538 
OUR POSITION AND PROSPECTS. 
number of the 1 Chemist and Druggist.’ The latter of those functionaries, 
writing on behalf of the Executive Committee of the body he represents, for¬ 
warded a copy of the following resolution :—“ That the President of the United 
Society be requested to call upon or write to the President of the Pharmaceu¬ 
tical Society, to ascertain whether it is his opinion that the Council of that So¬ 
ciety would be willing to co-operate with the Executive Committee of the 
United Society in urging and assisting the Government to introduce a Chemists 
and Druggists Bill into Parliament, based upon the recommendations of the 
Select Committee, and submitted to Government at the close of the last Session.” 
To this, Mr. Sandford replied as follows :— 
“ 47, Piccadilly , March 17, 1866. 
u Sir,—In reply to your note of the 16th inst., asking my opinion as to the 
willingness of the Pharmaceutical Society to co-operate with your Society 
1 in urging and assisting the Government to introduce a Chemists and Druggists 
Bill into Parliament , based upon the recommendation of the Select Committee'’ of 
last year, I beg to say that it is the unanimous opinion of the Council of 
the Pharmaceutical Society that urging the Government at this time would be 
useless, unwise , and impolitic. The great press of matter before Parliament just 
now, connected with Reform, Rinderpest, and Fenianism, renders it almost 
certain that the Ministry will not adopt the recommendation of the Select Com¬ 
mittee to introduce a Bill on the subjects in which we are interested during 
the present session. Should this expectation of delay, however, be incorrect, 
(and, for myself, I should much rejoice to find it so,) our Council will always 
be ready to assist the Government in arranging an efficient, and yet liberal, 
measure for the settlement of the question. 
“ I say ‘ an efficient measure ,’ and I think you will agree with me that a mere 
Poison Bill, fettering us with registration of sales and attendance of witnesses, 
prescribing a particular form of bottle in which poisons might be kept and 
sold, and a particular corner in our shops in which they should be placed, 
would be only an encumbrance to the statute-book, inoperative as regards the 
public, and especially objectionable to men who, if they be properly qualified 
to deal in dangerous articles, will each, according to the special circumstances 
of his case, adopt precautions far more conducive to the public safety. 
£t I have said also a 1 liberal measure ,’ and on this point I may add, that the 
Home Secretary is already in possession of the views entertained by the Phar¬ 
maceutical Society, and I believe no chemist and druggist, properly so called, 
could, whether he be now a member of our Society or not, fairly object to those 
views. Our desire is to make the compulsory parts of the Bill entirely pro¬ 
spective, and to give all persons registered under it equally easy means of access 
to the Society which should regulate the examinations, etc. To suppose that 
there will ever be two Societies for the same object established by law requires 
a stretch of imagination to which I am not yet equal, and is a thing, I believe, 
entirely beyond the hope—nay, even the desire—of the best members of your 
Society. 
“I fully recognize the right of all persons ‘ governed ’—(but mind, I think 
‘ governed ’ is a strong expression for the present case)—to have a voice in the 
governing body, and I would for this reason carry the provisions of the Bill a 
little further than I have yet stated. 
tk You know the Select Committee resolved that there should be no compul¬ 
sory registration for men already in business. I would nevertheless have a 
voluntary registration ; and all able to bring the required certificate of their 
having been chemists, properly so called, should be entitled to that registration, 
and so have the same easy access I have mentioned before to the Society. 
