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

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1----aa DIQESCIQIDTC 1e--?-- E. L. Massot as recording secretary, in which capacity he believed he could do the most efficient work for the benefit of the Association. The prominent members of the medical profession approved highly this forward step of the druggists and the accredited organ of the profession, The St. Louis Medical and Surgical four- nal, welcomed it by thus reporting the formation of the Association: VVe trust the Association will eventually prove the nucleus for a College of Pharmacy, which we shall gladly see established in our midst. This object was kept in constant view by Massot, who was elected president for the second year, but the affirmative report of a committee, appointed in 1860 to consider the expediency of establish- ing a College of Pharmacy was never acted upon on account of the tumultuous political times which preceded and accompanied the breaking out of the Civil VVar and absorbed all other interests. However, when public matters had again become settled, the attempts of former years were renewed by the pharmacists- and, at a meeting of physicians in 1864, where Massot was the only pharmacist present, it was resolved to allow no further delay in the organization of the College, which resolution was ratihed on November 3rd, 1864, at the office of Dr. M. M. Pallen, by a large assemblage of physicians and pharmacists. The adoption of the constitution and by-laws for the government of the College were agreed upon November 11th, following, by another largely attended meeting at the hall of the St. Louis Medical College. The officers and the board of trustees were elected on November 18th, 1864-3 the former con- sisted entirely of pharmacists, two of whom were doctors owning and conducting drug stores while the members of the latter were selected from physicians, civilians and apothecaries, and formed an excellent composition of the prominent repre- sentatives of these classes. In January, 1865, the board of trustees selected Mr. NVadgymar as Professor of Chemistry, Dr. J. S. Alleyne, Professor of Materia Medica and Dr. S. O'Gallager, Professor of Pharmacy: and the customary lectures on the various branches of science were delivered before a class of students at the St. Louis Med- ical College which had been kindly tendered by Dr. Charles A. Pope, the president of the board and owner of the building. The institution, however, had a hard ight for existence. The enthusiasm for scientific education, thoroughly appreciated by the founders and junior members of the profession who entered their names but sparsely into the matriculating list. Several changes in the faculty occurred during 1866, Mr. Hubert Primm replaced Dr. 0'Gallager as .Professor of Phar- macy, and Mr. F. M. Mcardle succeeded Mr. Wadgyiiiai' in the chair of Chemistry. The College was incorporated March 19th, 1867, by a charter from the St. Louis County Court. In December, 1867, Dr. 0. F. Potter succeeded Dr. Alleyne, resigned, in the chair of Materia Medica. The board had provided special rooms for the College appropriately fitted up on Fourth Street opposite the Court House in the Tilford if I9 3: 2 A Page Seventyffliree

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DIQESCIQIDTC e---l-- doctor and the closets of provident Creole mothers who stored the carefully gathered herbs and roots from which they prepared the cherished and healthful remedies which but seldom caused any injury. There were no publicly recognized collections of medicines as we have now in our drug stores, for almost fifty years after St. Louis was founded. During the year 1812 the first drug store was opened by Dr. Robert Simpson, a gentleman of high attainments, who served his town honorably in different positions of trust and acquired a good old age in robust health. He died in 1873. Another drug store was started by Drs. Farrar and Walker, who became associated with Joseph Charless, Sr., a name which has graced the annals of the drug business for a long time. ln 1815 Dr. Simpson formed a partnership with Dr. Pryor Quarles, which lasted until 1818, which they sold out to Dr. Arthur Nelson, who became associated shortly afterwards with a young German pharmacist, Dr. Herman L. Hoffmann. He became well known for his superior knowledge and kept his memory fresh in the minds of his surviving contemporaries as the best apothecary of those days. He died as proprietor of a line, well patronized drug store, in 1878. The interest in Pharmacy and in wholesale and retail drug stores went apace with the growth of the city, but it remained the interest of individuals and not of a united profession as it is now. Anyone who expected to profit by the enterprise could open a drug store, sell medicines, and even dispense prescriptions, if there were customers who would confide, but they were gradually replaced by educated young pharmacists from the Eastern states or from Europeg especially Germany, where political disturbances during 1848 and 18-19, followed by the defeat of the Revolutionary Party, had compelled a large number of educated persons to immi- grate to this country, many of whom selected the west for their homes. By such addition of intelligent persons to the already established professional men, a com- mendable spirit of unity and association was awakened, which needed but a timely impulse to be brought into action. Eugene L. Massot was born in Kentucky in 1824 and from 1845 served a four-year apprenticeship in a drug store in Galena, lllinois. The then raging gold fever induced him to try his luck in California, and upon his return in 1851 he engaged for one year as clerk in a St. Louis drug store, after which he estab- lished and conducted his own business successfully from 1852 until his death. Massot was by no means a highly educated man, and, indeed, nobody more than himself knew and regreted this defect, but he was a whole souled fellow, enthusias- tically inclined and when he had become acquainted with the organized pharma- ceutical societies in the East, especially in Philadelphia, he resolved to assist the future generation of his own city to obtain a better education than he had been able to procure himself, and he agitated the question of a similar organization in St. Louis. He worked hard at his self-imposed task and ultimately, with the assist- ance of similarly disposed minds, he succeeded in organizing the St. Louis Phar- maceutical Association in 1858, with Dr. james O'Gallager as president and .A ...Q 19 3 2 ps DQ Page Seventy T1,uo

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Page Seventy-Four lblaliscnillivro s:--?-- Building and left nothing undone to inspire students. But their number decreased in spite of all efforts, and the session of 1868-9 was attended by only thirteen stu- dents. A suspension was ordered during the next term. The absolute indifference of the younger generation to an increase of their practical and scientific knowledge had tired out the zeal of the senior members and the College remained closed during the following season. Mr. Nassot, however, continued his indefatigable efforts and expecting a revival of the former spirit of scientific enterprise fro1n the pres- ence, in St. Louis, of the American Pharamceutical Association, which is composed of the foremost scholars of the pharmaceutical profession of the United States and Canada he induced thisaugust body to hold its annual convention in our midst in 1871. Unfortunately, he did, not live to enjoy his success. He died Feb- ruary 14, 1871, greatly respected and sincerely lamented by his survivors. The meeting of the American Pharmaceutical Association in June, 1871, was a grand success. The community in general and the pharmacists in particular made the usual favorable impression on their guests and demonstrated to them the importance of our city and the enviable character and proverbial hospitality of her citizens. The meetings were held at the hall of the school board in the former Polytechnic Building, where scientihc papers were read and freely discussed, evinc- ing the eminent intelligence of the delegates and their sincere attachment to their vocation. The representatives of the teaching colleges of pharmacy formed a dis- inct body in the general association and held their conventions simultaneously. Its members, personal friends of the lamented Massot had heard from him of the existing state of affairs of the St. Louis College. They investigated the resources and probabilities, and upon their urgent advice, the College was reorganized in October, 1871, by the appointment of a faculty composed of the following pro- fessors: the chairs of Chemistry, Hugo Krebs, Materia Medica, Ennon Sanderg Pharmacy, Justin Steer. Suitable rooms were provided on Sixth Street between Pine and Clive in the Pullis Building, which were occupied during the Hrst session by a tolerably numerous class of studentsg but the interest in scientific education did not manifest itself to a great extent although considerably better than during the Hrst period. Meanwhile the constant agitation of the College question by the prominent pharmacists had awakened a lively interest among the intelligent citizens who had become convinced that it was time to put a check upon the recklessness of irrespon- sible persons who would enter the apothecary business without an adequate knowl- edge of the duties and the responsibilities required for it. Aware of the great danger to health and even to life, thus tolerated in the community, it was believed that a permanent protection could be obtained only by law demanding a scientific education of the pharmacists. By the united efforts of the citizens such a law was enacted by the Missouri Legislature, which made it obligatory upon every person who wanted to engage in the retail drug business as proprietor or clerk in cities of 100,000 inhabitants or more, to be either a graduate of a reputable college of ,, M419 tg fg 3 2 15... s- ,ff 1,2