160 
[August 24, 1872.. 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
on two or three occasions no lessons were given by the 
master to the apprentice, and when any information 
was sought by the latter of the former it was refused. 
Matters so continued up till December, when in answer 
to an application from the father for a report of his 
son’s progress, defendant wrote a letter stating that, in 
consequence of defective education and memory, the 
apprentice was not suited for the business, and that a 
mechanical employment would be more suitable for him; 
to which the father replied that this did not absolve de¬ 
fendant from performing his covenant. In February of 
this year, defendant offered to return the premium, but 
then altered his mind, saying that if any one could make 
the lad a chemist he could, and should not part with 
him, but promised the father to put him through a severe 
course of study, giving not less than three lessons a week. 
This was not carried out; but from this time till May 
or June defendant entirely neglected him, and refused 
to give the slightest instruction; but on the con¬ 
trary left the shop daily to the care _ of the apprentice, 
and at night returned and abused him for not having 
done more business. In May defendant gave the lad a 
black eye, and apologized for having done so to the 
father, and on June 1st the apprentice was _ sent home 
by the defendant, and it appeared with as little know¬ 
ledge of chemistry and dentistry as he had carried with 
him. No effort had been made to prepare the lad for 
his Minor examination. Under these circumstances, 
Mr. Evans submitted that the plaintiffs were entitled to 
be put into the same position as they were on before the 
indenture was executed, and that the defendant could 
not and ought not to be allowed to retain the plaintiffs’ 
money when he had entirely failed to perform the con¬ 
sideration for which it was paid. 
As the defendant did not appear, the Judge at once 
summed up, instructing the jury that if they believed 
the defendant had not used his best means to instruct 
they should find a verdict for the plaintiffs. 
The jury at once found a verdict for £32. 10s., and his 
Honour ordered defendant to pay plaintiffs’ taxed costs 
and expense of witnesses, with immediate execution.— 
Chelmsford Chronicle. 
*** iVo notice can be talcen of anonymous communica¬ 
tions. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authenti¬ 
cated by the name and address of the writer ; not necessarily 
or publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. 
Provincial Education. 
Sir,—In justice to myself I must notice a letter from 
‘ Country Major Associate,’ in your issue of August 3rd. 
Your correspondent writes as follows: “ With regard to the 
subject of payment for results, £ G. T.’ says that I had better 
leave the matter in abler hands.” Now it is a pity that when 
he referred to my letter to find out the date, he did not look 
to see what it was I really did say. If he will take the trouble 
to look again, he will find the expression used by me runs as 
follows : “ With regard to the subject of payment for results, 
‘ Country Major Associate,’ had better leave it in the hands 
of Mr. Schacht, as I do not think he will find abler ones to 
grapple with it?” Now this is very different from what 
‘ Country Major Associate ’ makes me say. 
Your correspondent thinks, or rather fancies, that Mr. 
Schacht’s scheme cannot be adopted by the Society, on account 
of “the objection of examined men to allow some of the 
interest of their money deposited in the Society, to be dis¬ 
tributed to the students of the country.” Would it surprise 
him to learn that Mr. Schacht’s scheme has already been 
adopted by the Council ? And though I dare say many 
( £ Country Major Associate ’ amongst them) would much 
prefer to see the annual surplus invested in Consols, than 
spread abroad, doing good to their own class, yet it is a great 
comfort to think that as they unfortunately happen to be in a 
minority, they cannot have it their own way. 
There seem to be a little “ Bunkum ” in ‘ Country Major 
Associate’s ’ account of Ms own case. In the present state 
of the trade, “ examined pharmaceutists ” are in but a small 
minority, and of this learned few, how many “ delight to 
teach ” ? Your correspondent must excuse me if I doubt the 
statement that his pharmacy contains more specimens than 
the local museums, or his library more and better books than 
the local library, at least I should not think that is the case, 
with respect to the Norwich Association. 
In the Journal of the 10th we have served up, cut and 
dried, an ideal representation of “ the Society, local committee, 
teacher and student,” under the scheme of Mr. Schacht. 
Somewhere or other, I remember to have met with an old 
proverb, so old indeed, that even if £ Country Major Asso¬ 
ciate ’ had met with it, I doubt if he would have paid any 
attention to it, and it ran something to the effect that, “ An 
ounce of practice was worth a pound of theory,” and I think 
it very applicable to £ Country Major Associate’s ’ ideal re¬ 
presentation. For my own part, I cannot see what there is 
in this representation so formidable that the Society could not 
overcome it. With regard to his sneer at the lower middle 
classes, let him remember that from this class have risen, 
greater, nobler, and better men than from all the wealthy 
aristocrats put together. Did he never hear of Faraday, of 
Brindley, or of Stephenson ? To my way of thinking it is 
more creditable for the son of a “ policeman, coastguardsman, 
artisan, or small shopkeeper,” to work his way up to a respon¬ 
sible and respectable position in life, than it is for the son of a 
wealthy man who has no end of advantages in money, tutors, 
etc. ‘ Country Major Associate ’ seems as if he would make 
worldly prosperity the standard, whereby to judge a man, 
instead of mental ability. Who are those men whose names 
stand foremost in Science, Art, and Commerce ? They are the 
men who work, who have stern necessity to spur them for¬ 
ward, and with whom work has become a duty, a pleasure, 
and a habit. I admire and support Mr. Schacht’s scheme 
because it does what is so distasteful to £ Country Major 
Associate,’ that is, it helps those who need help, those whom 
£ Country Major Associate’ styles the lowest class of chemists, 
those who with the glorious example of Faraday before them, 
will in future time form the backbone of our trade, raising it 
to a high scientific position with a fair commercial prosperity, 
Ask those who have had experience in teaching of any sort, 
not particularly pharmacy, who are the hardest workers, and 
who need the most help, and they will tell you that they are 
those who have only their hands and head to depend on, and 
that the son of a coastguardsman or shopkeeper has before 
now come to stand before “ Kings and princes.” And this is 
where Mr. Schacht’s scheme so admirably fits in, it does not 
aid indiscriminately, but the more] a student works the 
more is he helped and rewarded. If there is any fault in the 
scheme, it is that it makes the interest of the student to a 
certain degree secondary to that of the local association. I 
think that every student who can pass the required examina¬ 
tion should be rewarded and stimulated to further exertion 
whether he belongs to a local association or whether he does 
not. 
Gr. T. 
Nonvich, August 12th. 
C. Hutchinson. —We believe the person mentioned is still 
living ; probably his address is given in the £ Medical 
Directory.’ 
J. Barker, F. Clayton, and J. D. Jenkinson are thanked 
for their communication. 
In consequence of a press of matter we are again com¬ 
pelled to defer the publication of several communications. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Mr. E. B. Vizer, Mr. D. Hanbury, Mr. W. Geddes, Mr. 
Severs, Mr. J. F. Brown, Mr. F. Andrews, Mr. W. Smeeton, 
Mr. E. C. Ellis, Messrs. Gard and Co., Mr. Yewdall, “ Che¬ 
mist,” £t Quinia,” “ Secretary of Newcastle Chemists’ Assis¬ 
tants’ Association,” “ Ex-Student at Bloomsbury Square,” 
££ Not Happy,” Z. 
The following journals have been received:—The £ British 
Medical Journal,’ August 17; the ‘Medical Times and 
Gazette,’ August 17; the £ Lancet,’ August 17; the £ Medical 
Press and Circular,’ August 17; the ‘Chemical News,’ 
August 17; £ English Mechanic,’ August 17; £ Gardeners’ 
Chronicle,’ August 17; the £ Grocer,’ August 17; the 
Journal of the Society of Arts,’August 17; Grocery News/ 
August 17. 
