July 20, 1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
59 
wliicli they might seek partial employment, and thereby 
practical improvement in the trade. 
By this means, instead of having a mere form of education 
in doses of science and water, with a little of the sugar of 
experiment to make it palatable, administered to a class just 
able to keep itself alive, by an amateur professor, who could 
only snatch the fag ends of his days from business to devote 
to such an object, there would be distributed through the 
■country centres of efficient education where the entire ser¬ 
vices of competent men might be secured. Over this ex¬ 
tended area, young men just out of their time would surely 
be able to secure situations as student assistants, while the 
opportunity of securing the services of a cheap yet efficient 
class of assistants ought to induce the resident chemists in 
such towns to subscribe liberally at first to start these pro¬ 
vincial colleges of pharmacy in a really efficient manner. 
The Society could also afford to be more liberal in its grants 
than if e ery town of twenty thousand or so makes an at¬ 
tempt to start a small school of its own. These grants, too, 
could be better made in apparatus than money if judiciously 
•done. For this purpose it would be then worth while for the 
Bloomsbury staff to include a man who knew how to 
get to the inside of the London apparatus trade, as most ap¬ 
paratus may be secured at about half the price that country 
chemists could purchase it for. 
There is another consideration: such efficient schools as I 
suggest could certainly secure men as teachers, who could 
command South Kensington certificates, and thus the prizes, 
etc., given by that body would be available. Such institu¬ 
tions, without losing an atom of their special pharmaceutical 
efficiency, may become the centres of scientific instruction to 
the public generally. 
W. Symons. 
Sir—In this scheme for “Provincial Education,” based upon 
the principle of “aid for result,” what are “results?” and 
what are the “provinces ?” The answers gathered from the 
“ details” are that the provinces are the large towns, and the 
results are, first, the formation of local pharmaceutical asso¬ 
ciations, and secondly, the passing of examinations. The 
title of the scheme should include as its main object the for¬ 
mation of local associations; and this object practically re¬ 
stricts the operation of the scheme to large towns; for in 
such only are associations, on thestringest conditions of the 
proposal, feasible. Experience in the effort to form associa¬ 
tions in smaller towns is not calculated to stimulate to more 
of the toil of Sisyphus. Entire counties might be instanced 
where one or two associations at the utmost could be formed. 
Whence are lecturers to come ? and who are “ competent 
teachers ”? Is the number of the letters of the alphabet ap¬ 
pended to a name the guarantee ? and why should the value 
of lectures be measured by a chronometer? Men of “degrees” 
can sometimes “ talk” for an hour “ and say nothing” (as a 
Midland phrase has it), while men of far less note, but more 
“ a pt to teach,” might convey more information to the stu¬ 
dent in half an hour. Supposing students are only twelve 
miles distant from the favoured association (and this is far 
below the mark of many localities), how can more than one 
be spared from the same establishment for twenty lectures ? 
and “ cui bono’ ? If half the lectures are sufficient for one 
pupil, why should he suffer penalties for his clearer intellect, 
or more careful study, and perhaps his more slender means, 
provided he can come up to the standard of examination? Ought 
not the much-vaunted “results” to be sufficient evidence of 
competence on the part of the teacher, and of “ systematic 
and persistent” study on the part of the pupil ? unless, indeed, 
the number ot hours is to be a pledge that the drones of the 
class have had adequate opportunities. If such be the case, 
where is the security for their attendance ? 
The scheme seems inconsistent with its third principle of 
generality, since its benefits will be confined to the large towns 
unless the smaller ones clamour for doubtful aid, in forma 
pauperis, under the indefinite “ last sentence of the scheme.” 
And it is the old question, how far it would be “just” to 
apply funds derived from the country at large to the favoured 
towns? Aid associations by all means, but add a capitation 
grant—not as payment, but as an honorarium or “stimulus” 
for all successful candidates. Let there be room in the 
scheme for the words so often seen in the reports of the Lon- 
don University examination “ private study.” Or, perhaps 
better still, as the Pharmaceutical Society has attained the 
goal of its ambition in compulsory examinations, let it pre¬ 
pare to relinquish its educational functions, and confining 
itself to examination, let it leave education to the law of 
supply and demand, and reduce subscriptions in proportion 
to its saving in consequence. 
So far as the scheme is yet developed, it does not contain 
promise enough to beget in a country chemist very profound 
gratitude, which is said to be “ a lively sense of favours to 
come.” These first and hurried thoughts, Mr. Editor, in re¬ 
sponse to your earnest invitation for expressions of opinion 
may assume better form and tone on a future occasion. 
Henry H. Pollard. 
Hyde, July loth, 1872. 
Sir,—I am induced by Mr. Schacht’s request to the mem¬ 
bers of the Pharmaceutical Society to express my opinions 
upon the scheme propounded for the education of our young 
men in your Journal of the 6th inst. 
As, the representative of a business of about fifty-four 
years’ standing, I beg to offer mine, as one whose wish is 
that all members of the pharmaceutical body may occupy a 
better position in the estimation of the medical profession 
and the public than they do at present. 
The able and comprehensive manner in which Mr. 
Schacht ha3 delineated his scheme does him very great 
credit; but I must express my strong disapprobation of his 
plan for disposing of the funds of the Society. 
Our subscriptions are intended for imperial, and not local 
objects,—that is, to keep a Council of our most able and ex¬ 
perienced members in London, who can confer with the Go¬ 
vernment on any legislative measures which may affect us as 
a. body; to keep up a school of pharmacy worthy of the na¬ 
tion, and a laboratory second to none, for the benefit of the 
United Kingdom and the Colonies, but not for any local dis¬ 
trict. , We should keep up an institution in London which, 
with its museum, library, etc., will stand comparison with 
those of the Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, and with 
whose members our Council could meet on equal terms with 
regard to their scientific knowledge and acquirements. If 
our funds be devoted to teach elementary knowledge, the 
great object of our Society will be ignored, and -we shall 
raise up a body of chemists with mediocre abilities, pretty 
much the same as the International Society is now endea¬ 
vouring to reduce the working men of Europe to one dead 
level. 
_ Presuming that Bristol will have the benefit of pecuniary 
aid from the parent Society, what advantage will it be to 
Cornwall, Devonshire, Dorset, East Somerset, or the six 
counties of South Wales? It will give immense advantage 
to the young men of Bristol, at the expense of the general 
body, to have lectures on botany, chemistry, and pharmacy, 
by competent teachers, which will be denied to all who live 
beyond ten miles of that city. 
It is with regret I observe the paucity of young men 
who pass the Major examination of the Society, which is 
very detrimental to its interest, as the Minor certificate has 
not so much influence with the medical profession or the 
educated part of the public as a three years’ recommendation 
from the well-known dispensing establishments of Corbyn’s, 
Bell’s, Allen and Hanburys’, Squire’s, Godfrey and Cooke’s, 
etc., whose names are household words throughout the 
land; and unless the Council offer powerful inducements to 
young men to study the higher branches of the pharma¬ 
ceutical sciences thoroughly the position of our craft will 
not be improved. 
To accomplish this object, let us say twenty scholarships 
be annually given, by examination in London, to registered 
apprentices throughout the kingdom, and a sufficient sum of 
money be granted to cover their board, lodging, and instruc¬ 
tion during the session or two they are required to study; 
and let twenty more be given to those who have passed the 
Minor examination with the greatest credit, on the same 
terms. We shall then have healthy competition among the 
young men, when they know there is equal fair play to all 
alike. 
If this plan could be carried out by the Council, in a few 
years the kingdom would be illumined by a race of Schachts, 
who would be an honour to their Alma Mater, and who 
would command the respect of the medical professiqp and 
the public by their knowledge and scientific acquirements. 
Thomas Hughes. 
LlanUlo , South Wales, July 1 6th, 1872. 
