July, 1880. 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST. 
17 
TO LITERARY CONTENTS. 
INDEX 
PAGE 
Leading Article- 
Apprentices and the Preliminary Exami- 
nation 17 
The Month 17 
Meetings— 
The Pharmaceutical Society of Victoria 18 
The Pharmacy Board of Victoria 18 
PAGE 
Pharmaceutical Society of New South 
Wales 18 
Notes and Abstracts 19 
Note on Unguentum Hydraiigyri Ammoniati 20 
Chloride of Methyl for Extracting Per- 
fumes 20 
Prosecutions under the Sale of Poisons Act 20 
PAGE 
Notice of Book 21 
Ballarat 21 
Personalities 21 
Tiie Accidental Poisoning Case at Colac 22 
Correspondence 23 
My First Aquarium 24 
Cje (fffjetmst antr Druggist. 
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APPRENTICES AND THE PRELIMINARY 
EXAMINATION. 
It is now nearly four years since the Pharmacy Act be- 
came law, and yet a great many of those who have been 
apprenticed have not passed the preliminary examination, 
which is the first step to be taken before proceeding to 
the studies and examination demanded by the law of the 
land, as a sine qua non before any person can commence 
business on his own account — indeed, to speak strictly, 
before a young man can hold the position of a qualified 
assistant to a pharmaceutical chemist, as without the full 
qualification required by law no one has the right to sell 
or dispense any of the drugs enumerated in schedule A 
of the Poisons Act ; and as it is the intention of the 
authorities to now enforce more stringently the application 
of the law, it behoves all principals to seriously consider 
the anomalous and dangerous position in which they are 
placed in disregarding the clearly defined conditions 
sanctioned by Parliament. The law cannot , and certainly 
will not, be allowed to be disobeyed with impunity. There 
is no longer the smallest excuse for masters to go on any 
longer in a selfish and lazy indifference ; it is the duty of 
all those who take apprentices and assistants to insist 
upon a prompt conformity to the wise provisions of the 
Pharmacy Act— -an Act which was passed most fortunately 
at a time when useful legislation was possible, and which 
was enacted to protect the public against ignorance and 
incompetency. It is a matter of surprise that the followers 
of so important and responsible a calling as that of phar- 
macy should in so many instances show themselves so 
careless of their own interest and reputation, for surely it 
is, even on the low ground of self-interest, culpable for 
any one to neglect to urge upon their pupils — who have in 
most instances paid good premiums — the duty of prepar- 
ing themselves for so easy an examination as the 
“preliminary.” Any youth who has had a fairly liberal 
education ought to pass this examination as soon as his 
indentures are signed, so that he may have more time to 
give to those studies and practical lessons which are to 
prepare him for the higher examinations in chemistry, 
materia medica, botany, &c. We feel sure that it rests 
mainly with the master whether an apprentice realises or 
not his true position ; if the principal is regardless of the 
future success of the youth confided to his charge, we may 
rest assured that the “parents and guardians,” and the 
pupil himself, will have cause to regret and feel aggrieved 
at the non-performance of a contract ! It ought to be the 
pleasure and pride of all pharmaceutical chemists to spare 
no effort, whether by example or precept, to instil into the 
minds of their apprentices a spirit of emulation, for 
without some energetic moral stimulus, how can we 
expect the often thoughtless youth to “burn the midnight 
oil,” and take a delight in study, especially when we con- 
sider how many and enticing are the temptations to 
profitless pleasure abounding in our large cities ? 
The anxiety of those earnest men, who, at much 
sacrifice of their time and energy, were the promoters of 
an improved education for pharmacists in Victoria, is great, 
and the ultimate success of their labour depends in no 
small degree upon a dutiful and cordial co-operafcion on 
the part of the pharmacists. We feel confident that all 
conscientious persons will feel the force of our appeal, and 
do all they can to support the Pharmacy Board in their 
efforts to enforce the provisions of the Pharmacy Act. 
We trust that those young men who have masters 
indifferent to their obvious duties will come forward, and 
without fear or delay pass the “preliminary.” 
JEonth. 
The Victorian branch of the British Medical Association gave 
a supper at Clement’s Cafe. About forty gentlemen were 
present. Mr. W. Gillbee, the president of the Victorian 
branch, presided. The guests present were — Mr. Gray, presi- 
dent of the Medical Society; Mr. Ellery, president of the 
Royal Society ; Mr. Blackett, president of the Pharmaceutical 
Society ; Mr. Ralph, president of the Microscopical Society ; 
Dr. Lucas, president of the Naturalists’ Society ; Dr. Brown- 
less, vice-chancellor of the Melbourne University; and Baron 
von Mueller, Government botanist. 
“ Through the exertions of the Public Record , a newspaper 
of Philadelphia, the operations there in selling bogus medical 
diplomas have probably been broken up. The proprietor of 
the Record has been for several weeks gathering evidence, his 
city editor, under assumed names, getting eight medical 
diplomas from the American University of Philadelphia, the 
