102 
EVIDENCE ON MEDICAL LEGISLATION. 
act in violation of the law, and another to pass a law which shall 
legalize practice without such qualification. They are two very 
different things. It is my opinion of this bill which we are now 
considering, that it would legalize general practice without any 
adequate qualification. 
***** 
Apprenticeship . — Apprenticeship I do not see the advantage of ; 
on the contrary, I see many disadvantages as regards the education 
of professional men. If you could always secure a master who could 
teach, and who would teach, it might have its advantages ; but the 
facts are so notoriously opposed to that, that one cannot but wish to 
see the apprenticeship clause done away with. The dedication of 
five precious years, taken from the time of study, to the compound- 
ing of drugs, is an unreasonable period ; but even then they do not 
seem to learn pharmacy, at least they do not acquire an adequate 
knowledge of the materia medica : they may know how to make 
up a draught, but they do not obtain a scientific knowledge of phar- 
macy. As 'regards learning pharmacy, the five years are thrown 
away. * * * * 
The Examiners . — * * * * The examination on medicine 
would best devolve on those who have made its science their 
especial object, and the examinations in chemistry and pharmacy 
should be conducted by those persons who have made the science 
of chemistry and pharmacy their study. Now, a general practi- 
tioner, merely as such, cannot be supposed to have made chemistry 
and pharmacy the objects of special apd scientific study : he, for 
the most part, and especially a member of the Apothecaries’ Com- 
pany, buys his compounds already prepared. There is not, that I 
am aware of, any penalty for assuming the designation of a member 
of the College of Surgeons. I propose that the College of Physicians 
should examine the general practitioners in medicine. The exami- 
nation of the Society of Apothecaries should not be confined to 
pharmacy and chemistry. I do not think that they are persons 
fitted to examine in pharmacy and chemistry. I would propose 
another body. They are not by profession what the French call 
pharmaciens , or pharmaceutical chemists. It must be a board 
composed of persons who have especially made those subjects their 
study. We have no such body in the profession that I know of ; 
but I did not wish at all to convey the idea that the Society of 
Apothecaries had not been of very considerable benefit to the pro- 
fession. Care must be taken not to render the education of general 
practitioners too expensive. I propose that the College of Physi- 
cians should examine them in medicine, some other body in phar- 
macy and chemistry, and the College of Surgeons in surgery ; and 
it would be very essential, likewise, that another body should 
