September 23,1872 .] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
217 
pjarmaxeufol faurnal. 
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 , 1872 . 
Communications for this Journal, and books 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- 
ridge, Secretary, 17, Bloomsbury Square . W.C. 
Advertisements to Messrs. Churchill, New Burlington 
Street, London , W. Envelopes indorsed “ Bharm. Jo urn.” 
PHARMACEUTICAL EDUCATION. 
It is with much pleasure that we call the attention 
of our readers to a paper on this subject from the 
pen of Professor Redwood, in which he deals with 
the various points that have been raised not only in 
the discussion at Brighton, but also by correspon¬ 
dents in tliis Journal. The Professor’s long, and we 
may say special, experience of this subject, enables 
him to speak of it authoritatively, and we think few 
will fail to acknowledge that he does so likewise 
with a thoroughly catholic appreciation of the 
various interests involved. 
It is with especial satisfaction that w r e find the 
Professor decisively urging opinions which we have 
on several occasions ventured to suggest when re¬ 
ferring to the subject of pharmaceutical education. 
In the first place, while recognizing the necessity 
that has arisen for extending the scope of our edu¬ 
cational arrangements, the important fact that the 
former action of the Society is incompatible 
with the altered conditions now existing is not 
lost sight of; the incomplete, and, in some 
respects, insufficient nature of the Society’s past 
efforts is fully admitted, as well as the necessity 
for entirely remodelling our educational arrange¬ 
ments. Tliis important fact has been too much 
overlooked by many who have expressed their 
opinions on the subject of late, and we think Pro¬ 
fessor Redwood has done good service by urging it 
upon the consideration of those who take an inte¬ 
rest in the future welfare of pharmacy in tliis country. 
At the same time, those who have been active in 
advocating the support of pharmaceutical education 
by the Society, will no doubt rejoice to find Professor 
Redwood in no degree disposed to exonerate the 
Society from responsibility in this matter, especially 
during the present period of transition; but we 
would strongly urge upon the consideration of those 
who, as we have been told, by Mr. Pickering, and 
others, are thoroughly roused in regard to the aid to 
be given to education, the clear and forcible manner 
in which the essential characters of pharmaceutical 
education are set forth and insisted upon by the 
Professor. Those who fairly consider tliis aspect 
of the matter will, we believe, fully agree with 
him in his pleading for the practical and thorough 
nature of any educational work that is to be 
undertaken, and for the self-supporting action of 
any schools that may be established. The efforts 
hitherto made by the Society in the cause of educa¬ 
tion have done their work in establishing the present 
requirements of the law, and whether the system 
adopted with that object was politic or not, we 
think there is little doubt that it is now an ana¬ 
chronism: its continuance indeed, under existing 
conditions, would tend to depreciate rather than 
promote education, and we entirely agree with 
Professor Redwood in thinking it the duty of the 
Society to endeavour to make every department or 
branch of the School of Pharmacy satisfactorily 
self-supporting. 
THE NEW ADULTERATION ACT. 
The question raised b}' our correspondent “ Phar¬ 
maceutist ” as to the eligibility of pharmaceutical 
chemists for the office of public analyst under the 
New Act is, we fear, one that can scarcely be 
answered satisfactorily for them, if the wording of 
the Act be strictly interpreted. The specified require¬ 
ment is the possession of “ competent medical, chemi¬ 
cal and microscopical knowledge,” and it would 
appear to restrict these appointments to medical 
men. At the same time we agree with our cor¬ 
respondent in tliinking, as we have repeatedly 
stated in this Journal, that there is no class among 
which more competent persons could be found to hold 
the office of public analyst than the pharmaceutical 
chemists. Indeed, we would go further than our 
correspondent, and say that however well-qualified 
medical men may sometimes be to fill this office, the 
nature of their occupations is such as to render them 
far less able to perform its duties satisfactorily than 
would be the case with pharmaceutical chemists; 
and we trust some steps will be taken to afford them 
an opportunity of rendering the services for which 
we believe they are frequently so well fitted. 
THE OPENING OF THE SESSION. 
We have to remind our readers that the next 
evening meeting of the Society will be held on Wed¬ 
nesday, the 2nd of October, and that on this occa¬ 
sion the Address to Students will be delivered by 
Mr. Stoddart, of Bristol. Ladies are invited to 
attend this meeting; and the distribution of ses¬ 
sional prizes and certificates will take place then. 
The Council also invites for this evening and the 
following day the exhibition of any articles of 
novelty or otherwise especially interesting to phar¬ 
macists, and for this purpose intending exhibitors 
should communicate at once with the Secretary. 
