515 
A WORD TO CHEMISTS’ APPRENTICES. 
points as the sale of poisons, a matter indirectly related to the trade, but directly 
involving the public good)—Avould probably thin the ranks of those who possess- 
but an indifferent claim to the title of chemist and druggist, whilst it would 
afford legitimate chemists a position with reference to other trades to which they 
are honestly entitled, but which they can obtain by no other means. 
As I conceive, the Pharmaceutical Society was founded in order to obtain 
legislative recognition for the entire trade, and not merely to establish and per¬ 
petuate a privileged clique within it, I would urge on the Society and on all 
Pharmaceutical Chemists, the duty of unceasing effort in this direction. Every 
private and class feeling regarding the admission of all chemists to an equal 
status at the time of the passing of a compulsory Act, should without doubt be 
sacrificed to the one great national object which would be thus secured ; and I 
trust that the Society will take steps to bring this question before the Legislature 
if possible during the present session of Parliament. 
I am, Sir, yours faithfully, 
A Member by Examination. 
March 13 th, 1866. 
November 3rd 1865 
To Mr. - 
Dear Sir—In reply to yours of to day age 21 ^; reference by application 
to Mr.- Salary expected 30£ has a good knowledge of the general country 
trade I have been 5 years in the business hopeing to hear from you as early as 
possible stating hours of business See 
I am yours faithfully 
A WOED TO CHEMISTS’ APPEENTICES. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Sir,—“A Major Associate,” in an able letter in your last issue, headed 
“ Chemists’ Associations,” expatiated on the present unsatisfactory condition of 
our profession in the country, and urged upon the members the necessity of 
taking a deeper interest in trade matters. The complaint and the suggestion 
are alike true, and all the members of the trade would do well to read and 
ponder over them. But there is another class of individuals in the profession,, 
besides assistants and those in business for themselves, to whom this complaint 
and suggestion might equally apply. I allude now to those who are appren¬ 
ticed to the “ trade, art, and mystery of a chemist and druggist,” and it is to 
them, as one of themselves, I appeal. 
It is a lamentable fact, and one which cannot be denied, that a large propor¬ 
tion (I think I am within the mark when I state three-fourths) of apprentices 
hate the trade. It is associated in their minds with everything that is uninter¬ 
esting and repulsive. In their eyes, a brilliant halo seems to surround clerk¬ 
ships, and even the mechanical trades, but no presiding genius smiles on the 
practice of pharmacy ; rather some evil gnome has frowned upon it, and con¬ 
verted it into a slavish, tedious, monotonous routine. A grocer’s shop pre¬ 
sents to them a kind of airiness and lightness and cheerfulness, but there is 
evidently one atmosphere for the grocer’s store and another for the chemist’s 
dispensary; for in the latter all is stern, plodding, uninteresting. 
I go a step further. I have said that out of the total number of chemists’ 
apprentices, three-fourths are dissatisfied with the occupation to which they 
have committed themselves ; and I say more, that of these three-fourths one- 
fourth leaves the trade at the first opportunity that presents itself ; the remain- 
