58 
THE AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY. 
In moving the second reading of the Medical Practitioners Bill, in the Assembly, 
on 4th June, Dr. Tarrant gave a brief synopsis of the measure, which may not 
be without interest to readers of the Journal of Pharmacy. A similar Act, he 
said, existed in all the other British colonies, which might be taken as a proof 
that it was required here. The bill was divided into three parts, the first 
relating to a medical council, the second with the registration of legally qualified 
medical practitioners and qualifications, and the third with the registration of 
persons practising without qualification. The council was to consist of nine 
members, three to be appointed by the Government, three by the University, 
and three by the members of the medical fraternity. Section 14 dealt with the 
registration of legally qualified medical practitioners, and the removal of their 
names from the register for misconduct. At present there was provision for 
registering their names, but not for removing them. Clause 16 was for the 
registration of additional qualifications. Clause 18 explained who were entitled to 
registration. Clause 19 provided for the registration of unqualified practitioners. 
He said there were unqualified men practising in the colony who came here 
before they had completed their examinations, and prior to the time when they 
could have completed them in the colony, and they deserved some consideration. 
The clause provided that if they had been practising for five years their names 
should be placed on a separate folio on the register, and ;they should enjoy all 
the privileges of legally qualified medical men. They would, however, be obliged 
to pass a very simple examination, showing that they were acquainted with the 
structure of the human body, and the functions of its various parts ; that 
they were competent to treat accidents and illness, and understood the mode 
of administering dangerous drugs. Section 21 of the bill provided that no 
person should be excluded from registration under the bill on account of 
any particular theory he might possess as to the treatment of disease. Clauses 
26 and 27 referred to the penalties to which persons would be subjected for 
forging or fraudulently obtaining certificates, or for using medical titles to 
which they had no pretensions whatever. He intended to propose an amend- 
ment to Clause 30 of the Bill— “ Nothing in the Act contained shall extend, or 
be construed to extend, to prejudice or in any way affect the lawful occupa- 
tion, trade, or business of chemists and druggists, so far as the same extend 
to selling, compounding, or dispensing medicines” — which would then read as 
follows: — “Nothing in this Act contained shall extend, or be construed to extend, 
to prejudice or in any way affect members of the Pharmaceutical Society of 
New South Wales, who are registered by the Board of Pharmacy at the time 
of the passing of this Act, or who shall hereafter be also registered.” He 
would like to point out that there was no clause in the Bill to prevent any 
man from practising the medical profession, and from receiving an honorarium 
for his services. The Bill simply provided that unregistered medical men 
should not assume titles which they had no right to assume. It would also 
prevent them from giving evidence as skilled witnesses in courts of law, and 
from suing for services rendered. From the foregoing it will be seen that pharma- 
cists have now every reason to wish that the measure may be speedily passed 
into law. 
Mr. Edwin Quayle delivered the inaugural lecture of a first course on 
Pharmacy, Materia Medica, and Chemistry, at the Pharmaceutical Society’s rooms, 
on 24th June. Mr. Larmer, the president, was in the chair, and there was a 
very good attendance of members of the council, students, and friends, who listened 
with great attention to a very interesting and instructive address. In his intro- 
ductory remarks the lecturer referred to the work being done by the Society in 
the Wdy of pharmaceutical education, and regretted that the very complete library 
