Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

REPORT.

To His Excellency JOHN L. BATES, Governor.

SIR-In compliance with the laws of the Commonwealth, which provide that the State Board of Pharmacy shall annually make a report to the Governor and Council concerning the condition of pharmacy in the State, also of its official acts and financial transactions during the preceding year, we have the honor to respectfully submit the following report.

Speaking from the commercial side of pharmacy, we are happy to state there has been a decided improvement in most parts of the Commonwealth over the conditions existing during the previous years. In many towns and cities, by persistent work and co-operation, the pharmacists have eliminated the cut-rate evil, and brought about a condition of fraternal organization, which has been of great benefit from both a financial and social point of view. This condition applies more particularly to the towns which are at a distance from the larger cities which are the centre of the cut-rate business. The pharmacists in and around greater Boston and its vicinity still have to contend with department stores and other disturbing influences which serve to degrade true pharmacy; but even here a change for the better has taken place, and by organization many improvements in the condition of the retail drug business have been made.

Pharmacy of to-day is a combination of science and business, and the pharmacist is both a business man and a professional one; but we think the professional side is not losing ground,

and that the pharmacists of Massachusetts, as a rule, take pride in their calling, and are willing to do all they can to help us maintain a high standard of pharmacy in our Commonwealth.

EXAMINATIONS.

During the past year our examinations have been conducted on the same general lines as in the preceding year, and consist of written, oral and practical work, with the identification of drugs, which we think serve to demonstrate the fitness of the candidate to become a registered pharmacist.

The per cent. of successful candidates has been somewhat larger than during the preceding year. The question is often asked, why so many fail to pass our examinations. The reasons are many, but one very important one, to which we wish to call particular attention at the present time, is the lack of a proper education. Too many young men enter the drug stores to learn the business without even a common school education, and are handicapped all their lives. They do not know how to study, and some of them cannot solve the simplest of mathematical problems. The rules of per cent. solution and decimal fractions, which are in constant use by the pharmacist of to-day, are beyond their comprehension. We would most strongly emphasize the great need of a thorough preliminary education for all young men before they enter the drug store for the purpose of learning the business; and we think it is the duty of every pharmacist to require that a young man should have a high school diploma before he accepts him as an apprentice. We would advise all young men entering the profession of pharmacy to avail themselves, if possible, of the advantages offered by the colleges of pharmacy in obtaining a pharmaceutical education.

ENFORCEMENT OF THE PHARMACY LAW.

When the Commonwealth conferred on the pharmacists of this State the privilege of selling spirituous liquors for medicinal purposes, its law makers recognized the fact that it is necessary there should be in every community a place where liquors can be obtained for medicinal use, and that the pharma

cist is the proper person to be entrusted with their sale in connection with other medicines; for it is a fact that, when properly used, they are a necessity and a medicine, and are a legitimate part of the pharmacist's stock.

The sixth-class license, for which the pharmacist pays the nominal sum of one dollar, is a personal trust, given to him to use for the good of the community and not for the purpose of money making, and should be so regarded by him. A small minority of the pharmacists of our State, instead of making a liquor license an adjunct to their business, have used it as a cloak for the indiscriminate sale of liquor; and it is the purpose of this Board to prevent, if possible, such men from doing business, and every law-abiding pharmacist should support us in our efforts to drive them from our ranks.

The Board, through its agent, has investigated every complaint that has come to our office. If, on investigation, the complaint is sustained by facts, it is our policy to ask the pharmacist to obey the laws; and in many cases this request is sufficient, and no further action on our part is necessary. It is not the intention of the Board to interfere with the local authorities in the enforcement of the laws; but in some cases, where they will not act after the evidence has been laid before them, we have been obliged to take cases into court and have our agent act as the prosecuting officer, but this is only done as a last resort.

One of the requirements of a sixth-class license is that the holder shall properly record all sales of liquors made under it. During the years 1901 and 1902 many druggists failed to keep their liquor books properly. In consequence of these violations of the law, the Board was compelled in many cases to refuse to grant them a certificate, and the druggists were deprived of their licenses for a time. We are happy to say that a much better condition prevails this year, and, as a rule, the record books have been kept in a proper manner.

Frequent complaints come to our office in regard to the illegal sale of poisons, and we have been criticised for not enforcing the poison law, when the facts are that the Board of Pharmacy has nothing whatever to do with this law. In most of the States the sale of poisons are under the supervision of

the boards of pharmacy, but this is not the case in Massachusetts.

During the past year in a few instances unregistered men have tried to operate drug stores in violation of the pharmacy law, but as soon as our attention was called to them the stores were closed, or provision made to conduct them according to law.

Our agent has visited all parts of the State in the discharge of his duties, and his official report to the Board is made a part of this document. The secretary's report, which is appended hereto, will give a detailed account of our work and a financial statement covering the past year.

Respectfully submitted,

GEO. M. HOYT, President.
C. F. NIXON, Secretary.

F. H. BUTLER.

HENRY ADAMS.

WILLIAM F. SAWYER.

BOSTON, MASS., Oct. 1, 1903.

The term of office of Mr. F. H. Butler, the senior member of our Board, expired October 1 of this year, and under the provisions of the present pharmacy law he could not be reappointed. He has served continuously since its institution in 1885, a period of eighteen years, and during that time he has been conscientious, loyal and faithful in the discharge of his duties. A man of strong convictions and sterling integrity, he has always been ready to stand firmly for what he believed to be right. He leaves the Board with the honor and respect of all with whom he has been associated, and in his retirement the State loses the services of a faithful officer.

GEO. M. HOYT.

C. F. NIXON.

HENRY ADAMS.

WILLIAM F. SAWYER.