208 
LIVERPOOL CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
another Act of Parliament was passed, which exempted all the members from attendance 
on juries. Educational arrangements under its auspices have also been in existence for 
some time, and have been the means of affording to a large number of students excellent 
facilities for studying their profession, and I am happy to say that many have availed 
themselves of these facilities, as is evidenced by those who have passed the examinations 
instituted by the Society ; and the establishment of local examinations, which is in 
contemplation, it is hoped will offer further inducements to study. These are the fruits 
of the movement in 1841. It is much to be regretted that a good many viewed this 
effort in 1841 with so much apathy; but in order that none might be deprived of privi¬ 
leges enjoyed by their brethren, all who had kept aloof from the Society were again in¬ 
vited to join in 1843, and again in 1852, and many did so. However, a considerable pro¬ 
portion still remain outside the pale of the Society, the great majority of whom have 
entered the business during the past twenty years. It will be seen from the above short 
sketch, that those gentlemen who have taken the management of the Society from time 
to time were actuated by the most liberal motives, and on that account I very much 
regret that the supporters of another Society, which has been recently formed for pre¬ 
cisely the same object, should have indulged in observations, on various occasions, any¬ 
thing but complimentary in reference to the Pharmaceutical Society. The object and 
intentions of the latter have been well understood from its commencement, and therefore 
if the members of the United Society are deprived of privileges which they consider due 
to them, they have only themselves to blame. A large proportion of the supporters of 
the Pharmaceutical Society have “ borne the burden and heat of the day ” for more than 
twenty years, and the small advantages already acquired should not create ungenerous 
criticism. When the United Society was formed, its intention and course of procedure 
were not clearly defined. In the second annual report, however, recently published,- it 
is stated, that, “ The public want not favoured practitioners in pharmacy, but compe¬ 
tent dispensers, and the Legislature requires a distinction between the competent dis¬ 
penser and the incompetent dealer in drugs. Chemists and Druggists then must be a 
registered body to be recognized. Now comes the question, How can an effective regis¬ 
tration be accomplished with a due regard to existing interests? After mature and 
anxious consideration, the Committee answer, By an act of incorporation of the whole 
trade. They have the experience of tw r o corporate bodies to guide them in this matter. 
The incorporation of the Apothecaries w r as complete, for it included every individual 
•claiming to practise as an apothecary ; and now the public is safe against the inroad of 
unqualified apothecaries, for every practitioner in that body is a registered member. The 
.incorporation of the chemists and druggists, constituting the Pharmaceutical Society, on 
the other hand, was incomplete, being limited in the first instance to a few individuals; 
and now that the Society has been twenty-two years in existence, instead of absorbing 
and elevating the trade to the dignity of a profession, and supplying the public with 
a, duly qualified body of practitioners in pharmacy, the public remains defenceless against 
incompetent dealers in drugs, and the Society itself is powerless by the side of the trade 
it professed to regenerate. Both these institutions aimed at the same object; but one 
has proved a success, the other a failure. The Apothecaries Company has succeeded 
because it respected the interest of every existing apothecary in his business, and 
guaranteed the qualification of every future practitioner. The Pharmaceutical Society 
has failed because it has not respected the interest of every existing chemist and druggist 
in his business, and has not guaranteed the qualification of every future practitioner, 
-and those whose interests it has thus ignored, constitute the trade. Hence comes the 
necessity to begin again, and to include within the incorporation every man claiming 
to have an interest in his trade as a chemist and druggist. The Committee adhere to 
free trade, equal rights, and educational progress, as essential principles.” 
Referring to the above quotations, I have to observe that the public wanted competent 
dispensers in 1841 as much as in 18G3. Registration in order to be recognized, was 
wanted then as well as now. An act of incorporation was also then a desideratum as 
well as now. And the council of the United Society say that the incorporation got by 
the Pharmaceutical Society was incomplete, and ask the question why is it at present 
powerless, and why has the Apothecaries’ Company become a success ? My reply is this, 
—A great number of the supporters of the United Society held themselves aloof from the 
effort made in 1841, and subsequent years, to improve the educational status of the 
fcrade ; and that is the reason why the incorporation of The chemists and druggists has 
