strange, may be able to take home with them a peculiar buzzing in their ears, said to be purely local, by sour, old gouty people; but you, my friends, with your ability to analyze and to extract the active principles from plants, may even obtain from this source some alkaloid of enjoyment. For the chemist who can compound an elixir out of dry historical facts, there are battle-fields around him, and thrilling tales in every rock.

Here nature has been very lavish with that which we can all enjoy. Her botanical garden is large and varied. It has been said by an eminent botanist that Goat Island alone contains as many different varieties as most States, and as you wander in these groves some familiar plant may nod its head to you, or beneath these cliffs far up you may yet see a white, golden, scarlet, or orange banner waving you a welcome, whose nationality or genus you will recognize.

You, my friends, have all more or less trained your eyes to see the beauties of the plants and weeds by the roadside, and have found great pleasure in studying God's works in humble things, and now, with that trained, artistic eye to enjoy, there is spread out a feast for you greater than any banquet you have yet sat at, and when you have gone away you may take with you some of the love like that in my own heart, for this the grandest river that rolls its waters to the sea, whose life is like many here before me-restless, tireless, always pushing on.

On behalf of the Association the President expressed due appreciation of the words of welcome offered by the Local Secretary, and then proceeded to deliver the President's annual address, as follows:

MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION.

GENTLEMEN: It is with great pleasure that I greet this unusually large attendance of members of the American Pharmaceutical Association to hold its thirtieth annual meeting.

The surroundings are comparatively novel in our history, for heretofore, with the single exception of Saratoga Springs in 1880, we have always convened in the large cities. This gathering is particularly pleasant, in that we meet away from business cares and business anxieties, in one of the most charming of localities, where nature has furnished the most wonderful accessories of its kind to be found anywhere on our continent.

Our gathering celebrates the fact that three decades have passed since this Association was organized in the city of Philadelphia.

Let me revert for a few moments to the history of this Association in its earlier days, that we may contrast it with its present condition, and allude to its effect upon pharmacy and the pharmaceutical condition of our land. On the 15th of October, 1851, there assembled at the rooms of the College of Pharmacy of the city of New York, in response to the request of the board of trustees of that college, nine druggists: three each from the cities of Boston, Philadelphia, and New York, and representing the colleges of pharmacy of those cities. Their object was to discuss matters relative to the importation of drugs and chemicals from abroad. Their discussion lasted through two ses sions, and the members were so gratified with the results attained that they resolved to hold a future meeting and invite all pharmaceutical bodies to join with them; and in accordance with this, a call was issued to meet in Philadelphia, October 6th, 1852. The meeting was held in the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, then in Zane Street. Of the nine who met in New York in 1851, five still survive; three of them are yet identified with the drug business, and two of the three are still members of this Association.

The meeting of 1852 was attended by eighteen delegates; and by invitation, Professors Wood, Bache, and Carson, and the professors of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, were invited to participate, as also a druggist from Maryland and one from Pennsylvania.

Of the twenty-five who met thirty years ago, all but seven or eight have passed from this sphere of existence; and but one of that assemblage of thirty years ago is with us to-day, our honored and beloved member, Charles A. Heinitsh, of Lancaster, Pa.

During the first three years of this Association its discussions and business arose mostly from the reports of committees, and it was not until 1855 that any essays were read by individuals. In that year Mr. A. P. Sharp, of Baltimore, read a paper on "Commercial Acids," and E. S. Wayne, of Cincinnati, one on “Grape Culture and its Products in Ohio."

In 1856 twelve excellent papers were presented, one each by R. Battey, of Rome, Ga.; E. Parrish, J. M. Maisch, and S. S. Garrigues, of Philadelphia; Professor Aitken, of Baltimore; and seven by E. S. Wayne, of Cincinnati.

At this meeting was first established the present plan of presenting queries at one annual meeting to be reported upon at the next annual meeting, and amongst other important subjects was a report on "Text Books," by Professor Procter, and committees were appointed to report on "Progress of Pharmacy." on "Sale of Poisons," on Syllabus of Study," on "The Participation of a Committee of that Body on the Work of Pharmacopoeial Revision," and on "Unofficial Formula.”

At this meeting a modification of the constitution was adopted, which greatly increased the scope and usefulness of our Association. It was at this meeting that we first find the names of two new members, then young and promising, and successive years have only added the record of faithfulness and earnestness to my friends, John M. Maisch and Charles A. Tufts.

In 1857 valuable reports were read on “Weights and Measures,” on “Local Formulæ,” "Sale of Poisons," on Progress of Pharmacy," and several excellent papers were contributed.

In 1858 the report of Professor Procter on "A Syllabus of Study on Pharmacy" was one of the most admirable ever made to the Association. The paper of Israel J. Grahame on "Percolation," at the same meeting, seemed a novel idea as compared to the olden-time process used in exhausting drugs, but it was an important step in the right direction, and has made the modern process of percolation one of the distinguished features of American pharmacy. At this same meeting we first notice the name and presence of Dr. E. R. Squibb as a member, and right royally has he served this Association as an able and honored laborer in pharmaceutical knowledge.

In 1859 our published Proceedings show that our members contributed largely towards improving pharmaceutical processes, and later we find that on the Committee of Revision of the U. S. Pharmacopoeia, out of nine on that committee our Association was represented by six of the number.

The reports of Professor Procter on "Fluid Extracts" in 1859, and again in 1863, and the more recent papers of Dr. E. R. Squibb on "Repercolation," have made it possible for the pharmacist to produce at a moderate expense the peculiarly American products that even yet are scarcely appreciated abroad sufficiently to overcome the prejudices that exist to any modification of their more ancient methods.

The report of the Committee on Pharmacy Laws, made at the meeting of 1869, in Chicago, has been the basis of each and every pharmacy law since enacted, and there are to-day none in force which are in any way superior to the draft of law recommended by this Association.

The reports on "Progress of Pharmacy," made first by Professor Procter, and now an annual feature of our Proceedings, were subsequently made by E. Parrish, elaborated in 1860-1862 by Professor Maisch, and since that time by Mayer, Scattergood, Moore, Enno Sander, Hoffmann, Mahla, Wenzell, Mercein, and for 1867 and 1868, again in 1873, and ever since, by our worthy colaborer, Professor C. L. Diehl, have no superior of their kind.

But I can only now allude to the scholarly and yet practical papers of Professor Maisch, E. R. Squibb, M.D., C. Bullock, F. F. Mayer, C. T. Carney, C. L. Diehl, W.

Saunders, J. U. Lloyd, L. Dohme, and Charles Rice, and the no less valuable contributions of E. Parrish, G. F. H. Markoe, J. P. Remington, A. B. Taylor, W. J. M. Gordon, W. H. Pile, J. T. Shinn, F. Bringhurst, J. L. Lemberger, and many other equally valuable members, to show that our Association has been a powerful aid to pharmaceutical knowledge.

The growth of our Association may claim our attention for a moment.

At the close of its first decade, 1862, it had 6 honorary members and 538 active members. In 1871 it had 23 honorary members and 920 active members. In 1881 it had 20 honorary members and 1423 active members, while its mortuary list records the passing away of 14 honorary and 230 active members.

Its largest accessions were in the years 1879-1881, the reports of the Executive Committee showing the election in those years of 86, 172, and 142 members.

At the meeting of 1880, at Saratoga Springs, the Association adopted the amendments to the constitution providing for a Council, to whose consideration and action was confided much of the purely business matters which previously had come before the whole body for discussion and action.

At the meeting last year, at Kansas City, the good work of the Council was apparent to all that were present. It enabled much more time to be given to the reading and discussion of papers, and, it cannot fail to commend itself as one of the very best innovations made on our part in the methods of conducting business. It has entailed considerable labor on the Secretary of the Council, and, knowing from my own experience the time and duties required at his hands, I ́respectfully submit that it is worthy of compensation. I therefore recommend that an appropriation be made for his services in the past year, and that an annual compensation be paid in the future. This latter action would necessitate an amendment to the by-laws of the Council, which would best be made by the addition to chapter iii., article 3, of the words, "He shall receive from the Treasurer dollars annually, as compensation for his services."

Regarding the duties of the specially representative officers of the Association, it needs hardly to mention that our Permanent Secretary and the Treasurer are veterans in the service, and that they are in the habit of doing well the various duties of these offices. Their own reports will more fully acquaint you with the details, and the committee to whom they are to be referred will, in due time, report their observations.

The Report on Progress of Pharmacy, I am informed, is complete and ready for publication.

The Local Secretary has of late been fully occupied with the details of his duties. He is not an officer who makes written reports to the Association, but I doubt not that his deeds will bear the scrutiny of all, and be awarded the measure of favorable comment it merits.

At the last annual meeting a special committee was authorized and appointed whose duties were to arrange for the entertainment of the members at this present meeting. They have prepared an elaborate programme, and I have no doubt that in its prosecution we shall all esteem it a great success.

In future the principle now established of "Pay as you go" should be adhered to, and I recommend that a Committee on Entertainment should be placed among the standing committees.

The committee should consist of not less than three members, and its chairman should be located in New York. The reason for the latter is, that the duties assigned to this committee should include transportation as well as entertainment, and the matter of railroad transportation can be better arranged in New York than elsewhere.

This committee should, in my judgment, be named by the President, after the Association has decided where the next annual meeting shall be held.

The thanks of the Association are due to the present committee for the efficient services they have rendered.

I desire to call the attention of the Association to the fact that our roll of honorary membership numbers less than in previous years. You need not to be reminded that there are those who would honor our Association by such personal affiliation with us, and I recommend that a selection of such names be made for your consideration and action.

At the meeting of 1880 President George W. Sloan called the attention of the Association to the fact that the customary time at which our annual meetings are held is not one which suits a very large number of our membership. I have been for years convinced that it would bring out a very much larger attendance of our members from the South and West if it were held in August. The present time (September) is one that is far from convenient for many pharmacists, as the increase of business in cities after September 1st entirely precludes many of our members from attending. While it is not desirable to fix a definite time of meeting continuously, I earnestly desire the consideration of a period which shall enable all members to return to their homes by the close of the month of August.

I call your attention to what has always seemed to me to be a very desirable change in our mode of conduct of business in this Association.

It is that the election of officers should occur at a later period in our proceedings than now assigned it in the order of business, or that the officers elected should not assume the duties of their positions until the closing session of the annual meeting.

I am perfectly aware that this subject has on two occasions been brought before this Association, and each time defeated. Last year it was introduced by Professor Markoe, in a resolution offered at the first session (see page 490, Proceedings, 1881). Without an opportunity for debate, a motion for indefinite postponement was offered, and, being carried, the proposition was for the time lost.

I request that the Association give this matter consideration, believing that our ends will be better served by the presiding of officers who come into the chairs with a better knowledge of the work and requirements than it is now possible to do. The objection against it is mainly that it might happen that the President might not be able to be present at the meeting.

This has only occurred four times in the history of our Association: in 1857, when, owing to the absence of the President in Europe, the Vice-President occupied his position; again in 1859 and 1871, and last year at Kansas City. Four times* in thirty years, and in each case the position was filled without inconvenience. On the other hand, if the President is to occupy the position for the whole of the coming meeting rather than for one sitting only, there is little doubt that the effort would be made to attend. The great objection, however, is the interruption of business at the beginning of our most important business, and the inauguration of a new presiding officer, who is ignorant in a measure of what is to come before the meeting. I think I speak the minds of a large number of those who have preceded me in this honored position when I urge this consideration upon the Association.

* The published Proceedings of the following ten years show that at the meetings held in 1855, 1867, 1868, 1869, and 1881, the President was absent; in 1853 and 1857 the President and First Vice-President were absent; in 1854 and 1859, the President, First Vice-President, and Second Vice-President; and in 1871, the President and the three Vice Presidents were absent; on the latter occasion a President pro tempore had to be chosen.-SEC.