OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY. 
567 
Mr. Waugh presumed Sunday closing was a matter of conscience, and 
would suggest to each gentleman to act from that point of view. In Ids 
neighbourhood it was not uncommon to close entirely on Sundays, not even 
putting up a brass plate to say that medicines could be obtained at any time, 
which lie considered a vety questionable mode of keeping people away. He 
never saw this brass plate, which was generally bright, however dirty the rest 
of the door might be, without a suspicion crossing his mind, which he did 
not like to entertain, that the owner of it was a bit of a humbug. There was 
generally a shop-bell and a night-bell, and that was quite sufficient; and he 
did not believe there was a person either in town or country who did not 
know that he could get whatever he required at a chemist’s shop at any time. 
If every individual followed his own conscience in this matter, and sent out 
a respectfully worded circular to his customers, asking them to avoid as much 
as possible giving unnecessary trouble on the Sunday, he thought a good 
deal would be done, and he should not desire a better mode of taking ad¬ 
vantage of a neighbour who might keep his shop open, than sending out 
such a circular. At the same time he was aware how different were the 
circumstances in different neighbourhoods. For himself he was thankful to 
say that it was quite easy for him to do what he had described, and even if 
he lost a few shillings he was more than repaid by the extra comfort; but in 
what were called the slums, not far from him, he knew in some cases almost 
all the business was done on Sundays, and the public must be brought into 
better habits before this evil could be removed. To attempt to do it arbitra¬ 
rily was like trying to make a man sober by shutting public-houses, which 
never -would succeed. 
Mr. Balkvtill said he knew an instance of a shop in a locality where Sun¬ 
day trading was ver} 7 rife, which did a splendid business although it was closed 
on Sunday. 
Mr. Edward Burden was glad to hear Mr. Waugh’s remarks, which con¬ 
tained a good deal of sound sense. Each one must follow the dictates of his own 
conscience. He had always been a strenuous advocate of this movement, and 
had endeavoured to carry it out, but there were great difficulties in the wav. 
He thought those who pretended to shut early should do so in reality. H e 
saw no advantage in putting up the shutters at eight o’clock, and leaving the 
gas burning until a late hour at night in such brilliancy that people knew you 
were there to serve them, and came in just the same. If there were a little 
more consistency in this matter, their customers would respect them more, 
and would not come late or on Sundays. As far as his own experience went 
he did not think the better classes were so prone to use Sunday for medical 
purposes as the lower orders, who were equally entitled to as much attention 
as any one else for what they really required. If it were a little linseed 
meal for a poultice, a draught for diarrhoea, or a little tincture of rhubarb, it 
was as worthy of attention as the most expensive prescription ; but such 
things as lozenges for habitual tickling coughs might and ought to be provided 
beforehand, just the same as needles or thread, or any such article which might 
be required for occasional use on a Sunday. He always advocated Sunday 
closing, not' so much on account of assistants,—for when he was an assistant 
he did not care much about it, having his Sunday out in turn with others, 
-—but for the sake of small tradesmen, who, perhaps, kept no assistant, and 
who wanted an hour or two away from the shop with their families. A great 
change had come about as regarded assistants, some of whom on engaging 
inquired if there were any Sunday business at all, and if so, did not like being 
kept in with the shop shut doing nothing. All this made it very difficult for 
the master, who wanted the Sunday rest quite as much as the assistant, and, 
if the latter were kept in, he felt it a hardship. There were difficulties in 
