-August ^ 4 , 1S72.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
140 
founded in Great Britain “ for the purpose of advancm_ 
chemistry and pharmacy and promoting an uniform s} s- 
tem of education of those who should practise the same, 
as well as for protective and eleemosynary purposes. 
Eor these special objects “The Pharmaceutical Society 
of Great Britian” was granted a Royal Charter of In¬ 
corporation in 1843, an Act of Parliament legalizing the 
title of Pharmaceutical Chemist in 1852, and another m 
1868 raising the term Chemist and Druggist to a title 
only to be acquired thereafter by those possessing such 
a pharmaceutical education as would stand the test 01 
appropriate examination. The followers of pharmacy, as 
a body, the Legislature and the public have admitted and 
recognized the importance of pharmaceutical education. 
The Object of the Author of this Taper is, then, not to 
maintain the importance but to consider the nature and 
extent of pharmaceutical education in England as gauged 
by the legal examinations. Two additional questions 
relating to pharmaceutical education are occupying atten¬ 
tion at the present time. The one is how to supply the 
demand for knowledge which compulsory examination 
has called forth ; the other is the future relation of the 
Pharmaceutical Society to pharmaceutical education. 
But before either of these questions can be usefully 
discussed, the character of the knowledge required by a 
- candidate for the “ Minor ” must be considered. To show 
that this order of procedure is imperative, let me some- 
what expand the former question—that which is generally 
described as the question of Provincial Pharmaceutical 
Education. Members of the Pharmaceutical Society 
and other pioneers of pharmaceutical progress are com- 
mendably anxious that sound education should be pro¬ 
vided for the young men who are legally compelled to 
pass the “Minor” Examination before they can be 
styled “Chemist and Druggist;” the majority of the 
young men themselves obtain only such an amount of 
information as will enable them to pass the said exami¬ 
nation. Let us here distinguish between things different. 
The principals in pharmacy residing in provincial towns 
are asking the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society 
to aid in the development of local schools of pharmacy, 
on the assumption that compulsory examination lias 
created a wide-spread demand by assistants and appren¬ 
tices for pharmaceutical education. Now I assert that 
such a demand ought to exist, and that under improved 
organization will exist, but that it does not yet exist. 
The demand for knowledge which has arisen on the 
part of the young men is, I regret to say, of a vastly 
inferior description to that which is rightly embraced 
under the term education—knowledge of a kind and 
extent such as would be beneath the dignity of any 
recognized school to supply. The principals are basing 
their agitation on a demand for genuine education 
which does not yet exist; the candidates for the title 
of chemist and druggist are being, supplied with a 
. spurious education without any agitation at all. I shall 
bring forward proof in support of this statement presently; 
meanwhile I assert that the Pharmacy Act of 1868 has not 
created any demand for sound pharmaceutical education 
that did not exist before 1868, and that consequently 
. any attempt to supply such education before the demand 
arises will result in that loss of effort, time and money 
which has hitherto followed nearly every attempt to 
establish a school of pharmacy in the provinces. It 
what I state is true., it will be admitted by all that the 
first question for discussion is the nature and extent of 
;the education which should be possessed by every can¬ 
didate for examination ; and second, what means can be 
adopted whereby to ensure that a candidate does possess 
this knowledge. If sufficient means can be devised 
and employed fox' rendei'ing’ certain the acquirement of 
this knowledge by a candidate, then, and not till then, 
will a demand for sound education arise. Only when 
these two questions have been satisfactorily settled will 
there be any locus standi for the third question, namel}, 
how best to provide candidates with means for acquiring 
pharmaceutical education commensurate with the 
demand that will then arise; and fourth, the relation¬ 
ship of the Pharmaceutical Society to pharmaceutical 
education. 
Thar maceittleal Education .— Tast. 
I shall first treat of pharmaceutical education from 
its birth in this country (1841) to the time of the Pass¬ 
ing of the Act providing compulsory examination (1868); 
next, state its lamentable position at the present time , 
and, lastly, consider the means by. which it may bo 
raised to its proper position; a position, that is to say, 
under which true schools of pharmacy , can flourish 
throughout the country under the. fostering care, but 
not necessarily under the immediate, control, or the 
Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. 
1841. In the first volume of the first series ol^the 
Pharmaceutical Journal (1. 1. 41), one of the leading 
objects of the Pharmaceutical Society was stated to be 
“the establishment of a system of education which will 
give professional character, influence and respectability 
to the whole body.” . p , OT ,^ 
1842. After a few preliminary lectures on . Botan}, 
delivered in the summer, on account of the facilities for 
obtaining fresh plants at that season, a School of phar¬ 
macy was opened at 17, Bloomsbury Square, m October 
1842 In the course of an introductory address, the 
Vice-President, Mr. Charles James Payne, said, it is 
o-reatly to be regretted that so many circumstances have 
combined to keep the great majority of chemists and 
druggists in past times to that continuous and un¬ 
wearied application to the mere mechanical part of then 
business which commercial habits induce, so that we 
have constantly had occasion to deplore the lack ol in¬ 
formation in the principles of our art, which Las bee 
betrayed by many who have been brought np to it. 
Without entering into the various causes of t 
deficiency, the most striking has certainly been the want 
of a defined and regular system of education amongst 
the chemists and druggists as a body, and the absence of 
some compulsion to avail themselves of it. • • • 
conceive that no youth should be allowed to enter upon 
the study or practice of pharmacy, who has not received 
such a scholastic education as shall have brou 0 ht his 
mind into habits which will prepare him for a pursuit in 
which the intellect must be brought into exercise con¬ 
tinually.” After alluding to the Preliminary examina¬ 
tion he says, “ We then consider that a young man s 
professional knowledge should embrace a competent 
acquaintance with Chemistry, Materia Medica, Botany 
and Pharmacy. ... We are not about to mer 0 e the 
trade in the profession, but to establish the trade upon 
fixed and scientific principles,” In this the first = 
a course of lectures on Chemistry was given b} I ownes, 
on Botany and Materia Medica by Anthony Todd 
Thompson, and on Pharmacy by Redwood. 
The Council seems to have recognized the fact that 
these early morning lectures would only be attended, by 
students residing in the metropolis and suburbs, form a 
leader in^the Journal (1. 2. 121) occurs the remark 
that “ When the school in London is completely esta 
blished and has realized our expectations, it. be> tim 
to consider the propriety of forming branch scho^m 
other narts of the country, where the amount of popula 
S a P nd the zeal of oJ brethren in the^se^im- 
provement are such as to give scope for to>’““erta„• 
We have received communications from severa 1 
^ subject, and have no doubt that when to proper 
time arrives, the zeal will not be found wanting. 
1843. The subject of Proyncial ^hools of 1^^ 
macy still occupies attention (1. 2. 669). 
dtv of adoutimr some measures for promoting «. 
proved system of education among the rising member 
of oui body not only in London but in all parts of the 
country, appears to be generally felt 
Lectures were delivered and proposed to be delnerea in 
