88 
PHARMACEUTICAL LEGISLATION. 
which would be of little value to them, and would, as ou former occasions, avoid 
the thrice-opened door. 
I leave the question of “ interests injuriously affected ” to be discussed by 
those who feel themselves likely to be injured. As I presume I should not be 
compelled to describe myself as a member of the Pharmaceutical Society, I 
should after the “ deluge ” simply revert to the old designation which only 
recently, at the suggestion of our leaders, I and many others, Pharmaceutists, 
abandoned, in order, from motives of policy, to give currency to our Parlia¬ 
mentary title. 
The abandonment of clause 4 has removed a chief cause of complaint against 
the Bill, for it would have perpetuated ignorance for the next forty years, and 
for that time made ridiculous the use of M.P.S. as an honourable affix. 
For similar reasons I would confine to assistants who have served a regular 
apprenticeship, and are at the time of passing the Act, of the age of thirty 
years, the right of being eligible for election as Members after passing the Minor 
Examination. 
As for the bulk of the outsiders who, it would seem, are not likely to 
present themselves for even the very mild form of examination instituted 
for those already in business on their own account (and at which, by the 
bye, the regularly examined members have been winking very hard) I 
think it would be a fair compromise for them to accept the position of Asso¬ 
ciates of the Pharmaceutical Society with the privileges of Members. More 
than this will not be yielded without a severe struggle with a considerable pro¬ 
portion of those at present entitled to the M.P.S. If a selection of the 6lite 
were possible, the case would be different. That there are a certain number 
outside the pale who would, if within it, add not only strength but lustre to the 
Society, no one will be so silly as to deny. The difficulty, in fact the impos¬ 
sibility, is how to make the selection, when the parties themselves object to the 
application of any other test than the mere fact of their being or having been 
in business at a certain date. 
The object of all should, in my opinion, be to impress on the rising genera¬ 
tion of Pharmaceutists the honour of holding the diploma of our Society, and 
by this means induce them to work in order to obtain it. For some years I 
have so acted, and have by that means succeeded in introducing to the fold a 
number of young men whom mere love of study would never have sufficiently 
influenced. Make the diploma valueless, and you take from us the most power¬ 
ful lever we possess for elevating the trade, carefully guard it, and year by year 
you will attract to the Society an increasing number of students, so that before 
many years have passed a large majority of the members of the Society will be 
examined men. I have no fear whatever of the Society dying out, so long as 
its managers and the members generally conspire to make its distinctions 
honourable: pursue an opposite course, the present members will be disgusted, 
and the recruits insufficient in number to fill up the death vacancies. The 
present state of the Society is no doubt good: do not injudiciously interfere, and 
it will remain so. 
If, however, it be thought imperative to embrace in one Society the whole 
of the existing practitioners of pharmacy, the Council may, I believe, with just 
confidence of success proceed to Parliament with their Bill modified as has been 
suggested. In that case, it would be useless for the United Society to tell a 
Committee of the House of Commons that they were not being treated gene¬ 
rously. To offer them without payment a full share in the large amount of 
property we have for twenty-five years been painfully accumulating, an influen¬ 
tial position at our Council board, the privilege of attending and voting at our 
meetings, and finally the honourable title of Associate of our Society, ought 
surely to satisfy reasonable men. No Parliament would, compel us, in addition, 
