50 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[July 20, 1872. 
“ der expedient. Much of the usefulness of the 
‘ Society depends upon the prosperity of the School 
“ of Pharmacy, and that can only be secured by the 
“ value of the instruction it affords, and by the en- 
“ couragement afforded to it by the Members and 
“ Associates. 
So far the Society has succeeded in its main 
object: the necessity of special educational quali¬ 
fications in the pharmacist has been recognized by the 
public. As a result of this recognition, if as much 
wisdom be shown by the pharmaceutical leaders of 
the future, as by those of the past, a few years will 
bring round the time when the practice of pharmacy 
will be a monopoly of examined men, a monopoly no 
less beneficial to the public than to those possessing 
it. Therefore, in this as in other cases, there is no 
reason why special technical training should be pro¬ 
vided at too low a cost; neither has the man who 
seeks such training any right to assume that it shall 
be provided for him at less than its market value. 
We do not lose sight of the desirability'that phar¬ 
maceutical pupils should have within reach means 
for acquiring a knowledge of the scientific principles 
upon which the art of pharmacy is based. But 
we must again reiterate what was well put by Mr. 
Nuthall in his letter, page 19, that the essential 
foundation of this knowledge is to be acquired by 
experience in the shop, and that it should be a matter 
of course for all who have been three or four years 
in the business, and not a thing that they begin to 
seek for the first time after the lapse of that initiatory 
period. However, there can be no doubt that, even 
where the pupil has the advantage of a master 
capable and willing to instruct him, he will be 
benefited in supplementing such practical instruc¬ 
tion by hearing scientific principles systematically 
enunciated by other persons. With this end in 
view, and true to its original policy, the Council 
of the Society has ever sought, and still seeks to 
know how it may assist to the attainment of the 
best education possible those who have already 
helped themselves. But this would be more effectually 
accomplished if, instead of four-fifths of the “ country 
members of the trade ” remaining outside the Society 
and resting satisfied with expressing dissatisfaction 
with the efforts of the Council, they came forward 
and helped in providing for the want which they so 
readily recognize. In fact, it may fairly be said that 
the Society, as a voluntary association, has already 
completed its labour in the cause of education, and 
that, in having succeeded in making education com¬ 
pulsory, it has done the work it originally projected. 
It is now the time for those who have been at best 
mere lookers-on to come forward and give their aid 
in making the advantages of that work accessible to 
all. 
It may be as well to remark that the use of the 
phrase “payment for results ” has in some quarters 
-led to complete misapprehension of the object sought; 
an instance of which occurs in an opinion expressed 
last week by a correspondent that the grants of the- 
Society must be made to “ pharmaceutical students- 
only.” It is ridiculous to suppose that the Society 
will ever pay students for acquiring that which is of 
benefit to themselves. But the proposition is, that, 
where a local association has organized educational' 
machinery, and as a result produced students who* 
are able to pass the examinations, then the Society 
shall make a grant to such local association in pro¬ 
portion to the work it has accomplished. 
It would be a pity, however, if the discussion of this; 
subject should tend to make any student dubious as to 
what may be accomplished without such extraneous, 
help. We quite agree with Mr. Nuthall’s opinion, 
that “individual effort ” is easily able to ac¬ 
complish the “Minor,” in which the candidate “ is- 
required to “ show a thorough familiarity with the- 
“various aspects of those things which he is called 
“ upon to use daily.” Those who are disposed to try the- 
experiment, may be encouraged by knowing that the- 
test is not an excessively stringent one, as is evident 
from the fact that the failures during 1871 were less 
than 37 per cent, of the whole number examined, a. 
small proportion when compared with the recent 
matriculation examination at the London University, 
when only 190 candidates passed out of 512, more: 
than 01 per cent, having failed. 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL CONFERENCE. 
A sentence in the circular just issued by the Se¬ 
cretaries of the British Pharmaceutical Conference,, 
to which we alluded last week, must be our apology 
for referring to a subject which we think is worthy- 
of the attention of the leaders of that body. It is 
stated that the local members of the Conference at- 
Brighton intend inviting their brethren from a dis¬ 
tance to a dinner on the evening of the first day’s; 
meeting. We by no means wish to cavil at the kind¬ 
ness intended, nor to suggest in the remotest degree 
that it is not offered in the heartiest manner; but. 
we do consider that it is a matter of serious doubt 
whether it is politic to allow such a practice to be¬ 
come established, as it may sometimes prove extremely* 
onerous to those who have to carry it out. The fact is,, 
in accordance with the idea of the originators of the- 
Conference, its place of meeting has hitherto been, and 
probably will be in the future, ruled rather by the- 
decision of the British Association than by any 
special invitation; and although a hearty welcome- 
and reception have never been lacking, we think 
it should be understood that all which is required or 
expected from the resident pharmacists is that they 
would kindly assist in the organization of the neces¬ 
sary arrangements for securing a successful meeting. 
We believe that a well-conducted excursion, which 
every member might attend or not, as he pleased*. 
