EDINBURGH MEETING. 
525 
free, but. the same fee of one or half-a-guinea to be paid on commencing business,—bad 
this been done, the funds of the Society must have been very considerably augmented, 
and no one have just cause of complaint; whilst at present, the grumblings are low but 
deep. Many young men have complained to me of the hardship of having to pay a fee 
for the compulsory registration of what they think their vested rights, whilst their mas¬ 
ters, who reap the most part of the profit of their labours, are exempt. There may, to 
some extent, be exaggeration in all this, but there is a considerable substratum of truth 
underneath, and the statements are in the main correct. Of course the expenses en¬ 
tailed in passing the Act were to be provided for, but it was hardly fair to expect that 
the chief part should be borne by those who may never reap its benefits, or to whom at 
least these benefits are deferred to the indefinite future. 
Another matter to which I would allude is the apparent anomaly in titles, if not 
created, at least perpetuated, by the Act. We have “ Members of the Pharmaceutical 
Society,” “ Pharmaceutical Chemists,” “ Chemists and Druggists,” Associates, and As¬ 
sistants. It would require a very discriminating outsider to distinguish the difference 
betwixt the first two titles, and yet, as you arc aware, they do differ in a very essential 
degree. Would it not have been possible and advisable, whilst the new broom was at 
its work, to have swept one or more of these titles, or at least qualifications, away ? I 
am of opinion that this might have been accomplished with ease, had the Pharmaceutical 
Society but swallowed the draught, sunk a portion of their old dignity, extended a more 
friendly hand to their half-brothers without the pale, and reduced the fees to a mini¬ 
mum, at same time admitting the present Assistants as Associates on paying also re¬ 
duced fees, whilst of course they proved their ability by examination as at present. By 
these means there can be no doubt that the exchequer would have reaped a pretty rich 
harvest. That some such course as this was advisable is already seen by some members 
of the Society, and will become more apparent as the anomaly of titles is considered. 
I have heard some young men complain of our local Board of Examiners, as if they 
were responsible for all the ills they suffer, and also of the severity of the examinations. 
Of course, so far as in my power I have endeavoured to dissipate these illusions; and it 
here affords me much pleasure to give my willing testimony on behalf of the examiners 
for their courtesy and style of examination, which, though scientific and technical in a 
certain degree, as indeed to be of any avail it must be, is at same time most thoroughly 
practical, giving the examinee every chance of showing the good that is in him, and 
avoiding the parade of their own knowledge by putting puzzling and extraneous 
questions. There is one member of the Board well known for his scientific attainments, 
and feared accordingly by all going forward for examination; and it was quite refreshing 
to find afterwards how pleasantly disappointing it was for this gentleman to be leading 
them on in a nice, easy, conversational manner to display the extent of their acquire¬ 
ments. 
I make these remarks, as I have heard on some occasions contrary opinions expressed, 
and with the desire of inducing all interested to go forward at once, before the exami¬ 
nations get in reality more severe, as of course the longer the examiners are at the work, 
they may begin to break its monotony by getting somewhat more strict and technical. 
So much for the Present. 
Future .—And now, gentlemen, we come to what is really the most important matter 
for our consideration, What is the Future to be ? We are told that “ to-day is our own, 
to-morrow may know us not.” This is certainly true of the individual, but not of the 
community. There is no use asking what the future will be, because it most certainly 
will be what we choose to make it. There is a responsibility attaching to all of us, even 
the most humble, in that we should leave some slight mark upon our time, and endea¬ 
vour to hand down to our successors the legacy of an improved social standing, the op¬ 
portunity of acquiring higher scientific attainments, and an elevated code of morals. 
Let us begin then by giving the Future a fair start. Sinking all the petty jealousies 
of trade, let each accommodate the other in a friendly spirit. Let masters bend a little 
in their dignity towards their assistants, and endeavour to make them feel that their re¬ 
lative positions are not so much those of masters and servants as friends and helpers. 
Let assistants give their undivided attention and lay their whole energy to the advance¬ 
ment of their employers’ interests, and perform their duties with faithfulness, diligence, 
and respect, looking upon their masters’ reputation and good name as their own ; and 
so upholding the dignity of the profession by their general conduct as to merit the ap- 
