THE PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY. 
G19 
and consequently its diploma was less valued. Of the leading men who practise 
pharmacy not more than three-fifths were Members of the Society, and many of those 
who were not Members were equal in social standing and influence to those who 
were. He thought the Bill should be very much modified before they went to Par¬ 
liament. 
Dr. Edwards reminded the meeting that in consequence of a requisition forwarded to 
the Council, a special meeting was held on the subject, which resulted in a determina¬ 
tion that something should be done, and although some thought the present was not the 
time to do it, others held the opinion that it should be done at once. The opposition to 
the proposed measure of the Medical Council showed the prevailing opinion with regard 
to the Society, and that although they had done a great deal as a voluntary society, yet 
that still something more was required from them for the protection and benefit of the 
public. No society could be in a much better position than they were, because they were 
in a condition of growth and progress; and so long as that continued, he maintained they 
were accomplishing the purposes which they had set before them. He could not quite agree 
in the proposition that they should include all within their walls, for he was of opinion 
that the true elevation of pharmacy consisted in their getting together, in a compact 
phalanx, men who had no self-interests to serve, but who were anxious to do all they 
could for the benefit of the body.- He thought that there was good reason for what 
was now proposed, and if time permitted he could adduce numerous arguments in its 
favour. The expressed opinion of men of the highest standing in the medical profession, 
previous to the passing of the resolution that had been read by the President, showed 
that action must be taken by some one. The Medical Council in discussing the matter 
found themselves in a difficulty, and what appeared to trammel them very much, 
was the trouble it would give them to regulate the pharmacy of the country. They 
recognize the right of the Pharmaceutical Chemists to take it up, and to be repre¬ 
sented on the Council, but not belonging to the profession, they would have no vote, 
and they would be hampered by those who did not really belong to them. The Medical 
Council conceded, as a matter of justice, that if they undertook the management of this 
affair, Pharmaceutical Chemists should be represented on their Board, but they appeared 
to have given it up, and had forwarded a communication to the Secretary of State. If 
therefore the Medical Council in that communication had said that something ought to 
be done—that legislation was urgently called for to ensure competency for the compound¬ 
ing and dispensing medicines prescribed by surgeons and physicians,—he thought they 
might be said to have the ear of the Government. In the discussion that took place in 
the Medical Council, Dr. Christison and others referred to this Society as the proper 
body to bring forward such a Bill, and the history of the Pharmacy Act w r as brought 
forward by them as an illustration of the extreme difficulty there was in steering such 
a Bill successfully through Parliament, and they considered the Society’s success in that 
instance entitled them to some consideration in reference to any other legislation. So 
far as the Society had gone under that Act, they appeared to have obtained the good¬ 
will of the Medical Council, and that he considered was a reason why they should see 
what they could do in this matter. They had been unable, as a voluntary society, to 
get all the trade into one compact body, and the only way in which it could be done 
was by including registered chemists and druggists in another body, and, like the Me¬ 
dical Association, have two or three bodies enrolled under one general body. It w r ould 
be impossible for them to take in all the chemists and druggists now in business, and as 
a consequence of membership for them to be considered Pharmaceutical Chemists, and 
he deprecated any agitation that would divide their at present unanimous body. It was 
true they were not a perfectly uniform body. They had the registered founders, and 
those who had passed an examination, and now, by the proposed Bill they wished to 
place men, from their education, on the platform whom they called Pharmaceutical Che¬ 
mists, and also to place at once all respectable chemists and druggists now in business, with¬ 
out any invidious distinction as to qualification, on a platform of registered chemists and 
druggists. They said that after a certain date those who passed a Minor examination 
should be allowed to come in and enjoy the privileges of Pharmaceutical Chemists. Those 
who were on the platform outside the Society, they were willing to take in as Asso¬ 
ciates, receiving from them in return a small pay merit if they wished to continue mem¬ 
bers of the Society, but they by no means insisted on it. Some persons considered the 
examination test too high, because the same amount of chemical knowledge was not 
