677 
PRESCRIPTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. STATEMENT OF THE 
SOCIETY’S COLLECTION. 
BY JOSEPH INCE. 
I have the permission of the Board of Examiners to bring this subject before 
your notice. In order to save time let me begin at the end. Not very long 
ago I had to work up some geographical details for a friend’s paper. I went 
down in consequence to Whitehall and on entering the Rooms of the Royal 
Geographical Society asked to see a map of the locality desired. The answer 
was, which ? In a few minutes a long line of canvas was displayed and books 
were likewise provided in the Library. I here was sufficient material for two 
hours reference. This wa 3 at the date of the Abyssinian Expedition and there 
might have been an exceptional attendance for there was a constant ebb and 
flow of visitors. Four questions out of six turned upon the fortunes of King 
Theodore. But in addition, one wished to emigrate to Australia and wanted 
maps and charts: another had an Indian Government appointment; a third 
was bent on a botanical excursion. Finally, during those two hours none went 
away unsatisfied. On leaving, it appeared to me that that was exactly what a 
Society should be able to accomplish; it should be the representative and expo¬ 
nent of the particular branch of Science it was established to promote. Ours 
being the Pharmaceutical Society should yield the palm to none in advancing 
Pharmacy. 
To-night I have to talk about Prescriptions, the threshold of our practical 
knowledge. I wish to state our present means of reference, what they were, 
and are,'and what with your favour they may become. 
Let me put the matter under an entirely new aspect, and introduce you to 
a thought the truth of which it will be my chief aim to prove. 
Two duties are before us, the first is to examine, the second is to teach. I 
do not come to you as a critic, nor to find ingenious fault with the labours of the 
past _I only say that our books have been arranged solely for Examination pur¬ 
poses _that they have become insufficient for the task imposed, and that neither 
in variety, extension or construction, can they teach the student. To what ex¬ 
aminer has it not been suggested by a candidate, that he cannot be expected to 
be familiar with that which he has never seen ? The time has come when this 
excuse should cease, and just as a man frequents our Museum to learn Materia 
Medica, so also he should consult our own Collection in order to read Prescrip¬ 
tions. Vhere he should find all that he may require—specimens of every pos¬ 
sible* hand writing whether written by the schoolmaster or tjie sphinx—varied 
constructions easy and difficult alike—the English recipe, the German scrawl 
and the French ordonnance. This already I have to some extent attempted 
and it will explain the presence of many formulae which would not otherwise 
have been admitted. There seems no valid reason why not only the Charac¬ 
teristic practice of the Medical Profession, but that of special localities should 
be represented. If when at Rome we must do as Rome does, let us know what 
that may be. ' London has not the monopoly of Medicine—the great manu¬ 
facturing towns should not be excluded, nor should the country fail to contii- 
bute to our store of knowledge. 
Can books teach ? Would not a young Pharmacist acquire more it placed 
three months in a brisk dispensing establishment than in twice the time spent in 
poring over manuscript ? Who doubts the fact ? We work for the average and 
wrest the largest amount of good from circumstances. 
Let us infuse common sense into our undertakings, and in reference to this 
particular matter teach what we can in the best manner. Not twelve candi- 
