532 
LIVERPOOL CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
of the Pharmaceutical Society, and the room that still exists for improvement. He 
considered that the preparation and sale of dietetics had become an essential part of 
pharmacy, and further, that the pharmaceutist is as much justified in keeping homoeo¬ 
pathic as patent medicines. 
In conclusion, many points in practical dispensing were considered ; the different re¬ 
sults produced by differences of mixing or some slight impurities in the ingredients were 
illustrated by specimens. The members of the Society were called on to communicate 
from time to time their experiences, and thus in some measure to lighten the heavy bur¬ 
den of responsibility which is now borne by all who follow the profession of pharmacy. 
A discussion ensued, in which Messrs. Hilditch, Abraham, Fanner, Mason, Sharp, and 
others took part; and the proceedings ended by a unanimous vote of thanks to Dr. 
Symes. 
Eighth General Meeting, held February 4th, 1869 ; the President in the chair. 
The Secretary explained the circumstances which had led to the omission of a report 
of Mr. Fraser’s paper in the ‘ Pharmaceutical Journal’; an occurrence which he greatly 
regretted. He then announced donations to the library of ‘The Pharmaceutical Jour¬ 
nal’ ; ‘ The New York Druggists’ Circular’; The Proceedings of the Liverpool Polytechnic 
Society; The Proceedings of the Liverpool Architectural Society ; and to the museum 
of six specimens of dried herbs from Messrs. B. 0. and G. C. Wilson, Boston, U.S., sent 
at the request of Dr. Edwards. 
A vote of thanks was passed to the donors. 
Mr. Henry Sugden Evans, F.R.M.S., etc., then read a paper on “Pharmaceutical 
Education.” 
He said that in the calling of pharmaceutists there are difficulties in the way of 
study, which tend to produce indifference to it, unless some external force be applied. 
Such a force pow exists in the Pharmacy Act, and if this Act is not all that might be 
wished, it realises the objects for which the Pharmaceutical Society has been striving 
for years. In future young men who enter the profession must have received a liberal 
education, and to the neglect of this qualification is due much of the ignorance now met 
with, and which is revealed to a deplorable extent by the recent Modified Examinations. 
If in the case of Assistants some little hardship is felt, it must be remembered that it 
is due to the action of Parliament, and not to the Pharmaceutical Society, which wished 
to avoid retrospective legislation. Many Assistants had, however, expressed their satis¬ 
faction at being obliged to study, and after passing the Modified Examination, were in¬ 
tending to prepare for the Minor and Major Examinations. 
In the Modified Examination, more attention is paid to the general manner of the 
candidate as showing him to be a safe person to entrust with dispensing than to theo¬ 
retical knowledge; hence practical dispensing, and reading and translating prescriptions, 
are the points most insisted on Great deficiencies in translating elegantly have been 
discovered, probably due to neglect on the part of masters. 
The Special Examinations have not been very successful, and in twelve months will 
have ceased. 
The First Examination, formerly called the Classical Examination, is more properly a 
matriculation examination, and will be required to be passed by all candidates before 
presenting themselves for the Minor Examination, which must be held in London ; for, al¬ 
though a great desire prevails that local examinations should be held, the Privy Council 
have vetoed the proposition, from a fear that the examinations would not be uniform; 
and also, because they have the power to appoint a representative to attend the exa¬ 
minations, and this can be most conveniently done in London. Also, the number of 
examiners has been reduced. 
Mr. Evans then described in detail the course of the Minor and Major Examinations, 
and the mode of conducting them, observing, in regard to botany, that, it is a branch of 
study not relished, and many excuses are given for ignorance of it. It is, however, most 
useful as a discipline to the mind, and it has been found that those who fail in botany 
also fail in materia medica. Botany should be the first study, and not a single hard 
word should be passed by without thoroughly understanding its meaning. 
In conclusion, the author expressed his pleasure that the means of instruction were 
now afforded in Liverpool at the School of Pharmacy connected with the Association, 
