482 
GLASGOW CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
macv Act, which he believed, after some few points had been settled on which there was 
a difference of opinion, would be found to be for the benefit both of ourselves and the 
general public. He observed, “ Though this is the first Act which affects and restricts 
the pharmacists of the whole of Great Britain, it is by no means the first that has been 
passed for our benefit in the west of Scotland ; for, on the 30th November, 1599, nearly 
300 years ago, James the Sixth gave a charter (which was afterwards confirmed by Par¬ 
liament) to a physician, a surgeon, and an apothecary; ‘ Maister Peter Low, Maister 
Robert Hamiltone, and Maister William Spang, and thair successouris, indwelleris of 
our citie of Glasgow, GEVAND and G RANT AN D to thame and thair successouris, 
full power to call, sumonnd and convene before thame, within the said burgh of Glas¬ 
gow, or onie otheris of ouir said burrowis or publict places of the foresaid boundis, all 
personis professing or using the said airt of chirurgie, to examine thame upon their 
literature, knawledge, and practize; gif they be found wordie, to admit, allow, and ap¬ 
prove thame, give thame testimonial according to their airt and knawledge, that they sal 
be fund wordie to exercise thareftir, resave thair aithes, and authorize thame as accordis, 
and to discharge thame to use onie farder nor they have knawledge passing their capa¬ 
city, laist our subjects be abusit.’ 
“ The likeness of this charter to the present Pharmacy Act is astonishing; it shows how 
history repeats itself in pharmaceutical as well as other affairs, and I will quote two 
clauses to show the resemblance. The Pharmacy Act, 1868, says, ‘ That any person 
who shall use, or exhibit the name or title of chemist and druggist, not being a duly re¬ 
gistered pharmaceutical chemist, or chemist and druggist, shall, for every such offence, 
pay a penalty or sum of five pounds.’ The old Act says, ‘ Fythlie , That na manir of 
personis sell onie droggis within the Citie of Glasgow, except the sam be sichtit be the 
saidis visitouris, and be William Spang, apothecar, under the pain of confiscatioune of 
the droggis.’ Again, the Act of 1868 says, ‘And on every sale of any such article 
(poison) the seller shall, before delivery, make, or cause to be made, an entry in a book 
to be kept for that purpose, stating the date of the sale, the name and address of the 
purchaser, the name and quantity of the article sold, and the purpose for which it is 
stated by the purchaser to be required, to which entry the signature of the purchaser, 
and of the person, if any, who introduced him, shall be affixed.’ The old Act ordered 
k Sextlie, That nane sell ratoun poison asenick or sublemate, under the pane of ane 
hundred merkis, excep onlie the apothecaries, quha sal be bund to tak cautioun of the 
byaris, for coist, skaith and damage.’ Under this charter, the Faculty of Physicians 
and Surgeons of Glasgow continued to examine and grant licenses to surgeons and apo¬ 
thecaries. At first the practice of pharmacy and surgery were generally combined, and 
the first date of the licensing of an apothecary distinct from surgeon is in 1614, when 
‘ Gabriel Syeserf, pothecar, is admittit freman and brother of craft, and he to use his ain 
calling.’ In these times of the Major and Minor examinations of the Pharmaceutical 
Society, when so many of the sciences are included in pharmacy, w r e are perhaps rather 
apt to underrate the examination of those days; but there is evidence of its having been 
very strict, and though, perhaps, not so theoretical as it is nowadays, it certainly seems 
to have been very practical. On the 19th of June, 1658, David Spiers petitioned to be 
allowed to practise pharmacy, and was ordered to make ‘ consectio hamech, pilulse 
cochir majores, emplastruin de mucilaginibus, linimentum mici, trochei albi rasis,’ when 
he passed his pharmaceutical examination satisfactorily. In those days the compounds 
were very complex. In an old pharmacopoeia I lately counted forty-five different in¬ 
gredients in one ointment. That was in the officinal prescription, but it seems scarcely 
possible that in making it the whole of them would be used. For two hundred years 
the Faculty continued to grant diplomas to practise pharmacy alone, but this has long 
been discontinued, and the last pharmacist who held one of the old licences was the late 
Mr. John Niel, of this city. Some time ago, before the present Act was thought of, 
I made application to be examined and licensed, but, owing to the diploma being apt to 
be represented as a higher one, my application was refused. The reason for refusal I 
can understand to be an excellent one, and I can appreciate the caution with which all 
licences must be given, but at the time, I considered that the highest honour I could 
get, would have been an educational certificate and diploma under that good old charter 
of James the Sixth. 
“ But that old Act, so far as regards pharmacy, is now superseded by this new one, 
which is so singularly like it in its provisions. Its administration is now in the hands 
