PRESCRIPTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. 
679 
It is now my duty to tell you about something done and why this project was 
entertained. I began the idea, but speedily it was taken out of my hands. It 
is mine no longer. The first notion (seeing the insufficient character of our 
books for present use) was to contribute 100 recipes. These were so easily ob¬ 
tained that the number was doubled. Wishing to complete the scheme, though 
only 23 were required, I called on three London pharmacists. One, a Member 
of Council, who is never weary of well doing, gave me my French prescriptions. 
Another, an old school and College friend, gave West End Prescriptions, and 
specially those he knew I was not likely to obtain. A third for whom I have 
an hereditary respect, which has deepened into a warmer feeling, allowed me to 
represent Belgravia. That night, 172 recipes were on my writing table. One, 
whose name I will not mention, but who has six times been 1 resident of this 
Society, fitted me up wuth liis particular circle of dispensing. A friend whom 
I hold in honour, being the Loudon representative of a wholesale house kindly 
supplied one or two prescriptions from different establishments. Ihe advantage 
of this plan I cannot over-estimate. 
The country has sent representative formulae from Clifton, Islington, Lea- 
mington, Nottingham, and Weymouth. Lastly, a person well known in 
Oxford Street has made my book of value and historic by giving the collection 
of Jacob Bell. Still though there is a silver lining, there remains a large ex¬ 
panse of cloud, and deficiencies in painful number crowd upon observation. 
Celebrated practitioners are poorly represented, such as Chambers, Bright, S.r 
Hy. Holland, or Sir Benj. Brodie. Students should recognize these handwrit¬ 
ings at a glance. Even Mr. Deane (himself an Examiner) appends a note, 
u Lawrence I believe,” to which I have added u Sir \\ m. Lawrence I am suie. 
Returning to the theory that these books should teach, it would be most desir¬ 
able to have a fair proportion of Golding Bird whose handwriting was about 
as obscure as his recipes were difficult to dispense. To decipher and prepare 
these prescriptions would test dispensing skill. Equally useful for purposes 
of instruction would be Elliotson with his unusual but successful doses, who for 
bad caligraphy might contest the prize with Soest. A dozen formulae of this 
latter gentleman would prove of service in the Major Examination. Elliotson 
is absent from the collection altogether, and neither the specimens of Golding 
Bird nor Brodie are characteristic. _ . 
Perfect examples of Sir Benjamin are difficult to obtain. Being a celebrated 
man, member of many learned Societies, President of the Royal, and remaik- 
ably well known abroad, his autograph was in keen request. Moreover he le- 
lied more on pure Surgery and treatment than on physic, and he was not a 
prescriber in the ordinary sense of that word. Still his few distinctive formulae, 
the Compound Rhubarb Pills, Manna and Senna Draught, and Pareira Brava, 
should find a place in our collection. Duplicates of these might be draughted 
into different books. Let a careful student compare the seemingly infinitesimal 
doses of a French ordonnance, with the potent quantities ordered by some of 
our most distinguished practitioners—let him observe the startling differences 
existing even in France between the exhibition of some opiates, in homoeo¬ 
pathic fashion, and syrups administered with liberal hand : contrast this with 
the special practice of men like Elliotson, Miller (of India), Seymour, Dickson 
and others, and he will hesitate in forming an opinion at hap-hazard on what is 
called Posology. The dose of Morphia and of all preparations of Opium ; 
Quinine, Scheele’s Hydrocyanic Acid, Iron, and many remedies must be inter¬ 
preted by the known usual practice of the prescriber. Here our Society may 
teach in a most effective manner and indeed may present a wider range than the 
generality of even London Pharmacies. But I am reminded that once I was the 
companion of a Yorkshire farmer in a tour through the North of France. Fie 
was anxious to learn the difference between the two countries. YV e came on a 
