September 14,1872.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
207' 
Cjje |)|mraactnfica:I Journal. 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 , 1872 . 
Communications for this Journal, and boohs for review,etc., 
should be addressed to the Editor, 17, Bloomsbury Square. 
Instructions from Members and Associates respecting the 
transmission of the Journal should be sent to Elias Brem- 
f.idge, Secretary, 17, Bloomsbury Square . W.C. 
Advertisements to Messrs. Churchill, Mew Burlington 
Street, London , W. Envelopes indorsed u Bharm. Journ.” 
THE VALUE OF PHARMACEUTICAL EDUCATION. 
It speaks well for the hopefulness and good feel¬ 
ing of Manchester pharmacists, that while yet the 
statement of Mr. Hamtson, as to a former effort to 
found a school of pharmacy in that city having 
ended in comparative failure, is yet fresh in our re¬ 
collection, such an announcement should be possible 
as that on the preceding page. Not the less so, since 
we are told, that on the former occasion funds were 
abundant, but the students were not forthcoming. 
While ready, however, to recognize to the fullest 
degree the persevering kindness shown, we are not; 
altogether prepared to admit that the new prospec- 
;tus is free from liability to criticism. 
Scientific and technical lectures at sixpence each 
may be very desirable from a student’s point of view, 
in certain cases, though we believe such cases are 
-exceptional. But whether the proffer of lecture in¬ 
struction at such a rate would conduce to the eleva¬ 
tion of pharmacy is, we think, quite another ques¬ 
tion. It is true that in one notable instance even 
this degree of cheapness has been surpassed. But 
if it be desired to make any scheme of provincial! 
pharmaceutical education permanent, it is evident 
that there must be some correspondence between the 1 
■expenditure involved by the delivery of a course of 
lectures and the fees to be paid by the students. 
We are sorry to say experience has shown that if 
.a qualified teacher is to be fairly paid for his labour 
—as he certainly should be—no town in this country, 
not even excepting London, would under existing 
circumstances supply a sufficiency of students to pay 
•the bare expenses, if the fee for twenty-five lectures 
were no higher than 12s. (id. The result would be 
either that a deficiency would have to be made up from 
•some outside source, or there would be insufficient 
funds to command the services of a properly quali¬ 
fied lecturer. Gratuitous or partially paid teach¬ 
ing-even if effective—there is no right to expect. 
Four years have now elapsed since the passing of ^ 
the Pharmacy Act. The claim which certain classes 
of persons in the trade then seemed to have for 
assistance in passing the compulsory examinations 
is fast diminishing with the lapse of time. In the 
• discussion at Brighton, as well as in these columns, 1 
there lias been a decided opinion expressed, that 
those who in future wish to enter the pharmaceu¬ 
tical ranks should be prepared to pay adequately 
for them technical education. This appears to be a 
healthy sign, indicative of good for the pharmaceutical 
community of the future as well as for the public. 
The argument is often heard that the cost of edu¬ 
cation for entering the business is not repaid by any 
profits which are afterwards made in it. No doubt 
there is too much ground for this complaint. 
But the remedy for this state of things we 
believe to be very much in the hands of phar¬ 
macists themselves; and for confirmation of our 
opinion we would refer to Professor Michael Fos¬ 
ter’s remarks recently at Brighton. Lightly won, 
lightly prized, is old experience. So long as persons 
entering pharmacy are led to expect that they will 
be provided with technical education far below cost 
price, so long will there be a class, with whom others 
will have to compete, who will be ready to throw in 
their experience with the wrapping paper, and sup¬ 
ply the public with their wares at a percentage of 
profit not higher than the ordinary huckster. An 
illustration of what we mean is furnished in the 
persistency until which is urged by certain chemists 
and druggists, that in a shop full of customers the 
time required for registering the sale of vermin 
killers could only be given to the detriment of the 
vendor. With a public willing—nay, anxious—to 
restrict the sale of such poisons to the qualified 
pharmacist, surely it would be better policy to find 
time for such an operation, and to charge for it too. 
THE CHICAGO COLLEGE FUND. 
In accordance with the intimation given when the 
subscription list to this fund was closed, the Com¬ 
mittee consulted the Council of the Chicago College 
respecting the disposition of the balance in hand. 
It was found that all chemical and galenical speci¬ 
mens would be presented by American manufac¬ 
turers; that glassware and other containing vessels 
would be provided by themselves; and that German 
books would be sent from Germany; but that che¬ 
mical and physical apparatus of any kind would be 
acceptable. Professor Attfield, therefore, as Trea¬ 
surer and Secretary of the Fund, and with the con¬ 
sent of the Committee, has purchased a selection of 
optical, electrical, thermal, pneumatic, and chemical 
apparatus, the manufacturers of which have, in all 
cases, granted liberal reductions. This collection of 
apparatus, added to the collection of books (partly 
presented and partly purchased), will constitute the 
offering of British pharmacists to their Chicago 
brethren; the estimated value when safely housed 
in Chicago will be about five thousand dollars. 
The gratifying duty of announcing the completion 
of the Committee’s labours to the members of the 
Council of the Chicago College fell to Professor 
