absolute control, confining the sale of Paris green particularly to the drug store only, seemed to be a position not intended by the Legislature. We therefore call special attention to this matter, and respectfully request that, if this Board must take on this special police work, the poison law be most carefully revised and specific instructions given.

Much time, both inside and outside of the office, has been given to this matter, and, while we have not had any case before the courts, we are confident good results have been secured in most of the drug stores. Should the Legislature continue this work in our custody with more definite and specific instructions, there is a large field for supervision.

Financial Statement from Oct. 1, 1896, to Oct. 1, 1897.

In conclusion, we submit our agent's annual summary, exhibiting somewhat in detail his work under our supervision. There is apparently much less friction to-day than in 1896, as the purpose of the law and the work of the Board is better understood and appreciated.

As indicated on a previous page, the work accomplished by the Massachusetts Board of Pharmacy has attracted the attention of the leading pharmacists of the country, from Maine to California, and is heartily approved, as evidenced by the recent action of the American Pharmaceutical Association.

Respectfully submitted,

H. M. WHITNEY, President.
JOHN LARRABEE, Secretary.
F. H. BUTLER.

JOHN A. RICE.

AMOS K. TILDEN.

AGENT'S REPORT.

To the Board of Registration in Pharmacy.

BOSTON, Oct. 1, 1897.

GENTLEMEN:-During the past year the mortuary list of druggists throughout the Commonwealth has become unusually large, thirty-six having joined the silent dead. As your agent made his annual tour of inspection, their familiar faces were sadly missed at their accustomed places of business. The cities and towns in which they lived and the number deceased in each are as follows:

Amherst,
Boston, .
Chicopee,

In the discharge of my duties under your orders, requiring visitations to every portion of the State, and in many instances several times to various localities, during the year just closed, my observations warrant me in saying that a very large majority of pharmacists are in favor of the enforcement of the pharmacy laws, feeling assured that the pharmacy business is gradually becoming an honorable profession. On the other hand, there still remains a small percentage who have no interest in drugs, medicines, chemicals and poisons, only so far as the exhibit of the same serves as cloak to cover up the real business of the proprietor, which is to sell spirituous liquors under the guise

of respectability. In a few instances the profits therefrom are obtained during the Lord's Day; but the results accomplished during the past three years by the local authorities, in conjunction with the Board of Pharmacy, is beginning to be a serious question for these druggists-in-appearance to consider. The courts are becoming acquainted with this latter class of individuals, as the court records indicate, and the introduction of quite a number of them to the presiding justices has proved a very expensive honor to the transgressors, several county, city and town treasurers having received thereby nearly six thousand dollars. In a few instances the defendants have been required to tarry a while as guests of the county in which they resided. It is to be hoped that their experiences will have a salutary effect.

There still remain a very few who are the willing tools of liquor dealers, having no financial interest in the business except to draw their weekly salaries. It is to be deplored that men qualified to engage in the honorable pursuit of the business of pharmacy should engage their services to persons whose connection there with tends to degradation. "A word to the wise is sufficient."

The record of sales of spirituous and intoxicating liquors by retail druggists, as required by the statutes, has been more generally observed during the past year than heretofore. But there are still some who have had to have their attention called to their careless manner of making sales of liquor. In every case they have promised to properly keep their records in the future.

By an act of the Legislature of last year, the enforcement of the poison law was placed in the hands of the Board of Pharmacy. Upon investigation and inspection it appears that invariably the druggists keep a record of poison sales, as required by section 20, chapter 397, Acts of 1896.

As required by acts of the Legislature, the various complaints of a criminal nature reported to the Board and subsequently investigated by your agent, and other criminal violations observed by him, have been reported to the proper prosecuting officers in the various localities, who have attended to their duties, only requiring his attendance in court as a witness, thereby saving for the Board of Pharmacy

much time of the agent which would otherwise be consumed if he were required to prosecute the violators of the pharmacy law. For their prompt assistance and courteous treatment they are entitled to great credit; and wherever the local authorities have interested themselves with the Board of Pharmacy, the evils which formerly entered into the apothecaries' business disappear, and good citizens greet the same with hearty approval.

Upon two occasions, during my tour of inspection, the certificates of registration of men deceased were found displayed, that being the only indication that a registered clerk was in charge of the store. In each instance the place of business was immediately closed, thereby ending the short career of the would-be pharmacist.

Upon other occasions the certificates of men engaged in business not pertaining to pharmacy were found displayed, no person connected with these stores being registered. In each event a registered clerk was secured at once.

In the discharge of my duties, several curiosities have come to my notice, a description of which perhaps will not be out of order.

In one drug store the prescription list was inspected by the writer, and revealed the fact that the last prescription entered was more than three years old. This man has ceased to conduct his humbug any longer.

Another, being asked to show his prescriptions, replied, "When a prescription comes in, I put it up and throw the prescription into the waste basket." He has gone into the clothing business.

Another, when asked about his prescription business, said, "I don't put up any myself; I would not dare to." This man, from time to time, has importuned the Board, as you well know, for a certificate of recommendation pursuant to obtaining a sixth-class license, when the town votes no license. When the town votes license, he invariably receives a first and a fourth class license.

Upon another occasion, in a neighboring city, my attention was called to a store, a pharmacy in appearance, which had existed only a short time. Upon entering the store was found conspicuously displayed the certificate of registration

in pharmacy of Mr. D. A young man was found in charge, who was asked the following questions:

Q. What is your name? A. D.

Q. Are you a registered pharmacist? A. My brother is. Q. Where is your brother? A. He has just stepped out; he will return in a few minutes.

Q. Don't you know that your brother is in the House of Correction at East Cambridge for violating the liquor law?

The young man immediately left the premises. His employer was convicted of keeping a common liquor nuisance, which caused him to conclude that as a druggist he was a failure. The store was closed.

There are others who are found under rather embarrassing conditions, but perhaps the instances cited will suffice.

As you well know, the monthly reports submitted to you by me during the past year contain substantially an account of the work performed in your service, so that only a recapitulation of results seems to be necessary, and is as follows:

Number of inspections made to drug stores,

Number of criminal complaints made to the local authorities,

Number of druggists prosecuted and convicted,

Amount of fines imposed,

Number committed to prison,

Number of months served,

348

1,640

65

58

$5,707

3

8

97

34

46

21

Number of complaints made to the Board and investigated,
Number of formal complaints made to the Board,

Number of drug stores closed,

Number of stores found doing business without any registered person connected therewith,

There are distributed throughout the Commonwealth at the present time 1,580 drug stores, besides the various department stores, which, according to our last census, constitutes one drug store to every fifteen hundred inhabitants; and, as no druggist would care to start in the business without a population of two thousand to warrant the undertaking, the business outlook for an increase in numbers does not appear to be encouraging.

It is my desire, in concluding this my annual report to