THE PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY. 
G15- 
“That under an amended Pharmacy Act, it is desirable that the Pharmaceutical So¬ 
ciety should include amongst its members, all duly qualified dispensing chemists through¬ 
out the United Kingdom, and that provision for the admission of such persons to member¬ 
ship should be made accordingly.” 
Mr. Waugh. Will Mr. Collins add to it his definition of a duly qualified man? By 
so doing he will save the Council much time and considerable trouble. 
Mr. Collins. It is very easy to point out certain persons. 
Mr. Waugii. It may be very easy to you, but I am afraid it will be very difficult for 
us to do so. 
Mr. Collins said there could be no more difficulty about it now, than there was when 
Mr. Edwards brought it forward. 
Mr. Tupiiolme seconded the amendment. 
Mr. Savage considered they were in rather an anomalous position. They were first 
told by the outsiders that they had no wish to be connected with the Society, and after¬ 
wards that they desired to be placed on an equality with the members, and to become 
equal participators in their rights and privileges. Now the question was what vns to be the 
starting-point. He could not for a moment believe that Parliament would annul the 
power which they gave them twenty years ago, and begin de novo. The value of the 
Society was strikingly exemplified in the addition of twenty Members during the last 
twelve months, who had paid on an average of seven years, and of ten Associates on an 
average of ten years, so that if there were some outsiders who did not value the Society, 
there were others who were exceedingly jealous of its progress. He should be glad to see 
those who neglected their duty in 1852 admitted now, on the payment of the arrears of 
subscription, if it could be done without producing any great injustice. There must how¬ 
ever, be a definite starting-point, or else they would not know when to stop ; and he con¬ 
sidered they would be doing a great injustice were they to add indiscriminately, with or 
without the test of examination, all those who had hitherto put every possible obstruction 
in their way. He believed they must have some broad and definite point to start from, 
because the examined men had a perfect right to ask for the Society’s protection. The 
outside chemists and druggists who were making this commotion had in their organ 
pointed out eight specific objections to the measure. First, that an invidious distinction 
was sought to be perpetuated between equally qualified and respectable members of the trade. 
Now a distinction between them at present existed, and if the Pharmaceutical Society did 
not go to Parliament, the same distinction would continue to exist, and it was desirable 
that it should be perpetuated. Secondly, they said unlimited power w r as claimed by the 
Pharmaceutical Council to govern all future interests while refusing to give any voice or 
representation except by the degrading condition of passing the Minor examination. 
Now that was a most extraordinary sentence, and Mr. Edwards had told them it was no 
such thing, and that it was a great mistake for them to think so. Thirdly, they said 
there was a total absence of any provision for securing local government or local boards 
of examination, which, although simple and economical in their arrangement, vrould se¬ 
cure the practical knowledge required, and that the consequent retention of the present 
expensive and almost prohibitory form of examination of the Pharmaceutical Society 
would violate the first principle of commercial freedom, in placing unnecessary obstacles 
to public requirements. That he looked upon as a matter of detail which it was com¬ 
petent for the Council to deal with, and he for one should be very glad if the Council 
would take action in respect of it, and have local examinations in those districts remote 
from London. Fourthly, they said that danger would ensue to existing interests in sub¬ 
jecting the evidence of qualification and future government to the satisfaction of the 
registrar of the Pharmaceutical Society, without any appeal except to the Council. He 
should exceedingly regret if the Pharmaceutical Council of England submitted their 
interests or disputes to any other body than themselves, and however much he might 
respect the medical body he should be very sorry to find themselves placed under the 
wing of the Medical Council. He hoped they would ever remain as they now were, an 
independent body; and he looked upon the Society as the only recognized body to whom 
they could refer. Fifthly, they objected to what they termed the unnecessary interference 
of a medical practitioner that was required by schedule C, but if they had any other 
plan to propose, why not do so ? and then the Society would give it the full consideration 
it deserved. The sixth and seventh objections were the great injustice that would be 
perpetrated on all assistants under the age of twenty-one, and that from any participation 
