180 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[August 31, 1872, 
the Society as members; the result being tliat our strength as 
a society is yearly decreasing, whilst the numerical and there¬ 
fore political strength of outsiders is largely increasing, and 
the feeling of estrangement, instead of being wiped out, is 
perpetuated and extended to an untold extent, and must 
ultimately, if not removed, be productive of immense diffi¬ 
culty and evil. 
The plan which suggests itself to my mind is not the re¬ 
duction of examination fees, but such an alteration in them 
as shall present a substantial gain to those who, by perse¬ 
vering study, show their appreciation of the higher qualifi¬ 
cation and title, and shall thereby at the same time secure to 
the Society a body of enlightened and influential members. 
To this end I would propose the following scale:— 
Fees. 
Annual Subscription's on becoming 
connected with the Society. 
£, s. d. £. s. d. 
First or Preliminary 
(Registered as Ap¬ 
prentices or Stu¬ 
dents) . 
Minor (Registered a3 
Chemists and Drug¬ 
gists) . 
* 
2 2 0 t 
Eligible on application to 
the Council, to lie elected 
Apprentices or Students 
of the Society . . . ., 
0 10 G 
► 
5 5 0 
Eligible, on application to 1 
the Council, to be elected > 
Associates of the Society) 
1 1 
0 
Major (Registered as \ 
Pharmaceutical Che¬ 
mists and Associates 
of the Society with¬ 
out extra fees) . . 10 10 0, 
Registered as Members of the 
Society on entering business 
> on own account without 
extra fee. 
by which it will be seen that all who pass the Major exami¬ 
nation would not only be registered at once as Pharmaceutical 
Chemists, and as members of the Society, without any extra 
fees, upon going into business as masters, but would at once 
be put into possession of a tangible gain, by being hence¬ 
forth free from fees of any kind whilst retaining their con¬ 
nection with the Society as Associates. 
Here would be provided what I believe is now greatly needed, 
a substantial stimulus to the Major examination, something 
worth a little extra study and expense, something to encourage 
the rising generation to persevere in the path of learning. 
One or two objections to this step I would at once very 
briefly meet. It will doubtless be argued that such a sacrifice 
would be ruinous to the Society financially, and a serious in¬ 
justice to those who have paid or are paying their subscrip¬ 
tions. 
Financially I believe it would be found a direct advantage, 
and that the Society would be enriched thereby, many being 
induced to pass the Major who are at present deterred from 
so doing by the fact,, that, although they succeed in passing 
the examination, they would yet gain no further advantage 
without the payment of extra fees. As to injustice to old 
members, I believe the objection more imaginative than real, 
and that experience would prove the willingness of such to 
forward the general good, whilst those who have passed 
since the Pharmacy Act came into operation might fairly be 
admitted on payment of a five-guinea commutation fee. 
Another, and perhaps more difficult, although not insur¬ 
mountable, question would arise upon the supply of the 
Journal. This would probably require a complete change 
from the present free circulation. The Journal account has 
always formed a sore point in the annual statement, showing 
a considerable loss to the Society; that such should be 
allowed to continue is of itself highly improbable, and would, 
beyond doubt, independently of any such alterations which I 
have ventured to suggest, be a subject for the consideration 
of the present or future Councils; any alteration such as I 
suggest would but accelerate the step which is considered by 
a large number of our members to be inevitable, viz., the 
abandonment of the free issue of the Journal, letting it 
stand upon its own intrinsic merits. That such a step would 
be alike advantageous to the Society as proprietors, and to 
the readers as such, is the generally expressed opinion of 
most with whom I have spoken upon the subject. 
I must apologize for the length of my letter, but trust the 
thoughts expressed may commend themselves to the serious 
consideration of the Council; believing that some such action 
is really called for in the interest of the Society. 
Edwin P. Yizer. 
63, Lupus Street, Belgravia South, 
Axigust 27 th, 1872. 
Chemists’ Club. 
Sir,—The letter in the Journal, published a few weeks 
since suggests an idea which, if adopted, would, I think,, 
conduce more to the unity and concord of our fraternity 
than any institution which has hitherto been proposed. 
The convenience and comfort of a “ Chemists’ Club ” in 
London, to all who are connected with the trade, either in 
town or the provinces, must, on consideration, be manifest to 
all, at the same time, it would, being established, be inex¬ 
pensive and self-supporting. Much may be said of the advan¬ 
tages which would attend it, and I hope much more will be 
said, and the subject well discussed and ventilated. With 
your correspondent, I also shall be glad to become a member, 
and if any of your readers approve of the suggestion, and. 
will convene a meeting on the subject, I have no doubt a 
satisfactory result would be ai’rived at. Hoping to have the 
opinion of your correspondents on the subject. 
One ■who will Attend the Meeting. 
Appeal: Mrs. StocTcman and 'Family. —The following sub¬ 
scriptions have been received in response to an advertise¬ 
ment which appeared in last month’s Journal on behalf of 
Mrs. Stockman and family:—E. H. Matterson, £2 ; Lunar- 
Caustic, 10s.; Mr. Berry, 2s. 6i.; A Poor Clerk, 3s.; F. H. 
Charles, Is.; It. Rowe, 10s.; For Pity, Is. 6 d.; a Man¬ 
chester Member, 2s. 6d.; E. Worth, 5s.; W. W. Clark, 103. ~ 
Collected by Mr. John Wavell, Local Secretary for Ryde, 
£3. 3s. 6i. Mr. Wavell, in his letter says, “ I should suggest 
if the local secretaries for other districts would kindly exert 
themselves in this matter, a very useful and serviceable- 
amount could be raised for the bereaved family.” A more dis¬ 
tressing case was never submitted to the public. Mrs. Stock- 
man and her eight children, through the suicide of her hus¬ 
band (a chemist at Gosport), under very painful circum¬ 
stances, are entirely dependent on charity for support. She¬ 
lias been brought up to the drapery business; and if a suffi¬ 
cient sum can be raised, it will be invested by the trustees in 
the purchase of a small business of that description, as Mrs. 
Stockman is an active business woman. More than £100 
have been already subscribed by friends in the neighbour¬ 
hood and others, including £20 from the Benevolent Fund 
of the Pharmaceutical Society. A still larger amount is needed, 
to carry out the above object; and it is thought it only requires 
the attention of the benevolent and well-to-do among the largo 
number of chemists to assure such amount being received- 
The money will be judiciously invested by the trustees, G.. 
Perfect, Esq., Havelock Park, Southsea, and Charles Mumby, 
Pharmaceutical Chemist, 47, High Street, Gosport, by whom, 
subscriptions will be thankfully received. 
“ An Assistant to a Physician .”—The gentleman referred 
to has not only passed the Minor examination, which is com¬ 
pulsory, but also the Major, which is voluntary. 
“Not Happy." —Fours appears to be a case which unfortu¬ 
nately occurs too frequently of the improper apprenticeship 
of youths destitute of all elementary fitness for becoming, 
qualified druggists. We are utterly at a loss to understand 
the latter portion of your history, or to reconcile your state¬ 
ments that you had served nearly four years “ in a first-class 
West-end shop where there was nothing but dispensing,” and 
that subsequently you failed to pass the Preliminary exami¬ 
nation. In answer to your question what you should turn, 
your attention to if you again fail to pass the Preliminary 
examination, we are unable to make any suggestion. 
“ Quinia .”—The sale would not be strictly legal, but we 
believe no objection would be raised to it. 
B. G. H. —(1) You will find an article on the subject in 
the Calendar of the Pharmaceutical Society. (2) Apply at 
Stationers’ Hall. 
Z. —A description of the test may be found in almost any 
handbook on chemistry. 
11. Sf J. —The colouration is probably due to some impu¬ 
rity dissolved by the naphtha. 
Communications, Lettebs, etc., have been received from 
Mr. G. F. Schacht, Mr. W. Wilkinson, Mr. Pollard, Mr. 
Reynolds, Mr. Tichborne, Mr. Langridge, Mr. Harrison, 
Mr. Deane, Mr. Squire, Mr. Minett, Dr. C. Kidd, Mr. Treves,. 
Mr. S. T. Severs, “Assistant to a Physician,” “An Un¬ 
qualified Assistant,” “ Ratae,” A. M. A. P. S., R. J. N. 
