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

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-----al Dlalisenlnro eu-Q Women in Pharmacy 'l'Vl1.e1z pain and azzguislz wring the brow fl 11z.i1zi.9te1'iug angel tlziouf' The poet most probably did not have a woman pharmacist in mind when the above lines were penned. Wfomen pharmacists are distinctly a very modern note in our scheme of things, notwithstanding the fact that womans gentle art of healingi' has been the subject of song and story throughout the records of the race. But she has been extolled chiefiy because of some inate ability to soothe and ease while administering the draughts and potions compounded by others, rather than because of her skill as a compounder of medicines. Names of women pharmacists are almost altogether lacking in both the earliest legendary records and the later histories and biographies. Recently when in search of material for this paper, the reference Hles of our own central public library failed to show a single reference to VVomen in Pharmacy. References were plentiful of women in practically every other line of the professions, the arts and the industriesg there were women in commerce-women in many forms of 111Z11'1L1- facture 3 professional women lawyers, physicians, ministersg Wfomen artists, authors, painters, musiciansg there were women judges, women legislatorsg in fact even women humorists, but the combined efforts of both a library attendant and myself failed to unearth any reference to women pharmacists. Perhaps one of the reasons for this belated interest of women in this par- ticular line, has been the air of secrecy and mystery with which pharmacy was surrounded for many centuries. Even as late as 1624 King James I, of England, said in reply to a petition by the Grocers' Guild in opposition to the independence just granted to the practitioners of pharmacy, 'fGrocers are but merchantsg the business of the apothecary is a mystery, wherefore I think it fitting that they should be a corporation of themselves. And a very exclusive one they have remained ever since. Vfe do find names of some few women and rather prominent women, con- nected with pharmacy in early history. A very interesting character of the early part of the twelfth century was the Abbess Hildegrade of the Benedictine Con- vent of Rupertsberg near Bingen. She is the author of an important work on pharmacy. This consists of nine parts dealing specihcally with plants, elements, trees, stones, birds, fishes, animals, reptiles and metals. A very interesting work but steeped in mysticism and superstition as much of the writings of the period are. Again cinchona rightfully derives its name from the Countess of Cinchona, wife of the Viceroy of Peru, who having been cured herself by the drug of an intermittent fever, introduced it into Europe about 1638 and such a good press agent was she, that within a few years the drug was in general use throughout Europe. No less a personage than Queen Elizabeth was an amateur dabbler in pharmacy. A formula devised by her and sent to the Holy RO111a11 Emperor Rudolph Il, contained amber, civet and musk dissolved in spirit of roses. Evi- dently this was an improvement in odor at least over many of the concotions in favor then and later. In Italy one of the most famous dispensers of poisons of the Seventeenth Century was a woman, Toffana by name. She is said to have had more than 600 victims to her credit. Another woman possessing considerable knowledge of M we-no 32 We Pa ' f ge Ninety Two

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Duescliillnro In their laboratories experiments of variety almost too numerous to mention are being carried out. Most important of which are tests for purity of crude drugs and their preparations and tests for potency of the vaccines and the antitoxms. Their manufacturing processes are on a vast scale. Ingredients being meas- ured in pounds and gallons in place of grams and cubic centimetersg mixing and polishing machines, large enough to crawl into, are running almost constantly from morn till nightg tablet machines side by side, turning out hundreds of tablets per minute whiz on. Crude drugs being received by the barrel and hundred-weight, none of which are used as ingredients in manufacturing until they are laboratory tested. XVC were taken to the cafeteria and served a very tasty and substantial lunch- eon. Wfith a pleased feeling, as one can feel only after digesting such good food, the group was taken to that portion of the plant overlooking the Detroit river, where a camera man risked his machine in taking our pictures. Climbing aboard the busses, we proceeded to the northern section or the city and to that portion of Parke, Davis at which the vaccines and antitoxins go through the preliminary steps of manufacture. Here we saw many things with which we were familiar only through reading or through lectures by Dr. VVarner. Return- ing to the hotel, we had about three hours to ourselves until the banquet began, which was held at the Stat- ler Hotel. Again the dinner was superb with entertainment of high quality. The time passed only too fast. assi ffbiti ine- rtia . rm T Parkedale Farm, a property of 700 acres, is situated near the town of Rochester, abolut thirty miles distant from Detroit. Here the work oflbio- logical production is carried on and extensive drug-plant cultivation practiced. The rest of the time was spent in various ways. There were trips to Canada and Belle Isle, which is somewhat similar to our Forest Park Highlands. The questioning that one goes through on entering VVindsor, Canada, is interesting. It even reached the stage of excitement with one V .V.-ask him! With a few more shows and trips the time for our departure to Home. Sweet Home came. On Thursday at 11 o'clock we left. The return trip was uneventful 'but the having of fun did not cease. All arrived home safely. Qi Ji CJ Page Nf71Cfy'O71E

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il--s Dofscnlnio poisons was the notorious Marquise de Brineilliers who secured her knowledge by cold-blooded experimentations upon patients of the hospitals that she visited under the guise of charity. These women, while not pharmacists, were interested in the study of certain drugs, and used laboratory methods rather injudiciously. Of the pharmacy of our own country during the early period Le Wall says, one authority states that pharmacy at this time was largely in the hands of the Indians, schoolmasters, old women, and clergymenf' Vfe find, however, no indi- vidual women named, although a number of clergymen and schoolmasters are listed. VVe know that at present more and more women are entering the profession of pharmacy although biographers have not seen tit to note the fact. From our school the first woman was graduated in 1876, a Miss Florence Schmidt. She was a woman of considerable courage to embark on a career so avowedly a man's province at such an early date. And though we find this intrepid woman graduat- ing more than fifty years ago, nevertheless, in the entire history of the school almost seventy years, only one hundred fifteen women have been enrolled and of this number only about sixty have received certificates of graduation, less than one per year. VV hen this number is compared with the more than three thousands of men graduated of the school, the number is arresting by its very smallness. At present there are eighteen women students enrolled in the Collegeg con- stituting about 8 per cent of the student body, a larger percentage than at any other time in the history of the school. The following are the names of the women now enrolled in the St. Louis College of Pharmacy preparing to enter the profession of pharmacy and of whose achievements we trust future biographers may find material worthy of record: Sister M. Alexius Sister M. Alphonsita Sister M. Benedict Sister M. Bernida Miss Grace 'Benincasa Sister M. Carissima Miss Ruth Corbin Miss Helen E. Driscoll Miss Veronica H. Eisele Sister M. Ethelberta Miss Dorothy Fitch Sister M. Hortensis Sister Joana Miss Fay Johnston Sister Marie Sister Mary of Mercy Mrs. E. E. Morton Miss Bernice Raskas Aff 1 Q, . PQ -sr IQ 3 2 T... X ff' no Page NinetyfTh1c