1905, and no positive standard has yet been accepted for what constitutes a college or school of pharmacy, but the syllabus committee hopes to complete its labors by next May. On this syllabus committee Professor Rusby of Columbia College, New York, is chairman of the sub-committee on materia medica; Professor Beal of Scio, O., of the sub-committee on pharmacy; and E. O. Engstrom of Massachusetts of the sub-committee on chemistry. It has required a great deal of time and labor to complete this work, and when it is completed it will not alone aid New York State or other States which have prerequisite graduation requirements in their laws governing applicants for examination as pharmacists, but will aid every State board of pharmacy in compiling their questions for examination. So far it is a book of 118 pages, and the complete issue will be about 150 pages.

The experience meeting, which was held Tuesday afternoon, was very interesting, as a delegate from each State gave an outline of his work; and I feel sure we all can profit by each other's experience, and become familiar with the different methods and work performed by other boards.

The general opinion was expressed that there is a scarcity of clerks; and the solution seemed to be to encourage a larger number of young men to qualify as assistant pharmacists. It was also stated that we have in the United States several times as many retail drug stores in proportion to the population as any other country in the world.

President Lillie recommended that high school and college graduation, with five years' experience in a drug store, should be demanded for full registration. This recommendation was somewhat modified by the committee on the president's address, and the National Association simply accepted this portion of the address as a recommendation for consideration by the boards, but too early for adoption.

The majority of the members expressed their belief that the qualifications demanded of a proprietor or manager of a store should be continually increased, and should be as much greater than those required of his assistant as the employer's responsibility is greater than that of his employee.

It was stated very plainly that it was entirely optional with the Board to whom application was made for a reciprocal certificate of registration to refuse or issue such certificate, even if such a Board was an active member of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, and the applicant was registered before an active member of the association.

I was appointed chairman of the committee of nomination, member of the committee on president's address, and retained as chairman of the executive committee and syllabus committee for this year. Mr. P. J. McCormick of the Massachusetts Board was appointed a member of the legislative committee.

I should certainly recommend that we continue our membership in this association, and that one or two of the members of our board who have a longer term to serve than myself should represent the Massachusetts State Board of Pharmacy next May at Richmond, Va., when the 1910 meeting will be held.

Respectfully submitted,

ERNST O. ENGSTROM.

OUTLINE OF EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS.

Applicants for registered pharmacist certificates should have at least four years of practical experience in a retail drug store, under the supervision of a registered pharmacist.

One-half of actual time of attendance at any reputable college of pharmacy or employment in a dispensary or pharmaceutical manufacturing laboratory will be accredited on the above required experience.

The applicant must be at least twenty-one years of age, and have a general knowledge equal to the knowledge required for the first year in a high school. This is necessary in order to answer questions intelligently.

Applicants for assistant pharmacist certificates should have at least three years of practical experience in a retail drug store, and be at least nineteen years of age.

The Board has granted assistant certificates to applicants for registration in pharmacy who have failed to attain the required 75 per cent. general average, but who have acquired a general average of 50 per cent. and not less than 60 per cent. in dispensing.

The Board, being instituted to safeguard the people of this Commonwealth against incompetent and unsafe pharmacists, has tried to conduct the examinations in such a manner that they may test the candidate's knowledge rather than his memory. Unsafe persons are not only the ignorant, but also those who have acquired a superficial knowledge by quiz compends or attendance at incompetent schools, without receiving instruction in practical application.

The examination consists in answering written questions

pertaining to pharmacy, pharmaceutical chemistry and materia medica.

Pharmacy covers the subjects of pharmaceutical arithmetic; pharmaceutical Latin; manufacturing pharmacy; dispensing pharmacy; theory and practice of pharmacy; pharmaceutical jurisprudence.

TYPICAL QUESTIONS, SUBJECT OF PHARMACY.

1. Glycerite of the phosphates of iron, quinine and strychnine contains 0.8 gm. of strychnine in 1,000 c.c. How much strychnine is there in a teaspoonful of this preparation?

2. Having bought 5 gallons of witch hazel, which upon examination shows to contain 13 per cent. alcohol by volume, how much alcohol 95 per cent. would you add to bring it up to U. S. P. standard of 15 per cent?

3. Write out in full the Latin and give the meaning in English of the following abbreviations used in prescriptions: (a) Ejusd; (b) Ft. cataplasm; (c) Non rep.; (d) Pulv. subt.; (e) Agit.

4. What three causes may make liquor plumbi subacetatis below strength?

5. In making aromatic spirit of ammonia, why is it necessary to use translucent crystals of carbonate of ammonia?

6. What should be the rate of flow of the percolate indicated in drops per minute when the U. S. P. directs "allow the percolation to proceed slowly"?

7. Why is it necessary to dispense nitrate of silver and permanganate of potassium in distilled water?

8. Define or describe what you understand by the following pharmaceutical terms: (a) Granulation; (b) Torrefaction; (c) Calcination; (d) Maceration; (e) Dialysis.

9. What chemicals increase the solubility of phosphate of soda in water?

10. What is the law regarding the labelling of non-official preparations sold in drug stores not on a physician's prescription?

Pharmaceutical chemistry covers the subjects of: elementary physics; general and elementary chemistry; inorganic and organic pharmaceutical chemistry; quantitative and qualitative analysis; pharmaceutical assaying.

1. Give an outline description of the different appliances used in pharmacy to produce and modify heat.

2. Explain the theory of freezing mixtures, and give an example.

3. Name the metals of the alkaline earths, and give some of their common characteristics.

4. What is the chemical difference as to the valence of iron in the ferrous and ferric salts?

5. Explain the reaction, and show either by equation or detailed description how the solution of zinc chloride is prepared from granulated zinc.

6. What is acetone chemically, and what are its uses in pharmacy? 7. What are volumetric solutions described in the U. S. P., and how are they made?

8. How would you distinguish gallic acid from tannic acid by a chemical test?

9. Name six drugs which the U. S. P. directs to be assayed to determine their alkaloidal strength.

10. What is Mayer's reagent? Is it necessary to remove all alcohol, ether and chloroform before applying this test? If so, explain the reason for it.

Materia medica covers the subjects of: physiology; botany; pharmacognosy; pharmaco and therapy dynamics; toxicology and posology.

TYPICAL QUESTIONS,

SUBJECT OF MATERIA MEDICA.

1. What is physiology, and why should a pharmacist have some knowledge of the same?

2. Describe the structure of a flower.

3. Name three different kinds of roots, and give example and description of each.

4. Describe eucalyptus. Give botanical name, habitat, parts used and active constituents.

5. Name four adulterants commonly found in gum asafœtida. 6. What other drugs have practically the same physiological effect as stramonium, and what are the symptoms in case of poisoning by them?

7. What are enzymes? From what is pepsin obtained?

8. Name four active cathartic drugs, and state to what they owe their cathartic properties.

9. What alkaloids are found in nux vomica?

10. State how you would treat a case of poisoning by morphine (antidote; how much to administer, etc.).

The candidate must thoroughly have studied the United States Pharmacopoeia, National Formulary and such textbooks as will enable him to understand the meaning of words and terms contained therein; also the theory, definitions, fundamental principles and chemical and physical laws