NATURE 







501 



THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2; 



lied io 



THE PROFESSION OF CHEMISTRY. 

 'I^HI- professional status of the medical 



learlg established b) definite legal 

 enactments; the public, therefore, has no difficulty 

 in recognising those who alone are entitled to 

 .act as saviours of its health. Lawyers are almost 

 ■h 1 learl) marked out as a class apart. But 

 in other cases the lines of demarcation are very 

 indefinite. Thus the term "engineer" is applied 

 equally to the members of the engineering pro- 

 fession — whose standing is established through 

 their connei rion with certain recognised institu- 

 tions — and to the craftsman who is simply a 

 skilled manual workman. 



rhe term "chemist " is one .of even greater 

 vagueness. It is not only used by those who, in 

 one form or another, are engaged in the practice 

 of chemistry; also, through long usage, it is 

 associated in the public mind with the apothe- 

 cary, druggist or pharmacist, who both dispenses 

 drugs in accordance with medical prescriptions 

 and is the salesman of a considerable variety of 

 proprietary articles. Although pharmacy is an 

 mised, protected calling, the sale of drugs is 

 no longer confined to registered pharmacists but 

 is an open trade, provided always that a qualified 

 assistant be employed in dispensing. Another 

 class is now 1 oming into existence, viz. the speci- 

 ally qualified body of apothecaries or pharmacists 

 attached to hospitals throughout the count rv ; 

 these are skilled in the principles of pharmacology 

 ,md in the use of drugs. 



It is being recognised that, in the interests of 

 :his latter body, as well as in those of pharmaco- 

 logy generally, a clear distinction should now be 

 made between the honourable calling of pharmacy 

 and that of the chemist proper-; in fact, that it 

 vould be generally advantageous to dissociate the 

 term "chemist " from the term "pharmacist," 

 specially as the three distinctive titles of apothe- 

 . druggist and pharmacist are all at the 

 disposal of those engaged in the callin; 

 pharmacy. But, even were this distinction 

 nude, the term "chemist " would still cover 

 far : 1 admit of any simple 



definition, beyond that of a person more or less 

 acquainted with the principles ni the science .mil 

 more or less skilled in their application ranging 

 from the professor, in tad with pro 



si\e knowledge, to those employed in works 

 laboratories in carrying out some routine testing 

 operation, such as the determination of carbon in 

 Steel, the one being a man who is a highly skilled 

 ibserver and worker and has learnt to think 



2 374, vol 102] 



ol certain bperal ion? 



Wi; ptions, the line of demarcation, in 



must depend upon the training received. 



I ofession should include all those who occupy 



a recog-nised academic positions, together 

 .with those whose course of training has been of 

 sufficient breadth and depth to justify their admis- 

 sion into the Institute of Chemistry, which is 

 clearly marked out as the main avenue of 

 .nil. Xow that the Institute is recognising 

 th' 1 vils of our examination system and is pre- 

 pared to grant membership to those who can pro- 

 dine satisfactory proof that they have passed 

 creditably through the necessary course of train- 

 ing, so that it no longer seeks to interfere 

 with the freedom of the schools, those who have 

 the ability and aspire to be reckoned members of 

 the profession should have no difficulty in securing 

 entry. No one will gain — least of all the pro- 

 fession of chemistry — from the recognition of any 

 other than a high qualification. But, as uncon- 

 ventional, if not irregular, methods of study may 

 sometimes be attended with better results than 

 regular, it will be desirable to keep an avenue 

 open to those who prove themselves to be com- 

 petent, should they desire to receive official 

 recognition. 



The recent establishment of a Federal Council 

 for Pure and Applied Chemistry, to advance, safe- 

 guard and voice the interests of chemical science, 

 marks a step forward of great importance to the 

 Chemical Profession. It is taken advisedly, with 

 the object of focussing opinion and of bringing 

 about an affiliation of interests. At present the 

 council consists of delegates appointed by the 

 Chemical Society, the Society of Chemical In- 

 dustry, the Association of British Chemical Mann- 

 ers, the Institute of Chemistry, the Society 

 of Public Analysts, the Faraday Society, the Bio- 

 C-hemical Society, the Iron and Steel Institute, the 

 I ute of Brewing, the Society of Dyers and 



1 - , thi Society of Glass Technology and 



the Ceramic Society. In all these chemistry is 

 of primary importance, though not in ever) 

 th dominant interest. 



Ihe chairman is Sir William Pope, preside;:; 

 of the Chemical Society and professor of chem- 

 ist in the University of Cambridge; and Trot'. 

 H. E. Armstrong is the hon. secretary. 



One of the first cares of the new council will 

 l» promote the formation of an association or 

 guild of the so. ieties specially engaged in further- 

 ing the interests of chemical science and to pro- 

 vidi adequate quarters for the conjoint labours of 

 ili. arious sections. A complete library for the 



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