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BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL CONFERENCE. 
To this high testimony to the success of my experiment, I have only to 
add that, with one exception, my pupils were all beginners in chemistry, 
and that there was not one atom of cramming from beginning to end. All 
that was acquired was well understood and legitimately stowed away, and 
they left off with a most healthy desire for more. Where doubt or diffidence 
at first existed, interest, and finally enthusiasm, prevailed ; and, at the close 
of our labours, I had the pleasure of receiving a most gratifying address, one 
sentence of which, as having general and not personal significance, I quote, 
“having advanced so far, we shall feel more encouraged to continue our en¬ 
deavours to qualify in the higher branches of the science.” _ 
This, then, is my experiment,—I wanted to try it anything might be done 
for pharmaceutical education by a commonplace man under commonplace cir¬ 
cumstances,—I have tried,—and, if in telling you about it I have been some¬ 
what minute, it was because I wanted you to join in the verdict.. I am bold 
to think you will agree that a good deal was done. Those questions are not 
easy for beginners, and yet my young students were found to be nearly equal 
to them. But I am also anxious not to overexalt the merits ot my particular 
form of work. On the other hand, I wish to record my conviction that a 
great deal more would have been done, had the opportunities offered them 
been more favourable. Chemistry is an experimental science, and botany one 
of careful and minute observation of natural facts,—the laboratory and the 
experimental lecture are the proper school for the one, and the field and the 
microscope for the other ; it is true, however, that for the full study of either, 
a certain amount of book-work is necessary, and, in that part of the business, 
I gave these young men some help. One other consideration also deserves 
mention, viz. that our success, such as it was, goes to prove the truth of my 
assumption, that our juniors are ready to avail themselves of all fair oppor¬ 
tunities that are offered them. 
I say, then, that under certain circumstances, and for certain purposes, 
“readings in chemistry,” and, perhaps, “readings in botanymight be 
looked to as useful elements in pharmaceutical scientific training ; not the 
best, but available, perhaps, at times when nothing better is to be had ; and 
be it remembered, no title or diploma is here required. Given a good book 
and a little wholesome enthusiasm, and any master pharmaceutist may be 
sure to bring about him an attentive and willing class. The book I selected 
is a good one, but there are many to choose from, and there is one that will 
be in our hands in a few months which, from what 1 have seen, X think will 
probably commend itself to us pharmacists before all others, I mean the 
new edition of Dr. Attfield’s ‘ Chemistry.’ 
But let us ever remember, no book-work alone, however excellent m kmu, 
is sufficient for our purpose ; and I should wish my last line to be an effort 
to urge upon every provincial pharmaceutical association, to adopt as the 
very basis of its organization, the provision of the best systematic, experi¬ 
mental, and practical scientific teaching that its locality can supply. 
The President remarked that the warm reception given to this paper showed how 
much approval it had met with. It was full of matter of the deepest interest, and Mr. 
Schacht’s description of his educational experiment proved how excellent a teacher he 
was. He could not too strongly express his admiration of the untiring zeal with which 
the author had continued his well-directed labours for so many months. He invite a 
discussion upon the paper. 
Mb Balkwill described a plan which had been adopted at Plymouth, where a tew 
chemists had undertaken to give instruction in Materia Medica to a class of about twenty 
assistants and apprentices. The class met every two or three weeks, sometimes at one 
house aud sometimes at another, and the duty of instructing it was divided amongst 
