250 
CO-OPERATIVE TRADING. 
Too great stress cannot be laid upon the advantages to a youth entering the 
profession, of thus qualifying himself; and to all parents and guardians of 
youths about to enter upon their apprenticeship, we would urge the desirability 
of persuading the youths to work up for these examinations. By doing so, 
they will lay an excellent foundation for the reception at once of technical 
knowledge, and gain to themselves an immense amount of time, freed from the 
anxiety inseparable from the prospect of a classical examination subsequent to 
leaving the classic influence and guidance of the schools, and this is an im¬ 
mense advantage, only appreciable by those who have experienced it. But 
for the convenience of others, who from any cause are unable to avail them¬ 
selves of these examinations, and with a view to a uniform test, the Board has 
arranged that every three months, or oftener if necessary, a simultaneous exa¬ 
mination throughout the provinces shall take place. The Boards in London 
and Edinburgh set the questions, and examine and decide upon the results; the 
Local Secretaries are appointed by the Council to superintend and overlook the 
actual working out of the papers by the candidates. One such examination 
has now taken place; and, judging from its results, the system is calculated to 
work very well; if the Local Secretaries take the iuterest which their office 
warrants the expectation of, in rigidly carrying out the instructions furnished 
them, there is room for very little doubt that this mode of conducting the Pre¬ 
liminary or Matriculation examination will prove highly satisfactory, and 
furnish results of the greatest value in testing the qualification of candidates 
for admission, infinitely superior to the uncertain and indefinite certificates 
hitherto considered sufficient. Too great stress cannot be laid upon the impor¬ 
tance to a successful pharmaceutist of making sure his fundamental education. 
Without it all his future studies will be labour of incomprehensibleness. We 
have, therefore, great pleasure in referring our readers to Mr. Deane’s excellent 
remarks on the subject in his Inaugural Address to the students, for none is 
better able to express an opinion than he. Dr. Greenhow, also, the Government 
assessor of our examinations, alike in the interest of the public and the exami¬ 
nees, most frankly and truly observed, “ With regard to classical knowledge, 
Latin at least is indispensable in a strictly business point of view for pharma¬ 
ceutists, especially as the members of the profession to which he had the honour 
to belong did not always write so legibly as could be desired.’ 1 
THE OPENING OF THE NEW SESSION. 
Elsewhere in our Journal will be found a report of the opening meeting of 
the Pharmaceutical Session—a report which speaks so plainly of the advancing 
condition of pharmacy in Great Britain, and the work of our Society, as to need 
no comment from us. It must have been no small pleasure to Henry Deane to 
have such evidence as the sixth of October afforded of the growth and fructifica¬ 
tion of the tree which he helped to plant more than a quarter of a century ago, 
and has never ceased to nurture. 
CO-OPERATIVE TRADING. 
When a number of individuals, similarly circumstanced, have an object in 
view the attainment of which is of great importance, and can only or most 
easily be effected by their combined efforts, it is very natural that they should 
unite in concerting and applying means for its accomplishment; and the mere 
closely such individuals are connected by proximity of residence, similarity 
