The American Medical Association and the United States pharmacopoeia / a reprint of the pamphlets of H.C. Wood, Alfred B. Taylor, the Philadelphia County Medical Society, and the National College of Pharmacy ; with a rejoinder addressed to the professions of medicine and pharmacy of the United States, by Edward R. Squibb.

  • E. R. Squibb
Date:
1877
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The American Medical Association and the United States pharmacopoeia / a reprint of the pamphlets of H.C. Wood, Alfred B. Taylor, the Philadelphia County Medical Society, and the National College of Pharmacy ; with a rejoinder addressed to the professions of medicine and pharmacy of the United States, by Edward R. Squibb. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Prof. Mnisch had seen no reason to change his views already expressed before the College of Pharmacy. The plan proposed by Dr. Squibb would not jrive a National Association in any true sense of the won.1. The five men must live in contiguous cities, and could not be e.Tpected to be conversant with the wants of the entire country. The only true plan is the one heretofore pursued, but it is desirable to devise some means by which the various constituent bodies should be made to be alive to their work, and prepare their reports for the finaj Convention. The information it is to act upon must Ik? ohtaineil directly from different sections of the country, which plan he considered as far suix-rior to that proposed ])y Dr. Squibb. Mr. Wicgand called attention to the fact that Dr. Squibb repeatedly avers in his article that two Pharmacopoeias in the field would be infinitely worse than the one we now possess ; whereas, the action he recommends would inevitably lead to this conclusion. He is therefore defeated by his own argimient. Dr. Geo. Hamilton thought that the change urged by Dr. Squibb was without good reason, as it was merely an experiment that, if tried, would be found to be a costly one. Any alteration or correction in the work itself, that was suggested, would undoubtedly meet due consideration, and could be per- formed just as well by the eminent men now in charge as by any others that could be selected. Dr. Wm. T. Taylor, Vice-President of the Society, coincided with Dr. Ham- ilton's views, and doubted whether any good could be g.iiued by the projwse'd chimge, even were it practicable. The President then read the accompanying letter from Dr. W. S. W. Ruschen- berger. Medical Director of the United States Navy, and a memlier of the last Committee of Revision of the Pharmacopieia, who was unavoidably absent. 1932 CnESTKTT Street,) Philadkli-hia, May 8, 1877. ) Dh. Hexry it. Smith, PreKid4:nt of the Philnddphia County Mcdkal Socidy : My Dbak Doctor—After deliberate consideration of the plan of preparing a United Slates Ph.irmHroiKeia proposed by Dr. S([uilib, to l)e substituted for that of the National Convenlion tlimugh the agency of whieh the work has been heretofore imltlished, my conviction is that it will prove in ]iractice, if adopted, verv generally if not universiilly uns uisfaetory to t lie profession 'ihe National C'oiiveiition for revising the Pharmaco]KiMa includes in its organization representatives from all colleges of pharmacy, all medical schools and all incorporated medical societies wliit'h may choose to participate in the Work. Each is invited to submit to the convention a revision of the I'h.-irma- copceia, in such form and manner as it may determine. If each college and society prt'seiits a rejxirt, the viewsof the entire profession, both physicians and pliannacisis, will be in possession of the convention. Uiifortuiiati^ly, however, only a small nuinher of Ihe many colleges and societies take sutbcicnt intrrest in the subject to have pro|>( r n poiis prepared and submitted to the convention. At the last decennial meeting of the convention only Mjr reports were submitted, and from these the i)resent Pharmacopoeia was prepared by the Committee of Hevision. Had every college and society performed its duly in the prclni^e3, it is conjectured tln't the work might have been more complete. It is self-evident, 1 think, that llie failiiie of the numerous colleges and societies to perform their duties ill this connect ion is not ascribable in any degree whatever to the ]ilau of organization of the National Convenlion, nor to its methods of executing the trust contided to it. In m}' very humble opinion, no plan of organization can be devised which will entirely prevent such failure.