VoL. ii., No. 2. THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST OF AUSTRALASIA. 
35 
A special meeting of the Council was held on January 17th, 
the following members being present, viz : — The President, 
Messrs. M‘Carthy, Melhuish, Mayne, Bozon, Abraham and 
Thornton, and the secretary, Mr. Pinhey. 
Election of Examinee. 
The business of the meeting was the election of an examiner 
in Materia Medica and Prescriptions in the room of Mr. W. 
Larmer, resigned. 
This only occupied a very short time, and Mr. Melhuish, 
being the only gentleman nominated was declared duly elected. 
There being no other business to be transacted, the Council 
adjourned. 
(lettee feom our own coeeespondent.) 
Sydney, January 27th. 
THE PHARMACY BOARD EXAMINATION. 
The chief topic of interest during the month has been the 
Board of Pharmacy examination, which took place on January 
20 and 21, and the results of which were yesterday announced. 
Out of seven candidates four passed, and though this cannot be 
regarded as a high percentage of passes the examiners inform 
me that, on the whole, they have every reason to be satisfied 
with the results of the Examination. A perusal of the papers 
set shows that while the examiners have carefully avoided any 
objectionable “ catch ” questions they have made the examin- 
ation a fairly searching one, and the successful candidates 
have every reason to feel satisfied with themselves, having in 
mind the difficulties under which pharmacy students labour in 
this colony, Mr. Cook is to be specially congratulated, he 
having attained the highest number of marks with each 
examiner. It is worthy of remark that this gentleman has 
also won^ two first prizes during the past year in the class 
examinations in Pharmacy and Chemistry. 
Mr. Sadler, the President, has announced his intention of 
presenting a gold medal to the candidate obtaining the highest 
number of marks during the present year. 
In connection with the examination I may mention that 
some six or seven would-be candidates made application to be 
admitted to the examination, but all were refused permission 
on the ground of non-qualification under the Act. About one- 
half of the applicants had not fully completed their inden- 
tures, whilst the remainder had acted as dispensers to medical 
men, and had not been duly indentured to chemists and drug- 
gists. As many such applications have made of late, and as a 
good deal of anger and annoyance has been expressed by the 
unsuccessful applicants, it may not be out of place to draw 
attention to the clause by which the Board of Pharmacy are 
guided in this matter. The clause is No. 11 in Act, 40th Vic- 
toria, No. 9, and stipulates that no person shall receive a cer- 
tifice of qualification to sell poisons. . . . unless he shall 
make a declaration accompanied by a certificate in the form 
in Schedule E that he has served as an apprentice or assistant 
to a chemist ayid druggist fornot less than three yearSf and been 
examined as hereinafter provided as to his skill and compe- 
tency to conduct the business of chemist and druggist. The 
clause excepts pharmaceutical chemists of Great Britain, 
members or Licentiates of the Apothecaries’ Halls of London 
or Dublin, legally qualified medical practitioners, and per- 
sons resident in places in which no chemist is within a reason* 
able distance, who shall be duly certified as fit and proper 
persons to be “dealers in poisons” by a legally qualified medi- 
cal practitioner and a police magistrate. 
Schedule E. referred to in the clause is as follows : — 
“To the Secretary and Registrar of the Board of Pharmacy. 
hereby declare that the undersigned 
residing at in the colony of 
New South Wales has been for three years employed in dis- 
pensing and compounding prescriptions as an apprentice or 
assistant to Mr ^ of chemist and 
druggist, and has attained the age of twenty-one years. 
Dated this day of , 18.. 
(Signature) A.B. 
Registered Chemist and Druggist.” 
Declaration to be signed by the applicant : — 
I hereby declare that I was an apprentice (or assistant) to 
I in the colony of New South 
Wales in the years and and was for 
three years actually engaged in dispensing and compounding 
prescriptions, and that I have attained the age of twenty-one 
years. 
Dated this day of 18 . . 
(Signature) J.H. 
While on the subject of examinations, I may draw attention 
to the fact that all apprentices indentured on and after July 
1st, 1886, will have to pass the preliminary examination, the 
synopsis of which will be found in the report of the Council 
meeting, before their indentures can be registered. Hitherto 
it has been the custom to accept a certificate from the 
apprentice’s last schoolmaster, but this has proved eminently 
unsatisfactory, and it will be an undoubted step in the right 
' direction to compel all apprentices to pass a preliminary 
examination. In addition to the wholesome discipline of such 
an examination, it will tend to weed out a large proportion 
of those who are mentally unfitted to pass the ordeal of the 
qualifying examination. Under the old system a youth 
became apprenticed with little or no guarantee for his fitness, 
and very often came up for the final examination most 
absurdly unqualified to pass it, and then vented his anger 
and disappointment by abusing the examiners and all 
concerned. With a few exceptions, it seems almost a hopeless 
task to make students understand what will be expected of 
them, there being an almost universal idea that a few weeks 
preparation before the examination will thoroughly fit them 
to pass the ordeal. It cannot be too often urged that in order 
to make the passing of the final examination a probability, 
apprentices should work hard during the whole period of their 
apprenticeship. This is almost universally recognised in 
Great Britain, and should be so in the Colonies, but is not. 
Reciprocity. 
Members of the Pharmaceutical Societies in the other 
Colonies are exhibiting a laudable desire to take advantage of 
the practical reciprocity now existing between all the Colonies 
except Victoria, and at the last meeting of the Council seven 
such applications were dealt with, and during the month 
several others have been received. 
The New Councillors. 
Mr Edward Thornton, of Petersham, the gentleman 
appointed to fill the extraordinary vacancy in the Council, is 
universally approved of, and was cordially welcomed by the 
members of the Council. I regret, however, to say that Mr 
Thornton’s health has not been at all robust during the past 
few months, and as a consequence he has decided, I am 
informed, to try whether a brief change to Tasmania and 
New Zealand will have the effect of reinvigorating him. 
Mr Thornton was one of the auditors of the Society, but in 
consequence of his appointment to the Council has resigned 
the position. It is not likely, however, that any steps will be 
taken to fill the vacancy before the General Meeting in June 
next. 
The Government Analyst, 
Mr. William Mogford Hamlet, who for some time past haa 
been Assistant Government Analyst, has now been appointed 
Government Analyst, vice Mr. Charles Watt resigned. 
Hitherto all the work of the Mines Department has been done 
at the Government Analyst’s laboratory, but this arrange- 
ment having been found in many respects objectionable, ar- 
rangements are being made by which the assaying of ores and 
similar work will be conducted by the Mines Department, the 
Government Analyst being enabled in this way to devote his 
attention chiefly to the police and Customs’ work. Unlike 
the late Government Analyst, Mr. Hamlet will not engage in 
private practice, and he is now re-arranging the Government 
laboratory with a view to make it more fitted for the class of 
work which will in future be carried on there. 
PHARM.ACEUTICAL SoCIETY’s LeCTURES, &C. 
The vacation will terminate towards the end of March,' 
when work will re-commence under the direction Mr. H. A. 
Bruce Leipner, the gentleman lately appointed by the Coimcil 
to assist Mr. Qaayle during the current year. 
Pull particulars of the lectures and practical classes will be 
announced in your issue of next month. 
Board of Technical Instruction.— A return presented at 
a^ meeting of the Board on January 12, showed that fifty- 
eight chemists and nine dentists attended the classes during 
1886. ^ 
