LIVERPOOL CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
273 
efforts to overcome evils which characterize the present time. Liverpool, with its insti¬ 
tutions, affords many advantages ; and our Association has contributed not a few, in 
proof of which some of her members have towered above the general level of their class. 
These advantages grow with our growth. Our library has had constant and fostering 
care, and has been the object of our first consideration. The gradual additions to it 
have been selected so as to render it a promineut feature of our Society, and its condition 
at the present time is such as to speak its own praise to the sub-committee for their re¬ 
cent labours. Those of our Members who are too closely confined to attend our meet¬ 
ings will do well to avail themselves of this advantage ; and you who have time, parti¬ 
cularly the young Members, make use of it, so as to work up even short papers for our 
miscellaneous meetings. Be encouraged by the interesting and able papers of the past 
Session ; and if you need further stimulus aud more help, let me draw your attention to 
the circular just issued, announcing a course of lectures free to our Members and Asso¬ 
ciates which your Council has arranged for our Honorary Secretary, Mr. E. Davies, to de¬ 
liver in the early part of the evenings of our general meetings throughout the Session. 
We have a strong conviction that these will prove of great benefit, being adapted both 
for Members aud Associates. 
The time has come when it is imperatively necessary, not only that Associates should 
be provided for, but that they must prepare themselves for that which is inevitably near 
at hand,—I mean, compulsory qualification. It is therefore our duty to invite them 
particularly to attend these lectures (only one hour long) on the nights of our usual 
meetings. They will prove helps and stepping-stones to other lectures, and for practical 
classes in the laboratory, which are also announced in the circular for this night. What 
would not young men and apprentices in smaller towns give for these means of 
saving both time and money, if it were possible to open up communications with 
them! I can imagine our list of Associates would far outnumber that of Members. 
It is to be borne in mind associates are not masters of their own time. We want, there¬ 
fore, you who are principals to help us with your concurrence, your arrangement of 
time, and your promptings to encourage your young men to avail themselves of these 
lectures, both the free and the practical. It may have its difficulties, and they may ap¬ 
pear greater than you feel disposed to meet. Just try with those of your forces who are 
desirous of perfecting themselves. The gain will be mutual, for the improvement of 
the hour will be woven into the business day. If self-interest and mutual advantages 
fail to prompt attendance, how do young men propose to meet the demand which must 
shortly be made upon them ? The public, too, demand duly qualified pharmaceutical 
chemists, now that the medical practitioner is a prescriber and not a dispenser for his 
patients. This is, no doubt, a growing necessity, but the mere qualification for dispensing, 
however, is only one of many others equally needful. I think too much is hung upon 
this one string, and too great a prominence made of it by assistants in their advertise¬ 
ments. If they are to manage wisely and well an establishment of their own, there are 
other departments more important to them than the dispensing counter. Although it 
embraces need of chemical, need of classical, and even a need of clerical knowledge, an 
ability to anticipate the intention of the prescriber, so as to avoid serious consequences, 
these things may be accomplished behind a dispensing counter; but the aids and helps 
which this and similar societies afford are, I hope, sufficiently patent to encourage us in 
expecting young men to avail themselves of them. But whether they do or not, the 
prominence which is now being given to pharmaceutical qualification is quite enough 
to warrant further parliamentary powers by the Pharmaceutical Society to complete the 
work they have before them. Compare the present with ten, fifteen, or twenty years 
ago, and who would not bid them God speed in acquiring by Act of Parliament a one¬ 
ness of power over the three kingdoms, by becoming the legal standard of authority as 
to the fitness and completeness of that self-improvement, which it is our aim to stimu¬ 
late ? Let us see this effected, and our banner is neither a blank nor a sham. We can 
even now pronounce it is for “the public good,” for the good we get we seek to distri¬ 
bute to others. This should be the object of every union, every association, and every 
combination of men. The establishment of the ancient guilds, what were their objects? 
Probably their own benefit first, and then that of the public; but they all had this one 
admirable feature, the perfecting of their productions. In many respects this is still the 
ruling axiom ; but, unhappily, there is at the present day an undercurrent running 
deep and strong which will need all the efforts of all who wish well to our own country, 
YOL. IX. T 
