July 27,1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
79 
temporary and transitional. Has the Society’s policy changed, 
■or has it not ? 
Let us look at the proposed “ payment for results” which 
forms so large a part of the new scheme, not permitting its 
elaborate and carefully thought-out mechanical details to 
satisfy us without a deeper inspection. The system of the 
Government Department of Science and Art being the model 
followed by the new scheme, the essential differences in ob¬ 
ject and situation are to be noted, as well as the close re¬ 
semblances in mere details. The Imperial Government 
accepts the duty of paying for such educational results, not 
as a temporary one, but as one to be further developed from 
year to year. But, even the Government guards itself 
against merely saving the pockets of those who can afford to 
pay for their own education, and only recognizes the artizan- 
class in its payments. The Department of Science and Art 
does not pay its money -until the student has successfully 
gone through the pass examination, which it regards as the 
“ result” that justifies the payment. In our scheme, the same 
students are to be allowed to earn payments for three con¬ 
secutive years ; and as chemists and druggists in business are 
eligible, it is quite possible that the society may pay for results 
a dozen times, and yet its examining board may not receive 
half that number of candidates from the rewarded students. 
It cannot be irrelevant to enquire what will be the position 
of our own examining board when this new imperium in 
imperio is established. The Minor Examination will be 
infinitely the better test because of its practical section, and, 
I can imagine bitter disappointments and heartburnings as 
the result of this double test. If A.B., passing the “ Pay¬ 
ment Examination” in May, and certified by Professor C. D., 
■of the University of Y.Z., to be competent in chemistry, be 
plucked on this subject in July by our own board, that body 
will be placed in an unenviable position. It is impossible to 
avoid this by making the “Payment Examination” stiffer, 
for it seems certain that we must aim at making it just a 
shade easier than the Minor Examination. But, how is this 
to be done when the examiners are two independent bodies ? 
I fear the answer must be—impossible! Further, this theo¬ 
retical (though impossible) harmony will be believed in by the 
candidates, and if A.B. be an average student he will shut 
up his books after success at the “ Payment Examination.” 
Tnis result, when multiplied, will, I fear, lessen the amount 
of preparation for our Minor Examination. 
The difficulty of getting an absolutely equitable system of 
“ payment for results” is seen at many points. It is not 
surprising that this has induced some of your correspondents 
to suggest that the payment should be made directly to the 
student. The journey, logically taken from the “ principles,” 
leads to this idea. But, it no sooner enters one’s mind than 
it is displaced by the much simpler one that the Chairman 
of our own Board of Examiners should fill up a cheque for 
each successful candidate, and thus pay for results. Seriously, 
the recognition of the payment as one earned by the student 
has this tendency; it creates the idea that it is his property, 
to be returned to him in some way by reducing his fees to a 
nominal amount. Now, every profession contains some 
students to whom such mitigation of expenses is acceptable, 
but I contend that it is neither necessary nor desirable to 
place all our provincial students in such a position. 
The other modes of aid to Provincial Chem'sts’ Associations 
are disposed of by the scheme in half-a-dozen lines, and j r et 
they involve a possibly large expenditure of money. The 
engagement to “ go halves ” with any association in any ex¬ 
penditure with “a distinct scientific educational object” is 
bold in its scope and dubious in its definition. If an associa¬ 
tion inclines to pay £20 per annum for rent of premises for 
its classes, it will claim the same amount from the Pharma¬ 
ceutical Society, and go into rooms at £40 per annum. 
Business men recognize the evil of having a large balance at 
their bankers, and I cannot but think that the invested 
balance of the Society encourages the proposal of outlay 
without sufficient scrutiny. 1 would invite comparison 
between the present provisions and those of code No 1 of 
November, 1870, believing that the latter offered much 
greater security for the ratepayers’ money,” and was at the 
same time quite as liberal towards legitimate objects. The 
laxity of view found in some quarters is perhaps at its 
maximum when we meet with suggestions for giving sums of 
money to local committees, and letting them decide upon 
their appropriation. Under such circumstances, an applica¬ 
tion from a local committee would be a demand—its refusal 
would be a personal affront. 
Finally, let us. recognize the fact that the Society cannot 
afiord to make mistakbs a third time. There can hardly be 
any one vho will doubt that it was a mistake to sweep away 
untried, the bond fide Education Scheme No. 1. How this 
happened is still a mystery, but its substitute in scheme No. 2 
was so unhappy that it could not find a friend to defend it 
when attacked. On no principle of equity can it be perma¬ 
nently settled that the education of future chemists shall be 
paid for largely by an annual tax upon present chemists. 
Nor can any precedent for such a course be adduced from the 
practice of other professional bodies. If the present sub¬ 
scription brings an income larger than can be legitimately 
expended, let it be reduced. Within reasonable limits, I 
believe that members of the Society generally will recognize 
and accept the duty of helping provincial education in its 
present transitional state, because such condition is the result 
of the changes which the Society effected in 1868. That 
Mr. Schacht’s scheme of payment by results might lead to 
the earlier establishment of pharmacy classes in a very few 
places is possible, but I hold this to be an insufficient reason 
for establishing an unsound and very costly system, incom¬ 
patible with our present examinations. The scheme would 
only operate in towns with students numerous enough to 
form classes. Its object is, therefore, merely to distribute 
aid proportionately amongst these few towns. I venture to 
say that this may be done, and ought to be done, without 
incurring the evils which must result from following that 
seductive, but wholly inaccurate, phrase, “payment for 
results.” 
Richard Reinolds. 
Leeds, July 23 rd, 1872. 
Sir,—I have read in the Journal with considerable interest 
Mr. Schacht’s scheme for promoting provincial education, 
with the comments and wise suggestions made thereon. But 
it appears to me that what he proposes has, to a great extent, 
been tried in a few localities under able management and has 
signally failed, through the apathy of those it was intended 
to benefit. This plan, however, has its peculiar attractions ; 
and assuming that a much greater interest may be taken in 
schools established under it, I cannot see how it can meet the 
case, since none can avail themselves of the lectures proposed 
to be given unless they be in the immediate vicinity of cities 
or large towns. 
If, on the other hand, your schools are established in many 
towns, how can the expenses be met ? And after every effort 
has been made, there still will remain a very large number of 
assistants unable to benefit from such an arrangement, who 
would look with a jealous eye on money grants from Blooms¬ 
bury Square in which they were not benefited. 
I am aware many of our friends in the country consider 
they have a strong claim on the “ purse of the Society,” be¬ 
cause they say “ it is our money which fills it.” I grant such 
is the case; but in looking through the list of those who pass 
the examinations and obtain certificates, I find an equal pro¬ 
portion are from the country who either directly or indirectly 
have obtained, from the school in Bloomsbury Square the 
knowledge which has enabled them to pass. 
I am not opposed to grants when satisfactory local efforts 
have been made for a special object; say, the purchasing of 
a good microscope, or books of reference, which may be 
beyond the reach of individual assistants, subject to certain 
conditions; but it appears to me injudicious to attempt to 
establish anything like efficient provincial schools aided to 
any great extent by the funds of the Society. 
I contend a school does exist offering every facility for the 
education required, and in my judgment was intended by 
the founders to be so. I advise all those who have the 
means to enter there for one session, when by diligence and 
perseverance they may easily pass the two examinations, and 
thus tend by their acquirements to help to raise the body of 
whom they form a part, and also greatly improve their future 
prospects. 
This is my plan for the many. 
There are, I estimate, within a radius of six miles of the 
Square, one thousand assistants, eight hundred of whom have 
passed neither the Major nor Minor examination. 
Cannot a considerate and generous arrangement be entered 
into by their employers, whereby many of their assistants 
may attend two mornings in each week at Bloomsbury Square, 
say until one o’clock, to hear lectures, examine specimens, in 
fact do any thing to promote their improvement, and be 
