Es kann die Spur von unseren Erdetagen--on pharmacologists and pharmacology.

Es kann die Spur von unseren Erdetagen is a slightly modified line from Goethe's tragedy Faust and together with the following line can be translated as "The vestiges of our path on earth/Through aeons cannot fade away". The author's festival speech at the 50th Spring Meeting of the German Pharmacological Society this year in Mainz was given under that title and is presented here in abridged form. Twelve examples are given showing that indeed our, the pharmacologists', professional vestiges cannot disappear. Many pharmacologists may share this view of their profession.