the civil war years •••
by Ernst W. Stieb *
... through the eyes of pharmacy journal editors As a scientific body, national and even continental in its scope, the American Pharmaceutical Association should live on through all changes of a political character, and hence, whatever else be done, it is of vital importance that the regular preliminary forms for the meeting should be carried out, and that a meeting should occur, if but a dozen, members be present. . .. It is to' be hoped that ere the period of convening, the dark clouds which now lower over our beloved country will be dispersed. 1
T
hese thoughts greeted the readers of the A merican Journal of Pharmacy in May 1861, just a few weeks after the battle of Fort Sumter signaled the beginning of one of the most tragic periods in American history. Although the journal's editor, William Procter, Jr., was most optimistic about the gravity of the "dark clouds" looming over domestic affairs, his overwhelming conviction that American pharmacy's professional organization must somehow carry its torch to light the gloom pervades the philosophy of his journal during the years of the war. 2 Such deep convictions were perhaps only natural for one of the most eminent American pharmacists of all time. The national emergency forced cancellation of the ASSOCIATION'S 1861 meeting in spite of the deep regrets of Procter and others. The joy that a meeting, regardless how meager, again became a reality in 1862 fairly leaps from the editorial penned by one of Procter's most zealous associates, Edward ParrishIt is a cause of congratulation that the Association should have held a meeting so fraught with interest and profit to those in attendance and should be able to issue such an exhibit of Pharmaceutical progress [the Proceedings]. at a time when voluntary national organizations have yielded to the storm which is still desolating our beloved country.3
And with what relief and relish does Procter predictthe earlier occurrence of the [1865]
*
Presented to the American Institute of the History of Phnrmacy in Chicago, April 27, 1961.
764
meeting, the interesting locality [Boston], and above all, the cessation of the war, are points favorable to the view that a large attendance will be present. 4
To the credit of the ASSOCIATION, and its principal mainsprings, such as Parrish, Procter, Maisch and others, the annual meeting of 1861 was the only one cancelled during the whole period of the war. Perhaps because of this record of perseverance the ASSOCIATION clearly grew out of infancy and into adolescence for, to insure some continuity between annual meetings, the first permanent secretary, John M. Maisch, assumed his duties in 1865. 5 The highlight of the annual meetings in the minds of the ASSOCIATION'S staunchest supporters was the reports of its committees) particularly the voluminous ones on the "progress of Pharmacy" which summarized the most important achievements in pharmacy nationally and internationally, those of the committee on the drug market that, under the able chairmanship of E.R. Squibb, directed its searching eye toward the purity of drugs and medicines and perhaps most important of all, the reports on individual research problems-"scientific queries"-undertaken by APHA members. The war clearly affected all these areas of activity of the ASSOCIATION for we read of "the paucity of original American investigations,"6 the relatively small numher of scientific queries undertaken and reported upon7 and the "advance in price of many leading drugs and the falling off in quality which may be considered as a natural though not unavoidable result."8 While APHA grappled with many problems during and between annual meetings, entertainment was always, even during the war, an important part of the meetings, to the point that William Procter, Jr., complained of the 1864 meet that the "reading of important papers had to be onlitted, and entrusted to a committee to decide on their suitability for publication. "9 Just the same, Procter expressed regret that the excursion was unable to visit "the principal cemetery of Cincinnati ... although such had been part of the programme. "10
Journal of the AMERICAN PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION
Canadian-born Ernst W. Stieb, secretary of the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy, is a member of the faculty of the University of Wisconsin school of pharmacy. The first Canadian ever to earn a PhD in the history of pharmacy and related sciences, Stieb received his education at the University of Toronto and the University of Wisconsin. Besides holding memberships in AIHP and APhA, Stieb is affiliated with the Canadian Academy of the History of Pharmacy, the History of Science Society, the Midwest Junto of the History of Science and Rho Chi. In addition he is advisor to the student branch of APhA.
In spite of the fact that these excursions seemed somewhat improper considering the national crisis, the state of war was not always easy to overlook. Take, for example, the steamer excursion down Chesapeake Bay as far as Annapolis, following the 1865 convention in Baltimore. Editorialized ProcterIn sailing down the Patapaco, the prominent features of the marine approach to Baltimore were all pointed out; not the least interesting'of which were the forts which now covered the prominences on either side. Fort McHenry was approached closely, and slowly passed, which afforded a good opportunity to observe the grounds and outbuildings. The boat stopped at Fort Carroll, and the company debarked to examine the structure. l l
quality of drug supply Many of the problems faced by APHA and its members during the war years also caused concern to the profession as a whole. Among the more pressing of these was concern over the purity of drugs on the market, particularly imported drugs that theoretically should have received careful scrutiny under the Drug Import Act of
1848. APHA was acutely aware that this law had "fallen into disrepute within several years past. "12 Most agreed that the chief difficulty could be overcome if such appointments were "judged independent of all political considerations by the proper scientific representatives of the professions of medicine and pharmacy in their respective localities." 13 While some pharmacists may have agreed with the editor of the American .Druggists' Circular in 1861 that "the accession of a new President and Cabinet"U held out some hope for the correction of the evil, others perhaps took the more pessimistic view of the editor of the A merican Journal of Pharmacy thatIt is hardly probable that, under the present state of public affairs, much attention will be given to this. matter, but the importance of the subject should not be lost sight of, when the proper period arrives. 15
education Pharmaceutical education, like other endeavors of pharmacy, underwent severe strains during the war years, yet just in 1861, the year the Civil War began, hope seemed high for the success of some schools. Although some colleges, such as New York and Maryland, graduated only four or five pharmacists during some of these war years,16 they made certain strides forward. The year 1861 brought two important faculty appointments for New York, the distinguished pharmacist John M. Maisch as professor of materia medica and pharmacy and Ferdinand F. Mayer as professor of chemistry. 17 The war years also saw an important faculty appointment for the Philadelphia College, for in 1864 Edward Parrish was elected professor of materia medica. 18 The Philadelphia College of Pharmacy seems to have faired better than most other schools, as evidenced by an attendance of 1600 persons at its annual convocation in 1865. 19 The close of the war in 1865 seemed to promise fair prospects not only for the older association schools, Philadelphia, Maryland and New York but also witnessed the birth of a new school, the St. Louis College of Pharmacy.20 The schools were of course only as strong as their parent associations and most of these led rather a perilous existence during the war. One editor remarked in 1865Now that the rebellion is near an end, we may hope ... that all the professional organizations in the country that have been able to support a languid existence or that have died outright, will be resuscitated and invigorated, and that Pharmacy, as a
science, will make a long step in advance. 21
economics The problems of the colleges, like those of pharmacy in general during the war, were tied of course to the fluctuating economic condition of the country. Whether · he saw signs of depression or inflation, the editor of the Druggists' Circular constantly implored his readers to take an optimistic view of the situation and to make the most of it. He commented"Hard times," as they are properly called, ought not to be another name for idle times. They are the times for harder head work and should be but the herald of better things. With slack business there is more leisure for intellectual and professional improvement. 22
A variety of taxes imposed upon pharmacists, and particularly those touching his handling of alcohol and small manufacturing procedures, proved an extreme annoyance and financial burden during the war years. Most arguments against the revenue law, which required a special license for retailers of alcohol, took the stand thatThe Apothecary is compelled to keep, and is expected to furnish the sick, with French brandy, port wine, and sherry, because there are medicines in the official list of the National Pharmacopoeia, and as such are as much a subject of legitimate sale for medicinal use as castor oil, oil of turpentine, or honey.23
The subject of the "burdensome and unjust bearing of the internal revenue (continued on page 768) Vol. NS1, No. 21, December 1961
765
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Indigenous Materia Medica. But most of them lasted only a few months or issues before they joined in retirement previously existing journals such as the Journal of Materia Medica, the Druggist and the Journal and Transactions of the Maryland College of Pharmacy.
military pharmacy
A Union pharmacist prepares a drug for the wounded.
law" upon pharmacists formed an important subject for discussion at the 1865 meeting of APHA in Boston, partly perhaps because of the urgings of the editor of the Druggists' Circular that this was the logical way to handle the problem. 24
literature War conditions in general, and economic conditions in particular, had a considerable effect upon at least one branch of pharmaceutical literature, pharmaceutical journalism. Without exception every editor of those journals examined for this paper complained of members in arrears, rising costs of paper and printing, problems of sending journals to subscribers in the south and far west. And only two journals (the A merican Journal of Pharmacy and the American Druggists' Circular) survived the war without even temporarily suspending publication. But even these journals ran into difficulties. The editor of the American Journal of Pharmacy, for instance, refers to the burden inflicted upon the Philadelphia College "owing to the lopping off of a large number of its subscribers at the South, and the depressed condition of monetary affairs. "26 In spite of the obvious difficulties connected with publishing during this period, a number of new journals bravely made their appearance, including the A merican Journal of Materia Medica and the American Journal of 768
The question of a suitable rank for pharmacists serving in the armed forces during the Civil War periodically came up for discussion in American journals of pharmacy. In the navy the pharmacist served as "surgeon's mate" and in the army as "hospital steward," without any real recognition of his specialized profession. The most elaborate suggestions for remedying this situation-in the army, at least-appeared in 1865, after the war had already ended. 26 The plan proposed a corps of apothecaries comprising 148 commissioned officers of various ranks from apothecary-general down to second lieutenant (assistant apothecaries). The author felt the ideal training ground for assistant apothecaries, beginning with the rank of cadet, lay in the U.S. Army laboratories. In commenting upon the magnitude and significance of the pharmaceutical operations involved in the Army laboratories, William Procter, Jr., displayed considerable historical acumen when he wroteThe actual history of the medical supplies of the U.S. Army during the present rebellion, will furnish an interesting chapter in the history of the war would it ever be faithfully written .27
He was especially conscious of the beneficial effect upon controlling the quality of drugs that individuals such as John Maisch and Edward R. Squibb had in the management of these laboratories. At least one interesting and, for the time, celebrated incident of the war involving drugs deserves separate mention. Convinced that ' 'No doubt can exist that more harm has resulted from the misuse of both .... [calomel and tartar emetic], in the treatment of disease, than benefit from their proper administration," Surgeon-General W.A. Hammond issued an order in May 1863 banning the use of these agents. 28 Considering the heavy reliance placed upon these drugs just at this time, it should not be too surprising that Hammond came under sharp fire. And, when he later faced charges of "official malfeasance" before a military court, the editor of the Druggists' Circular expressed the logical opinion thatIt is not improbable that his celebrated ··Calomel and Antimony
Journal of the AMERICAN PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION
Order" may have something to do with the active hostility with which he is assailed. 29
conclusion The editorials that appeared in American pharmacy journals during the war years seldom overpower one with any sense of involvement on the part of pharmacy in the war. This sense comes partly from a few discussions of pharmacy's place in the medical staff of the U.S. Army, and in the occasional notices of war fatalities involving pharmacists. The overwhelming impression that comes through these editorials is one of virtually unwavering optimism-optimism that in time all would return to normal and to ensure pharmacy's vigorous postwar recovery it was important that pharmacists do all in their power to maintain their professional acumen and that they actively support their national professional organization, the AMERICAN PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION. • References 1. 2.
3.
4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.
22 .
23. 24. 25 . 26 . 27. 28. 29 .
Amer. J. Pharm., 33, 287(1861). Amer. J. Pharm., 33, 191, 382-383(1861); 34, 93, 190(1862); 35,373, 541-542(1863). Edward Parrish, APhA 1862 Proceedings, p. 3. See also Amer. J . Pharm ., 34, 491 (1862). Amer. J. Pharm., 37,314(1865). John M. Maisch, APhA 1865 Proceedings, p.13. Edward Parrish, APhA 1862 Proceedings, p .3. Ibid., p. 4; Amer. J. Pharm., 35, 93(1863); Alfred B. Taylor, APhA 1863 Proceedings, p. 16. Amer. Drugg. Cire., 8, 48(1864) . See also Amer. J. Pharm., 36, 183-187(1864). Ibid., 541. Ibid ., 542. Amer. J. Pharm., 35, 572(1863) . Amer. Drugg. Circ., 5, 61(1861). Edward Parrish, Amer. J. Pharm., 33, 282 (1861). See also: Amer. J. Pharm., 33,186190, 287(1861); J. &- Trans. Maryland College of Pharmacy, 2, 91, 93-94(1861); Amer. Drugg. Cire ., 5, 133(1861); J. Materia Medica, 3, 239(1861). Amer. Drugg. Circ., 5, 61(1861). Amer. J. Pharm., 33, 288(1861). See also letter from E.R. Squibb, Amer. J. Pharm., 33, 186-190(1861). Amer. J. Phal'm., 36, 285(1864); J. &- Trans. Maryland College of Pharmacy, 2, 95-96 (1861). Amer. Drugg. Circ., 5, 205(1861); 7, 41 (1863); Amer. J. Pharm., 33, 575-576 (1861). Amer. J . Pharm., 36, 284(1864). Amer. Drugg. Cire., 9, 69(1865). See also Amer. J. Pharm., 37,74(1865). Amer. J. Pharm., 37,157-158,234,316-317 , 400(1865). Amer. Drug~. Circ., 9, 49(1865). See also: Amer. J. Pharm., 34, 191(1862); 35, 9192(1963); 37, 157-158(1865). Amer. Drugg. Circ., 6, 9(1863). See also: Ibid., 5, 85, 133(1861); 8,48(1864). Amer . Drugg. Circ., 7, 57(1863). See also: Ibid., 6, 121, 183(1862); 8, 9(1864); 9, 109(1865); Amer. J. Pharm., 37, 315-316 (1865); Amer. J. Pharm., 35, 91, 187-188(1863); Amer. Drugg. Circ ., 7, 57(1863). Amer. J. Pharm., 37, 314(1865); Amer. Drugg . Cir . , 7, 109, 129(1863). Amer. J. Pharm ., 33, 478(1861). See also: Ibid ., 34, 93, 191,384(1862). Amer. J. Pharm., 37, 398-399(1865). See also: Ibid., 74-75, 87-90, 91-98, 107-112. Amer. J. Pharm., 35, 283(1863). See also: Ibid., 37, 74-75, 234(1865). Amer. Drugg. Circ., 7, 93, 109(1863). Amer. Drugg. Cir., 8,27(1864) .