240 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [September 21, 1872. 
*** No notice can be taken of anonymous communica¬ 
tions. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authenti¬ 
cated by the name and address of the writer ; not necessarily 
for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith. 
Examination Fee3. 
Sir,— I have read the communication from Mr. Yizer, which 
{appeared in the Journal for August 31st, under the above 
title; and, while ready to acknowledge that Mr. Yizer 
evidently wishes to advance the best interests of the Society, 
I am, nevertheless, of opinion that some of the recommenda¬ 
tions put forth in that letter are founded on fallacies. I will, 
therefore, examine a few of his statements by the test of 
published official documents, as I am confident that if I 
succeed in showing them to be incorrect or imperfect, no one 
would be more ready than Mr. Yizer to acknowledge the 
service. 
Passing over matters of opinion, which it is not my object 
to discuss; it is sufficient to remark that Mr. Yizer says he 
desires now “to see a radical change brought about in the 
examination fees,” the object being to induce persons to join 
the Society who at present hold themselves aloof. In de¬ 
veloping his argument, he says, “ unfortunately the 
advantages of membership, as viewed by outsiders, are so 
few that a very small proportion only of those who aspire to 
the higher grade of pharmaceutical chemist deem it necessary 
or desirable to join themselves to the Society as members; 
the result being that our strength as a Society is yearly de¬ 
creasing, whilst the numerical, and therefore political, strength 
of outsiders is largely increasing.” To this I take ex¬ 
exception, first, as to pharmaceutical chemists; and, on re¬ 
ference to the Registrar’s Reports, as to members, associates 
and apprentices for the years 1870 and 1871, it will appear 
that there is here a series of mistakes. We learn from these 
reports that in 1870* only 63 persons passed the Major 
examination, but that 84 persons were elected to membership 
as pharmaceutical chemists for the first time, besides 13 who 
were restored, giving a clear increase on the year, after de¬ 
ducting deaths, secessions, etc., of 19. In 187lf the number 
passing the Major was 50, while the number elected to member¬ 
ship as pharmaceutical chemists for the first time was 63, and 
6 were restored. So that in these two years there were 166 
pharmaceutical chemists elected to membership, against 113 
persons who passed the Major examination. Nor must it 
be forgotten that of this 113 some probably are connected 
with the Society as Maior Associates, and are not reckoned in 
the 166. 
Next, as to whether it be true that “our strength as a 
Society is yearly decreasing, whilst the numerical, and there- 
tore political strength of outsiders is largely increasing.” In 
1870 the number of persons who passed the Minor examina¬ 
tion, and therefore the total number by which the numerical 
strength of outsiders could have been increased, was 199 ; a 
number insufficient to fill the vacancies in the Register caused 
by death, even if none had joined the Society. On the other 
hand, the clear increase in the numerical strength of the So¬ 
ciety was,—pharmaceutical chemist members, 19; chemist 
and druggist members, 179; associates in business, 60; £ 
associates not in business, 170; total, 428. 
In 1871, again, 234 passed the Minor, but the net increase to 
the strength of the Society—excluding apprentices as before— 
was 269. So that while the additions to the entire body of 
chemists and druggists during the two years were only 433, 
insufficient to maintain a statu quo, the numerical strength 
of the Society was increased by no less than 697, that of the 
outsiders being at least equally decreased. 
If we take the statistics another way, the result is no 
more favourable to Mr. Yizer. In 1870 there was a net 
increase of associates of the Society amounting to 230. De¬ 
duct from these 150, as representing those who had only 
passed the Modified examination, and we still have not only 
* Pharm. Journ. [3] I. 892. f lb. II. 649. 
X Doubtless Mr. Yizer is aware that a person who has passed 
the Minor examination is eligible to join the Society as an 
associate, and to exercise, when in business on his own ac- j 
count, all the privileges appertaining to membership, except 
that he cannot hold office as a councillor or examiner. 
all the vacancies filled, including those among Modified men> 
elected associates, but a clear increase of 80 men with the- 
Minor qualification, showing that a large proportion of the 
199 who in that year passed the Minor compulsority also 
joined the Society voluntarily. Again, in 1871 the net 
increase, after deducting 141 Modified men, was 46. 
I will not discuss here the probability of Mr. Vizer’s theory, 
that men not induced to seek the title of “ pharmaceutical 
chemist” by the possible benefits attached to it, would be 
overcome by the offer that they should be excused paying 
subscriptions, especially if that privilege were purchased by 
an increase of seven guineas in fees and loss of the Journal. 
This, and the anticipated financial benefit to the Society, 
are fair matters of opinion that could be discussed at another 
time; and I pass on to the next statement put forward as 
one of the facts upon which Mr. Yizer’s theory is founded. 
He says that “the Journal account has always formed a 
sore point in the annual statement, showing a considerable 
loss to the Society.” I am aware that there is an impression 
to this effect in the minds of a few persons, but there is not 
the least foundation for it. In fact, there have been years 
when the Journal has been a source of revenue to the 
Society. If Mr. Yizer will refer to the annual balance sheets, 
he will find in proof of this, that in 1865 the cost of furnishing 
free copies to members, which had been decreasing for some 
years, was extinguished, mainly through the exertions of 
Mr. Mackay, and there was an actual surplus of £50. 10s. 8 d 
In 1866 this surplus was increased to £218. os. 5 d .; in 1867 
to £296. 14s. Id .; in 1868 to £332. 4s. Id. In 1869, by the 
great increase in the number of members,after the passing 
of the Pharmacy Act 1868, and the issue of an index to 
twelve volumes, which cost £99 13s. 6d., there was a charge 
incurred of £31. 18s. 8 d. In 1870, when the present weekly 
series commenced, the balance sheet showed a large sum 
against the Journal; but apart from the inevitable expense 
and loss attendant upon such a change, that was due 
principally to the fact that a large sum on the advertise¬ 
ment account did not become payable from the publishers 
until after the close of the year. 
In the balance sheet for 1871 there is a sum of £164. 9s. 7c l. 
charged against the Journal, and I expect to see this sum 
reduced to a nominal amount if the Council will, as in 
former times, leave the management as far as possible to 
those who, taking a real interest in the Journal, under¬ 
stand it best. But I maintain it to be wrong altogether to 
regard that deficit as a loss, for it represents the actual cost 
of some 6000 Journals weekly, including about £500 a year for 
; postage , and if the Journal account were credited with a pro¬ 
portion, say only half, of the publishing price for each copy- 
supplied free, as, I believe, is done in the case of the American 
‘Journal of Pharmacy’ by the Philadelphia Society, the appa¬ 
rent deficit in the balance sheet would be transformed into an 
apparent gain of more than two thousand pounds. In • the- 
face of these facts, and considering that the proceeds 
of the Journal are actually sufficient to pay for 6000 copies 
weekly and more than two-thirds of the postage, while 
the Society’s announcements are thus made gratis, and 
the Society’s interests promoted without expense, it can¬ 
not fairly be said that the Journal account shows “a con¬ 
siderable loss to the Society.” 
As to the benefits which Mr. Yizer thinks would result 
from making a charge for the supply of the Journal, his 
statements before being discussed would require to be sup¬ 
ported by detailed explanations as to the way in which the 
abandonment of the free issue of the Journal would be 
advantageous to the readers or to the Society as proprietors. 
Speaking generally on this point, my conviction, is that even 
if the balance against the Society were very much larger 
than £164 per annum, the members would not sacrifice so 
powerful an engine for the defence of our interests, as a 
weekly journal must necessarily be. 
Michael Carteighe. 
172, Neiv Bond Street. 
Dr. John Muter, Ph.D., F.C.S., writes to declare that in 
the school under his direction no such process as that de¬ 
scribed by Professor Attfield is in operation. Dr. Muter also 
expresses his approval of the Society’s examiners. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
several correspondents, but owing to want of space we are 
compelled to defer the replies until next week. 
