20 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[July G, 1872. 
Pharmaceutical Education. 
Sir,—The idea of others obtaining benefits which he neither 
requires nor desires, seems to gripe ‘ Country Major Asso¬ 
ciate ’ very much, and to disturb that peace of mind which 
his residence in the country ought to afford him. He appears 
to “ lav down the law ” pretty stiffly, but I think he would 
have done better if he had given us more reasons and less 
axioms. I will, however, endeavour to deal with what little 
he has given us. 
In the first place he declares that to aid country schools is 
unfair “to the Majors and Minors,who have been induced to 
proceed to London and elsewhere to acquire a good pharma¬ 
ceutical training.” With regard to this, I would merely ask 
him if the British Parliament was deterred from making 
education accessible to all classes, on account of a few who 
had been to college and had paid £100 for what would be 
now attainable for one-tenth of that sum P Next, he says 
that, the aim of the proposed scheme is to make the obtaining 
of degrees easier and cheaper than it has been to those who 
have already obtained them. Easier it cannot be unless the 
standard of the examinations is lowered, which every one 
knows is not the case. It is harder work for a student to 
prepare himself for the Minor with the help afforded by the 
provincial associations established at Bristol, Norwich or 
Northampton, than it would be at Bloomsbury Square. 
Cheaper it may be, but is not a man who has passed the 
Minor from Norwich or Bristol equal to one who lias passed 
it from Bloomsbury ? And if cheaper in the country, there 
will be no necessity for any one willing to work to be at the 
great expense of going to London to attend the lectures, etc. 
at the Square, a state of things which I think the Society 
would not be sorry to see, considering the great loss every 
year from the educational department; and if it is unfair to 
help the provincial associations, why help London with the 
funds of the Society ? 
Next, ‘Country Major Associate’ says it is unfair with 
regard to members in business that their subscriptions should 
be appropriated for what they do not care to support. I 
think it has been abundantly proved, both at the Annual 
Meeting and elsewhere, that the masters are entirely of an 
opinion that something must be done, the only question being 
how to be at the same time “just and generous.” And is it 
a matter of indifference to the masters whether their assist¬ 
ants shall be well instructed or not ? 
‘ Country Major Associate ’ says it is unfair to registered 
apprentices. I believe it is entirely voluntary whether or no 
they subscribe half a guinea per year to the Society, so I can¬ 
not see that it should be unfair to them. Beside, in return 
they enjoy certain advantages which unregistered apprentices 
do not, and therefore let them be satisfied with that, and not 
seek admission into provincial associations at half price, so as 
to entail heavier expense upon the other members. 
Then, lastly, ‘ Country Major Associate,’ makes one sweep¬ 
ing denunciation that is “unfair to every one enrolled into 
the Society on account of its not being a good general scheme.” 
Certainly, after such a bold assertion as this, one looks for 
something to back it up, but ‘ Country Major Associate ’ 
gives really nothing. He asks why should Tadcaster con¬ 
tribute to the support of an association at Manchester. Cer¬ 
tainly they should not do so without receiving anything in 
return, but I think it ought to contribute to Manchester just 
as much as to London. Why should London have the ad¬ 
vantage ? But under the system of payment for results, Tad- 
caster might earn sufficient to carry on a school of its own, 
and though to a certain extent Tadcaster would contribute to 
Manchester, it would receive more from Manchester than it 
contributed. In the face of all this, I cannot understand 
what 4 Country Major Associate ’ means by saying that the 
scheme has been shown to be neither “ fair, possible, or 
general.” There are several schemes being at present brought 
forward—which one does he mean? or does he mean that 
giving any aid at all to provincial associations is not ‘fair, 
possible, general, or practicable ?” 
With regard to ihe system of payment for results, 
1 Country Major Associate’ had better leave it in the hands 
of Mr. Schacht, as I do not think he can find abler ones to 
grapple with it. 
Perhaps ‘ Country Major Associate,’ or any other gentle¬ 
man, can give me a reason why £600 a year should be granted 
to the London School of Pharmacy, and why Manchester and 
Norwich, as well as Tadcaster, should contribute towards it, 
and not receive anything in return ? 
Most cordially do I endorse the proposal contained in the 
last lines of ‘Country Major Associate’s’ letter. No one 
could give better ideas of what is required than those gentle¬ 
men who have had such a large experience of teaching in that 
school which is the model after which all provincial associa¬ 
tions are designed. 
June nth, 1872. G. T. 
“ A Registered Student of the Society'' —(1) Only plants 1 
collected in their native habitats are admissible. (2) None 
but British plants are allowed. (3) Lindley’s ‘ School Botany ” 
would not meet the requirements of the collector; the work 
used must be one on British Botany, as indicated in the pub¬ 
lished regulations for the Botanical Prize. 
W. Dixon. —See Professor Bentley’s paper on Primus. 
Virginiana, Pharm. Journ., 2nd ser., Yol. Y. p. 97. 
A. Wood. —(1) You can obtain the information you re¬ 
quire by applying to Mr. Cooper, 28, Duke Street, West¬ 
minster. (2) We do not know T of such a test. 
“ Atrojpa Belladonna." —We have been favoured with the- 
following note by Mr. R. Goodwin Mumbray, of Rich¬ 
mond :— 
“ The interesting paper on Belladonna contained in a re¬ 
cent issue directed my attention to a specimen in my garden,, 
now in the third year of its growth. 
“I brought the plant from Dorking, but it languished 
almost entirely away; at last it was cut down, and seemed 
quite dead. Having noticed that the soil in which it grew 
was calcareous, I gave the root a dressing with old mortar, 
which produced the best results, for the plant threw up threo 
goodly stems; and last summer it grew to the height of 3^- 
feet. This season it is at least 6 feet high, and has 22 stems, 
one of which I send for your inspection. 
“Notwithstanding its deadly nature, the Atrojpa Bella¬ 
donna does not escape the attacks of various caterpillars and 
aphides. It has also been visited by their natural enemy, the 
Hemerobius, the remains of whose curious eggs are apparent 
upon one of the leaves; the minute larvm are no doubt busy 
with their prey.” 
II.M. —You appear to be under a mistake in assuming that 
the Pharmacy Act prohibits widows from carrying on the- 
business of a chemist and druggist otherwise than it pro¬ 
hibits all unregistered persons from doing so. On the con¬ 
trary, the 16th clause of the Act specifically states the means 
whereby a chemist and druggist may provide for his widow 
retaining and carrying on his business should he so desire.. 
The other subject referred to in your letter is one which we- 
think it inexpedient to notice, unless we see some distinct 
prospect of its being dealt with satisfactorily. 
B. Clement. —Such a book, if published, might be ob¬ 
tained through Messrs. Williams and Norgate, Henrietta 
Street, W.C. 
Morton. —The Preliminary examination is not at all depen¬ 
dent upon apprenticeship. All that is necessary is that you 
should possess a moderate knowledge of the English lan¬ 
guage, of Latin, and of Arithmetic. 
“ Minor Associate” is thanked for his suggestion, but we- 
think it is one that could not be adopted in this Journal. 
“ Non Liquet." —(1) See the answer to ‘ A Medical Stu¬ 
dent,' on p. 1044 of the number for June 22nd. (2) The 
crystallized form is the best to use. The water of hydration, 
is the same in both kinds. 
W. J. S .—(1) Care is required in making the addition of 
water, if all that has been previously added has evaporated, 
and the temperature of the mixed plaster, oil and glycerine- 
lias been increased much above 212° E. If then water be 
added, steam is generated, which causes the explosion men¬ 
tioned. (2) We do not know. It is not likely to occur if 
the Pharmacopoeia directions are attended to. 
“ Tyro.” —We do not see much reason to object to the- 
conclusion, provided the observations referred to were properly 
made. 4\ e consider the general character of the advertise¬ 
ment that you send, to be decidedly unwholesome. 
“J lei." —We think No. 1 is unobjectionable; but it is a 
question for a lawyer whether that is the case with No. 2. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Mr. Southall, Mr. Wliimpray, Professor Soubeiran, Mr. 
Thorp, Mr. Rimmington, “A Chemist,” “Esse.” 
A. P. S. and “A".” are referred to the rule as to anonymous, 
communications. 
