514 
IS PHARMACEUTICAL LEGISLATION NECESSARY ? 
alluded to, evidence in their composition, etc., very superficial knowledge and 
imperfect education. Thus—to give a few instances—a young man informs me 
that he belongs to the “ Church of England religion (!) another—a Major 
Associate too, but rather short-sighted—wishes to know the “ whereabouts ” of 
my business ; a third states that he requires so much salary and u no less and 
a fourth gentleman, who encloses his carte d’visite ( [sic ), remarks, “ I am 5 feet 
4| inches ivithout my boots .I require £45 per annum.” I am tempted to 
ask here, why '£45 ? Can there be any occult relation between the height and 
the salary required ; as my correspondent shows a generous disregard of the 
“ 4| inches” in valuing his services, or rather himself, at £9 per vertical foot 
yearly ? 
1 could, of course, give instances of a far different kind, doing credit to the 
writers, but they would bear a lamentably small proportion to those illiterate 
productions I have referred to. I think facts such as these conclusively prove 
that nothing will prevent ill-educated young men from entering the trade, but 
the existence of compulsory examination. Much as the Society has done,—and 
I heartily acknowledge its labours,—in raising the educational status of che¬ 
mists and druggists, and in supplying competent and careful assistants, there is, 
and always will be, a substratum of the ignorant and incompetent, which no 
voluntary examination can possibly reach. Probably one-third of the appren¬ 
tices and assistants now employed in the United Kingdom, could not write a 
sensible letter in correct English, with proper spelling and punctuation, and in 
this day of universal enlightenment, surely this is no slight disgrace, and calls 
for prompt efforts on the part of those who have the good of these classes at 
heart, and desire to enhance the safety and security of the public. I believe 
we cannot further the welfare of the trade or of society more truly, than by 
guarding against the admission into the former of those lacking a certain degree 
of elementary knowledge, and I would therefore suggest that in any compulsory 
measure (besides the examination required before entering business) an analo¬ 
gous examination to the Preliminary of the Pharmaceutical Society, be passed 
by every apprentice, before his indentures can be legally executed ; such exami¬ 
nation to be stringently enforced, and to include Latin, Arithmetic, English 
Composition, and Elementary Science ; the power to write a short sensible 
letter, with correct spelling and punctuation, being a sine qua non. Were the 
Legislature to make even such an examination compulsory , though refusing for 
the present one more advanced, a very beneficial change must result. Indeed, 
I am inclined to regard this kind of examination as most important, for it may 
be reasonably argued, that if a young man has this elementary knowledge, he 
will endeavour to obtain that which is specifically connected with his calling, of 
his own accord, whereas without the former, such efforts, if put forth under an 
external pressure, will be with difficulty successful, and apart from it are not 
likely to be put forth at all. 
Whatever arguments may be employed to oppose the practical value and 
urgency of establishing a general compulsory examination before entering busi¬ 
ness, no one, I presume, will question its expediency with reference to appren¬ 
tices, or assert that it would be likely to involve any evils of a practical kind. 
I will not undertake to argue with any one who thinks apprentices would be 
less diligent and earnest in pursuing the practical part of their calling, through 
subjection to examination before entering it, but any trade changes, occurring 
through their ranks being recruited,—as they then would be,—from a higher 
class of society than at present, must plainly work for the general good, how¬ 
ever individually resisted. A better class of apprentices would naturally pro¬ 
duce a better class of assistants and employers, rendering the trade more uniform, 
in its character and less dependent on locality. A compulsory examination,— 
whether of apprentices or employers,—(besides facilitating legislation on such. 
