St Louis College of Pharmacy - Prescripto Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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IDIQESCIQIIDTO The Pharmacy Student ofthe Eighties min The life of the Pharmacy student in the early eighties, was like most every- thing else, considerably different from that of today. Then almost all students who could obtain employment, worked in the drug store during the day, and attended the lectures which were given at the school of Pharmacy, in the evenings. The school laboratory work was not compulsory then, but it must necessarily be so today, since little of that work is done in the average drug store of today, whereas the student and apprentice of those earlier days received quite a little experience in the drug store laboratory, and it must be said of the employers that they gave a young man such insruction as they could, and every opportunity to learn. The salary of the young drug clerk was the large sum of ten to fifteen dollars per month for beginners, and after two years' experience, twenty to twenty-f1ve dollars. Board could be had for three dollars a week, which, of course, left nothing for anything else, much less any money to be spent for amusement or entertain- ment of any sort. It was unfortunate if one had to pay for a place to sleep, but this was usually furnished by the employer in the way of a cot behind the prescrip- tion counter, or some other out-of-the-way place. I-Iowever, there were places where one was not even provided with a cot, for I knew two clerks whose beds were long drawers under the counters, and which were drawn out at night. COne of these clerks was later prominently associated with our school of Pharmacyj XV e who succeeded them in their positions, refused to use these bunks, and were given cots to sleep upon. Frequently the proprietor furnished the board also, with less pay, to keep down his overhead. If, in such cases, the employer's family happened to be a large and growing one, with ravenous appetites, it surely was a misfortune for the clerk even if his appetite was only a moderate one, for his meals were likely to be mightly lean. I had such an experience once, but for a short time only. As I said before, the salary of the young druggist of the eighties leaving him nothing with which to indulge in amusements or entertainments, nevertheless he frequently had some in connection with the business. For instance, I distinctly recall the incident of the editor of a comic paper- who was also the delivery boy-calling at the store with a load of papers under his arm and one of brew under his belt, stopping to rest on a keg of insect powder displayed just inside the front door, the keg was almost empty, and he a corpulent fellow, so that when he slumped down into the keg, he became tightly wedged in, his legs sticking up, his arms hanging over the sides, and until we extricated him, it was a sight which created much amusement for us, for some passersby who knew him, and also for himself, since it provided the idea for a story and cartoon in the next issue of his paper. ' Often drug clerks were asked to contribute a dime for a night's lodging to some weary individual, and if the clerk showed any signs of familiarity he would ,., ...1 1 3 Q L.., .A 1 r Page One Hundred Three

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Z---Li D IQ If 5 cf. ID I lf? to rc--i-1 ti1ne, two hundred and fifty thousand organic compounds are now known, whereas only twenty-five thousand inorganic compounds are known. Almost all of our synthetic organic compounds are obtained either from petro- leum or coal. The number of products obtained from coal far exceeds the number obtained from petroleum, although, next to steel, petroleum is the world's largest manufacturing industry. Coal tar was probably first used in the production of lamp black. The most volatile products were first drawn off and collected and then lamp black was de- posited on the walls of the vessel. The light volatile liquid was found to be useful for lamps and as a solvent for rubber, and creosote, a less volatile liquid, was found to resist decay of wood. The residue was used for roofing. In 1845 the first coal tar dye was produced by VVilliam Perkin as a result of the oxidation of aniline with chromic acid. Alizarin and indigo, two natural occur- ring dyestuffs, were synthesized twelve years later. Perfumes, explosions, and medicinals were also synthesized. In the perfume industry, all synthetic products have been made to imitate the odors of roses and flowers, but blending the products is as important as their synthesis. In the ex- plosive industry we find use for dyestuff intermediates, nitro compounds, which are set off by the shock of detonator caps, such as mercury fulminate. In the synthesis of medicines, we find that many of our drug principles, which were very expensive to extract from plants and animals, are now synthesized at a much lower cost. In the synthesis of medicinals, many new compounds have been found which are very useful in combating diseases. The structural formulae of local anesthetics have also been altered to yield products which have lower toxicities. And so chemistry goes on. New methods are constantly developed for lower- ing-tlie cost of manufacture of a product and at the same time to make a better product. Chemists have become specialists. They may specialize in the manu- facture of dyes, perfumes, explosives, anesthetics, petroleum, and many other things. Some chemists are experts in the detection of poisons in the body, and are called toxicologists. Others may be experts in the detection of food adulterants, or they may work only with structural formulae of compounds. The field of Chemistry enters into almost all kinds of manufacturing enterprises, and science will advance only with the advance of Chemistry. ,-X ,N ff tp Page One Hundred Two

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Page One Hundred Four ----al D I2 E S ei I2 I rr T cr 1:----A invariably be asked to throw in a night cap of Spts. Frumenti, which was kept in a shelf bottle in the front of the store. I once worked with a clerk, who, when this generosity was abused by repeated calls from the weary Willie, added a gen- erous dose of Fld. Ext. Ipecac, and sometimes to our surprise and chagrin the gentleman would return with a ravenous appetite, which to satisfy, would cost my friend a quarter. Wfith our present-day laws, I do not believe such pranks could or would be played. There was not much need for athletics, because plenty of calisthenics was given to the boys of the eighties, with the broom, the mop, etc. Naturally the various duties of the apprentice then, differed somewhat from those of today. Powders were divided into scoops and dropped into partially folded paper, and the apprentice had to keep a s-upply of these papersg bottle or pack remedies such as cough syrup, liniment, Seidlitz powders, etc., and so was kept fairly busy all day long. The transportation of the eighties, not being of the present rapid type, necessi- tated an early start and also an early get-away for bed. In those days the horse or mule drawn cars did not always stay on the track g few streets were paved, and the passengers often had to assist in getting the car back on the track. Passengers were picked up anywhere they happened to be, and stops were made anywhere on the street, so delays had to be anticipated, and so transportation took up an extra amount of the student's time. Except for those who worked together in the laboratories, or sat near one another in the class rooms, there was little chance for acquaintance or any social life among them. The great majority of students wasted no time and applied themselves diligently to their work. The teachers then took an interest in each individual student, and I understand this policy has been continued ever since, which, with the splendid course offered by our College of Pharmacy makes it possible for those who wish, to get a thorough training in Pharmacy, if they will sincerely apply themselves. The work in a drug store of today, since other lines have been added, I believe is much more pleasant, for the reason that conversation need not be entirely with sick people, or of sickness as it was then g and frequently in those days druggists were called upon by their patrons to diagnose their ailments, and it required a good deal of diplomatic effort to convince them that they should consult a physician, and at the same time retain their friendship and patronage. I-Iowever, there were many druggists who did much prescribing, and which was the greater part of their business. There is practically none of this done today, for with the march of progress has come the modern hospital, and the many able physicians of today, and few people object to go to them, but there were few who did not object in those days, and I am sure the druggist of today is only too glad to be relieved of the respon- sibility of prescribing which his position involved in those Ngood old days, and when we compare the life of the earlier pharmacy student and druggist with those of today, and the old-time drug store with those we have now, I think you will agree with me when I say, give me the druggist and store of today! Tx .S J as K L QQ 1 r