110 
THE CHEMIST AND DEUGGIST OP AUSTEALASIA. 
April 1 , 1887 . 
and then to apply his general knowledge to definite pharma- 
ceutical matters. The majority of the colonial boards having 
adopted only this Major [Syllabus in chemistry and botany, 
avoid these blemishes in the British Minor Syllabus, at least 
as far as the Syllabus alone goes, but a perusual of the 
chemistry papers set in the dffi'erent colonies shows that they 
are produced purely in the British Minor Spirit. Unfortun- 
ately we have no specimens of British papers, either Minor or 
Major, with which definitely to compare the colonial articles, 
because the British examinations are entirely oral, but there 
is no doubt that the :iuestions set will correspond tolerably 
closely to the requirements of this Syllabus. 
The mistake that is made, both in the British Minor Syllabus 
and in all the colonial chemistry papers is one that was so 
prevalent in all departments of applied science 30 years ago, 
and is by no means eradicated yet, namely, that all scientific 
knowledge can be seperated into two distinct divisions, theo- 
ratical and practical, and that where a man has not time to 
acquire a certain amount of the theoratical knowledge as an 
accomplishment, he should leave it alone and gather as much 
practical knowledge as possible. The idea that appears to 
have been in the minds of the framers of the original Syllabus 
was, that a student should not be troubled with any chemistry 
that had not an immediate practical bearing on pharmacy ; 
hence his examination was to be confined entirely to the 
chemical facts that had a pharmaceutical connection. Now 
this is the wrong end at which to start any student’s work in 
a subject like chemistry. No matter how little may be required 
of him, that little should be founded as far as possible on 
general principles. The schoolboy does not learn a different 
arithmetic according as his father wishes him to become a 
grocer, a draper or a clergyman ; whatever arithmetic he has 
to do in his future career is founded on the general princixdes 
he learnt at school, and so every beginner at chemistry, what- 
ever his ultimate profession may be, should receive the same 
general introduction to the elements of chemical philosophy. 
Professor Attfield states the contention very clearly in the 
preface to his w'ell-knowm text book “ The Author of Chemistry: 
Generel Medical and Pharmaceutical, would at once state 
therefore, that his sole aim is to teach the general truths of 
chemistry to medical and pharmaceutical pux)ils. So far as laws 
and principles are concerned, the book is a work on General 
Chemistry ; but inasmuch as those law's and principles are 
elucidated and illustrated by that large portion of chemistry 
which is directly interesting to medical practitioners and 
jiharmacists, the book may be said to be a work on Medical 
Chemistry and on Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Only in this 
conventional sense would the author sj>eak of Medical and 
Pharmaceutical Chemistry ; for the truths of chemistry are 
the same for all students — crystalline verities which cannot 
be expanded or compressed to suit any class of w'orkers.” This 
is Professor Attfield’s general conviction, but it seems to me 
that in his desire to meet the wishes of the so-called practical 
men, lie has been led in the body of the ivork, a good deal 
away from the theory of his preface, and has displayed at too 
great length, pharmaceutical facts at the expense of general 
theory, at least for beginners, and the same is the most pro- 
nounced defect in all the colonial chemistry papers. It may 
be said that general principles are remaarkably conspicuous 
by their absence. Pacts only have any value in the eyes of 
the examiners, (luestion after question comes on in the mon- 
otonously stereotyped form “ How' is this prepared, and how 
is that prepared ? ” The beautifully simple elementary 
principles that underlie the wliole of organic chemistry and 
bind its thousands of substances in such fascinating cycles of 
relationship are completely ignored. The subject is made an 
unlovely cram of unconnected facts ; the consequence is that 
many students obtain a firmly fixed and hopelessly w'rong 
idea of the science of chemistry, they imagine that it is a 
terribly wide expanse of the same sort of dry facts that they 
are examined on unsimplified and unbeautified by any appreci- 
able reign of law. 
8uch chemical facts as a pharmacist must know if he is to 
be a reliable dispenser, independedtly of wirat theory may say 
about them, he ought to be examined on in the practical 
pharmacy group of subjects. He learns these facts by actual 
experieirce in business, and assimilates them in a natural 
manner. I, by no means advocate the putting of more work 
on pharmaceutical students ; indeed rather less than at pre- 
sent, and only urge that students should be encouraged to get 
a knowledge of the great law's of chemistry, such as w'ill be 
sure to inspire them with a desire for further knowledge and 
study, if they have any scientife enthusaism, and will at least 
give them the power to understand and connect the isolated 
facts of their daily experience. That examinations lead- 
ing to a knowledge of this sort, are possible for pharma- 
ceutical students, can at once be seen by anyone wlio will look 
at the papers set in the Prize Examinations of the School of 
Pharmacy of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain ; 
for example, those given in that Society’s Calendar for 1885 
p.p. 241 and 242. Our colonial examiners in chemistry would 
all profit by the perusal of these examples of the papers set 
by Professor Redwood and Mr. Dunstan to pharmaceutical 
students, who have had only a six months course of lectures. 
There would not be much profit in a detailed comparison 
of the papers set in the different colonies on chemistry and 
botany. They all have the same defect of offering a premium 
to unintelligent cram, and it is difficult to draw much distinc- 
tion between the amount of cram that would satisfy the 
Melbourne, Sydney, or Brisbane authorities. No one colony 
can be said to demand more real chemical knowledge of its 
students than another. 
A favourite question in the chemical part of the Victorian 
practical pharmacy examination is to ask the crystalline forma 
of a list of chemical compounds. What could be more dismal 
cram and mere word-grinding than this. A question of this 
sort sets one wondering wliat would be the effect if the 
Phamacy Boards each time that they appointed examiners, 
appointed at the same time three o f their members to go in for- 
the examination, to make sure for instance that the papers 
set might not be too hard. How would the appointed three- 
like to have their time occupied in commiting to memory the 
mere names of the crystalline forms of all the chemicals on a 
pharmacist’s shelves ? 
Many of the papers shew* the same sort of amateurishness as 
was spoken of in connection with the preliminary papers, but 
occasionally there are faults in them that pass the bounds of 
mere amateurishness ; for example, in the questions in prac- 
tical pharmacy set at the last examination (December, 1886,)- 
for tho certificate of the Melbourne College of Pharmacy, we 
have the following as part of a question : — 
Give in grains, the specific gravity of a liquid, a fluid, ounce- 
of which weighs 26*32 grammes.” The examiner wlien he 
w'as yearning so stongly after the impossible, might at once 
have asked for the specific gravity in years or yards. If he 
does not know a specific gravity is a ratio, a number, which 
remains the same wliether the weight of the sun or the w'eight 
of a grain, is the unit of Aveight, he had better try to arrange 
for a course of lectures at some suitable institution. Of 
course, a more charitable construction to put upon this 
question would be to consider it as Avhat is known as a 
“ catch ” question. But such petty and insincere dodging as 
the setting of examinational man-traps is never employed in 
any examinations of repute, and ought to be allowed to die 
out with the old-fashioned type of dame’s school in wirich it 
originated. 
The botany examinations would have their value greatly 
increased if there was always a simple practical examination held 
in connexion Avith them. The Avhole examinations might be 
rendered a much more valuable means of promoting pharma- 
ceutical education in a country Avhere the population is so 
scattered as in Australia, if a much more detailed scheme of 
the dilferent subjects Avas draAvn out Avith greater prominence 
given to the elementary pure science involved, so that the 
isolated country student might have a continual and definite 
guide in his too little aided attempts at self improvement. 
A Avaggish journalist, Avho is often merry over his personal 
plainness, tells this story of himself: “I Avent to a chemist 
the other day for a dose of morphine for a sick friend. The 
assistant objected to give it to me Avithout a prescription, evi- 
dently fearing that I intended suicide. ‘ PshaAV,’ said I, ‘ do 
I look like a man Avho Avould kill himself ? ’ Gazing steadily 
at me for a niement, he replied : ‘ I don’t knoAv ; it seems to 
me if I looked like you I should be greatly tempted to do- 
something desperate.’ ” 
“What is your circulation?” asked an inquisitive indi- 
vidual of an editor. “ Blood, principally,” Avas the sanguinary 
