IS PHARMACEUTICAL LEGISLATION NECESSARY? 
513 
keepers exhibited cards in their windows, and advertised in the newspapers, 
stating that their establishments would close some at seven others at half-past 
seven every evening, except Saturday. The public soon became aware of it, 
and were compelled to make their purchases earlier. The chemists had not as 
yet done anything; however, Mr. Fleming and myself ascertained the feelings 
of our fellow-members and others, and they nearly all cheerfully acquiesced ; 
and I am thankful to say that we have now closed punctually at half-past seven 
for more than three months, and I will further add, that I have had less ringing 
at my side-dcor bell after that hour than I have ever had since I have been in 
business. 
I therefore heartily recommend the chemists in other towns to go and do like¬ 
wise, and also wish to add a few humble suggestions. They must first get the public 
to know that the shops are always closed at a certain hour, and under no cir¬ 
cumstances to keep a light burning in the shop afterwards; if they do, they 
tempt people to come for that which is not urgent. I consider we are all morally 
bound to make proper provision for supplying anything of a really urgent 
nature at all times; on the other hand, it is injudicious to keep a light burning, 
a door-shutter down, and an assistant there till nine, ten, and eleven o’clock at 
night, merely for the convenience of our neighbours. It is this that makes our 
business a toil instead of a pleasure. Why should any one standing in the 
market-place of a provincial town, at a certain hour at night, see every retail 
shop closed but a chemist’s? It is simply monstrous, and the sooner such a 
monstrosity is done away with the better,—better for the employer and better 
for the employed. I appreciate it quite as well as my assistants, for I never 
feel comfortable in my house till business is over. I dare say some would object, 
because their neighbours would not close. We have the same thing to contend 
with here, but we have only one or two instances all over the town. The grand 
thing is, to get the leading chemists to do it, and if they do sacrifice a few 
stray pence, it will be more than compensated by the additional comfort they 
will get by it. I recollect a very old member of our Society telling me, that he 
always found that the customers who came in just as he was closing were his 
neighbours, and they generally asked for something that they knew they wanted 
all the day,—and, as far as my experience goes, there is much truth in it. I 
therefore sincerely hope that an effort will be made in every town to lessen the 
unnecessary long hours of a chemist’s business, feeling assured, from my own ex¬ 
perience and, I believe, that of my neighbours, that none will be losers thereby. 
William Yates Brevitt. 
Wolverhampton , March 14, 18G6. 
IS PHARMACEUTICAL LEGISLATION NECESSARY? 
TO THE EDITOR OF TIIE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Sir,—Should any of your readers question the necessity for Pharmaceutical 
Legislation, I would recommend them to insert an advertisement in the Phar¬ 
maceutical Journal for an Assistant, and to examine the replies. Having 
repeatedly had occasion to do this, I have been struck with the ignorance and 
superficial education which the answers manifest. Out of eight or nine such 
letters now before me, three or four of which contain orthographical and 
grammatical errors of the simplest kind, I send one as a specimen* (without 
name or address), which, if printed verbatim et literatim , may serve to illustrate 
the low state of Pharmaceutical education amongst apprentices and assistants 
generally. Those letters, however, which contain no such errors as I have 
* See p. 515. 
