November 2,1872.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
c59 
This would tend to check the local chemists supplying the 
small shops in many parts of the country. 
I would make an exception in favour of proprietors of 
stamped articles, who supply only their own bona-Jlde manu¬ 
factures to the trade, and let them come under the head of 
retailers’ licences. If the licences and stamps were entirely 
■abolished, as proposed in the ‘Medical Times and Gazette,’ 
my idea is that such a course would only have the effect of 
increasing quackery as well as competition. 
George Brown. 
Sundown, I. IF., Oct. 28 th, 1872. 
Examination Fees.* 
Sir, Paper wars are generally unsatisfactory campaigns, 
and but seldom secure the desired end. My original object 
in writing upon this subject was, not to provoke discussion 
on the numerical strength of the Pharmaceutical Society as 
regarded members in the aggregate, but, to urge the import¬ 
ance of devising means by which to increase its strength in 
that particular class of members which the Society desires to 
encourage, viz., pharmaceutical chemists, i.e., men who have 
passed the Major examination. 
Mr. Carteighe on the other hand has taken hold of a single 
statement in my letter, and, having separated it altogether 
from the context, has been led into an entirely false line of 
argument, having no reference whatever to the main subject. 
He is arguing the numerical strength of the Society in its 
broad sense as a corporate body; whilst my statement refers 
to it in the more limited view, as a Society of Pharmaceutical 
Chemists; entirely and purposely ignoring both chemist and 
druggist members, and associates in business, not through 
ignorance either of their existence or privileges, but because 
they did net represent that phase of the Society which I 
desired to bring into prominence. 
That this is correct will, I think, be evident to any unbiassed 
reader of my letters. In my first, educational qualification 
will be found the pith of the whole; whilst in my second, 
■although reference is of necessity made to other points in order 
to meet the assertions of my friend, yet the gist of the whole 
is as before, examination and membership flowing therefrom. 
Regarded from this point of view the statement to which ex¬ 
ception has been taken will, I venture to repeat, prove correct, 
that whilst our strength, as a society of pharmaceutical che- 
trusts is decreasing (or at best but very, very slowly inclined to 
increase) the numerical and therefore political strength of 
outsiders, that is those who simply pass what the law compels 
them to, is largely increasing. That this is borne out by facts 
is, I think, clear, when we see that in 1871, out of 566 asso¬ 
ciates of the Society,'only 67 had qualified themselves for mem- 
bership as pharmaceutical chemists by passing the Major exa¬ 
mination,whilst 262 were satisfied with the Minor qualification, 
and will doubtless in due time help to>well the number of asso¬ 
ciates in business, for whom your correspondent seems to have 
peculiar affection. On the other hand, as regards the strength 
of the Society in pharmaceutical chemists we see that whilst 
in 1870 the aggregate number was 1802, in 1871 it was but 
1797, showing a decrease of five in that year. 
Having, I hope, sufficiently proved the accuracy of my posi¬ 
tion, I do not think it will be necessary for me further to dis¬ 
cuss this point, preferring by far that some of your readers per¬ 
sonally interested in the future examinations and the welfare 
of the Society should, in anticipation of the subject shortly 
haring to occupy the attention of the Council, be induced 
to give expression to their views as to the best means of 
securing a larger number of candidates for the Major exami¬ 
nation, and their direct union with the Society as the result 
of such examination. 
Thanking you for your courtesy in giving space to our 
somewhat lengthy correspondence. 
_ Edwin B. Yizbr. 
63, Lupus Street, Belgravia South, 
October 2 Qth, 1872. * 
Sir,—As no one from this district (except our councillor 
■Mr. Frazer) has ventured to express an opinion on the above 
subject, I beg to offer a few remarks, considering, as I do, 
that Scotland has been too backward in expressing her views 
on matters of such vital importance to the welfare of the 
Society and the trade at large. 
My first thought, Mr. Editor, is, that in the question of 
* See Pharm. Jo urn., present vol., pages 179, 240, 279, 
Examination Fees will be solved the broader, and conse¬ 
quently much more difficult, problem of pharmaceutical edu¬ 
cation. I have come to this conclusion, from the intimate 
connection I have had with our local society here since 1868 
as well as from a careful study of the various theories that 
have been promulgated within the last few years on the 
question. I am of opinion, however, that the solution of the 
problem will not be in Mr. ^ izer’s scheme for raisin" the fees 
as given in the Journal of August 31st, nor even in the 
modified proposal of Mr. Carteighe’s in to-day’s Journal. 
The raising of the Examination Fees may suit the ideas of 
some of our high-class London pharmacists, but I venture 
to say that such a proposal will receive but little support from 
the members of the trade throughout the country. I sympa¬ 
thize very much with some of Mr. Yizer’s motives in bringing 
forward liis proposal. It is no doubt a great anomaly, that a 
body of men which are numbered by the thousand, should be 
under the control of a few hundreds of the same class in many 
respects. Some maintain it is the fault of those outsiders, in 
not. taking the advantages offered by connection with the 
Society ; but whether it is their fault or not, I would decidedly 
say, let the present members of the Society show their anxiety 
for having a, united trade and a united Society by adopting some 
broad and liberal policy, not only towards those at present in 
the trade and outside of the Society, but that will induce in¬ 
tending pharmacists to make it their first anxiety, after 
passing the examinations, to become connected with the So¬ 
ciety. Of course I approve of Mr. Frazer’s motion which was 
discussed at last Council meeting, and published in the Journal 
of October 5th; and here I must take exception to a remark 
of Mr. Yizer’s regarding it. He says (Piiarm. Journ. 
No. 114, p. 179), “ Whether the resolutions proposed by Mr. 
Frazer do not go too far, and would not be fraught with un¬ 
told difficulties and inconveniences to the Board of Ex¬ 
aminers, I seriously doubt; to say nothing of the almost 
pauper class implied by the conditions suggested.” And fur¬ 
ther on he says, “ My earnest desire is to see the whole trade 
as far as possible united into one body, each member as such 
holding a responsible position, to be used for the benefit of 
the whole. It has been with this desire that I have ever ad¬ 
vocated a liberal policy towards those we are in the habit of 
regarding as outsiders, and it is for the furtherance of the 
same object that I desire now to see a radical change brought 
about in the Examination Fees.” 
There seems to me something strangely inconsistent in 
these two expressions. He wishes a “ liberal ” policy adopted, 
and a “ radical ” change made, yet he would fix the examina¬ 
tion lees at 6uch a high rate that they would debar a certain 
class (whom he terms the almost pauper class) from entering 
in. But what is the effect of the present scale of fees that 
they should be reduced ? I can only speak for Glasgow, but 
while doing so I believe I express the experience of many 
other large towns. It has been impossible for us to get a 
class of twenty students together in either of the pharma¬ 
ceutical classes we have attempted, although we offered the 
double advantage of reduced fees, and text-books at a reduced 
rate, simply because our young men are looking quietly about 
lor something better, and I do not exaggerate when I say 
that not more than forty per cent, of the present apprentices 
and assistants in this city, will attempt to pass the pharma¬ 
ceutical examinations. Mr. Frazer has already given instances 
of young men having left the trade, no doubt to better them¬ 
selves both now and hereafter, but I can point to others who 
are sacrificing both time and money at present to gain the 
higher profession of physician, not to speak of numbers who 
have left and intend leaving the country altogether for 
America and elsewhere, where the prospects are better, who, 
I am sure, would not think of doing so if the examination 
fees of the Pharmaceutical Society were a little more reason¬ 
able ; the result of this is, that assistants of the right sort are 
not to be had at present. And the only way in which I can 
see this state of matters can be rectified is by adopting Mr. 
Frazer’s proposal at once; and if adopted, I venture to pre¬ 
dict that the education question will be comparatively easily 
settled afterwards. If our young men were settled upon re¬ 
maining at the business, it would be a comparatively easy 
matter in large towns to establish schools of pharmacy. No 
doubt some assistance from the Pharmaceutical Society would 
make these all the more efficient, and for this purpose I would 
cordially support Mr. Frazer’s motion regarding the distri¬ 
bution of the surplus funds of the Society. Mr. Schacht’s 
scheme, I think, is far too elaborate for our present wants, 
and I am inclines, to think, that if adopted, it will be as much 
