0^ THE CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS BILL. 
481 
493 Would you sec any danger in entrusting the whole of the conduct of the ex- 
the Least* 1 ^ ^ 1>liarmaceutlcal Society by means of the present examiners F—Nof 
494. Are you aware, by the present constitution of the Pharmaceutical Society, it 
possesses great facilities, without further experiment or proceedings, for administering 
this examination ?—Nothing can be better than all its arrangements. ° 
495. They have examiners, all appointed F—Yes. 
496. They have had a long experience themselves, and have, also, for a long time 
been m the habit of administering this examination F—The Pharmaceutical Society 
lias sought, by the character of its arrangements, to obtain the high character it lias 
succeeded m obtaining. Dr. Pereira and Dr. Thompson, its original examiners, as 
well as them successors, are men who have filled the highest position in science. 
I 9 ‘ ■ Would you also place the appointment of future examiners (the present ex¬ 
aminers we will assume to be sufficient) ; would you make the appointment by the 
society of future examiners, as these die off or retire, to be subject to the approbation 
•ol the Secretary of State F—I should have confidence in the council of the Society. 
. 498. It any doubt existed on that point, would you see any advantage F—I think 
it could not be well done by the Secretary of State. 
499. It they are about to appoint A, B, and C as new examiners, from two or three 
otlieis having ceased to act in that capacity, and it was necessary to submit those 
names to the Secretary of State, do you think there would be any difficulty or danger 
arising from that, or would there be sufficient security F—I should not fear any such 
danger. 
Chairman.'] 500. The Secretary of State -would have very little control over the 
appointment of examiners, the name would be simply submitted to him F-—That is all. 
Sir John Shelley.] 501. Following up that question of the chairman, should you 
advise that in order that the Secretary of State should have some power, one or more 
members of the Medical Council should be appointed by the Secretary of State to act 
on the council or with any board of examiners F—A simple assessor, whose sole duty 
it should be, would be better. 
502. I understand from your evidence that you are decidedly of opinion that ex¬ 
amination into the qualification of a chemist and druggist is required F—Quite so. 
503. Your evidence has principally gone towards persons dispensing drugs under 
prescriptionF Compounding and dispensing; I think the compounding of drugs 
generally in use is quite as important as the mere dispensing of prescriptions. 
504. Some of us are laymen in this matter; what would you include under the 
word “ compound F”—There are, for instance, all the preparations in the Pharma¬ 
copoeia. Chemists, moreover, find, for example, that certain salts or other matters 
are more soluble in one substance than another; take tannic or gallic acid ; he finds 
there can be made a solution in glycerine which becomes a very useful application, 
but the mode of making which would never suggest itself to his mind ; whereas the 
chemists who are daily dealing in these articles prepare and submit them to the phy¬ 
sicians. There are many things of that kind where the educated pharmaceutist will 
prepare compounds and submit them to the physician for his approval and use. 
506.. lake any district that may be selected at a distance from a large town or a 
large village, ten miles from a large village ; would the answer you have given in re¬ 
ference to this question of examination apply to the small shopkeeper of a small place, 
looking to the interest of the public F—When a small shopkeeper undertakes to make 
up a prescription, and to keep a quantity of poisons, he ought to be obliged to pass 
the examination I have in view. 
513. Looking at the state of society, what would you do with regard to the counter, 
—the man who sells over the counter that which is required day by day by the poor’ 
and which can hardly be called in common parlance a dangerous drug ; 'would you 
require a person selling castor oil F—That would not be in the schedule. 
514. How do you do with a person who sells over the counter castor oil, rhubarb, 
and those things ; do you require examination or registration, or anything F—Not the 
least, not the slightest. 
523. May I take it generally, you are so impressed with the necessity of the protec- 
