432 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [November 30,1872. 
I admit freely, that during the early part of our exist¬ 
ence, under the operation of the laws just referred to, 
there existed a real necessity that the funds of the As¬ 
sociation should be spent, and that freely, in furnishing 
opportunities and appliances of which all those requir¬ 
ing to prepare themselves for examination might, if 
so disposed, fairly take advantage. At the period to 
which I have referred, schools of pharmacy were un¬ 
known, and lecturers or teachers in the requisite 
sciences were comparatively few, while the difficulties 
in the way of attending chemistry, materia medica, and 
botany was considerable. Hence lectures, and paid 
lecturers, in connection with the Society in London, were 
established, and, along with an excellent laboratory, 
have existed up to the present time. I do not stoj) to 
inquire the amount of money which has been thus 
spent during the last thirty years as a part of our own 
school in the metropolis, because good fruit has been 
borne from the seed implanted by the labours of such 
men as Thomson, Pereira, Redwood, Bentley, Attfield, 
and others; but leaving the past, and looking to the 
future, the great question now almost forced upon the 
members of our Society is—Are we to continue in per¬ 
petuity the machinery which has been kept in motion 
so long, or are we to make a change ; and, if so, of what 
character, and to what extent, and in what form, are we 
to carry this out ? 
In connection with this subject, the nature of existing 
fees [and subscriptions promises to open up a field for 
argument and debate. The money now accumulated, 
belonging to the funds proper of the Society, and 
amounting to many thousands of invested capital, is 
considerable, and I am quite ready to admit that there is 
no necessity for us to go on increasing this sum; but I 
feel there is as little call to diminish either examination 
fees or annual subscriptions. Our weekly Journal is 
almost self-supporting, notwithstanding so many thou¬ 
sand copies are sent free every week throughout the 
year to all parts of Great -Britain. But the feeling 
becomes stronger and stronger that, without encroaching 
at all on our funded capital, we are bound in the same 
way out of our yearly profits—if I may be allowed to 
call the annual balance by such a name—to make pro¬ 
vision for and assist those who are disposed to help 
themselves, or who may be prepared to take advantage 
of certain proposed arrangements, by annual grants of 
money. Now we come to the difficult and knotty 
point, and I hope many here will express their feelings 
freely upon it. 
Several propositions have already been made, but as 
yet no one course has been considered sufficiently cor¬ 
rect or practical to be acted upon. Let me summarize 
the principal of these :— 
1 . It has been proposed that several central schools 
of pharmacy should be formed in various towns through¬ 
out the provinces, and money voted for this purpose 
from the Society’s funds. 
2 . That certain examinations should be conducted 
simultaneously throughout the country, and that pay¬ 
ments as well as prizes ought to be made according to 
certain results. 
3. That two great schools ought to be formed, one in 
London, and the other in Edinburgh, and that pharma¬ 
ceutical students be urged to find their way to one of 
these centres, and there prosecute their studies. 
4. That sums of money be voted in cases where a 
certain local amount is subscribed, and the money so 
given be spent in any way thought best, by those in the 
locality, so long as it promotes and assists pharmaceuti¬ 
cal education. 
5. That compulsory attendance at certain courses of 
lectures should be insisted upon before any candidate be 
admitted for examination, and that proof of such at¬ 
tendance be given by the exhibition of class tickets, 
■comprehending chemistry, materia medica, pharmacy 
and botany. 
Other ideas have been promulgated, but the foregoirg 
will serve to bring to your recollection some of tie 
leading features of schemes long before us. I do rot 
quite agree with any of these proposals. 
Referring to London, I think we would do very wrong 
to give up our habitation in Bloomsbury Square. 
Among the very first steps taken in connection witt the 
foundation of our Society in London was the formation 
of a library and museum. Both these departments have 
been carefully tended, and in point of value and inter¬ 
est continue a credit to, our Association. These, there¬ 
fore, I would continue to foster and increase. Plenty of 
space and accommodation must also be secured for 
examinations, as well as for the operations of our Coun¬ 
cil Government, Secretary and Registrar. I would further 
grant the name of professor to our lecturers in London, 
but would abolish their annual salaries. The use of the 
lecture-room might, however, be given free. All pupils 
who attend the prelections, or who occupy benches in the 
laboratory, ought, I think, fairly to pay such fees as 
would render each department self-supporting. By such 
an arrangement young men resident in or visiting London, 
would always be sure of good sound instruction at a fair 
remunerative value, with the immense advantage and 
privilege of having the free use of a good library and 
excellent museum. 
But having referred to our great centre, we now glance 
at the position of the provinces. How are they to be 
treated ? I submit the following for consideration :— 
Let all towns, large and small, where chemists and 
druggists are to be found, be looked upon as places re¬ 
quiring some assistance, more or less, in aid of pharma¬ 
ceutical training. Admit this as a principle differing 
only in degree, but taking our London establishment as 
a type of what might be fairly imitated. Books, speci¬ 
mens, and a place of meeting ought, I think, to be 
accessible to all connected with pharmacy, in every place 
were there are a few connected with our business, 
who express a desire to keep pace with the advancing 
state of pharmaceutical literature, as well as doing justice 
to those young men, who, if they follow out their daily 
occupation, will require to fit themselves for their exa¬ 
minations. 
I know many young men who go up for their 
Minor are often puzzled with some of the drugs sub¬ 
mitted to them for recognition. For instance, I have 
heard more than one declare he never saw jalap root, and 
and others equally at a loss when ipecacuanha was 
presented to them. Some may smile at this, but these 
parties on being asked from what source they obtained 
material for preparing the tincture of the one and the 
wine of the other, promptly replied that in both cases 
they used the powder. And so with many other articles, 
but more especially botanical specimens. Now, if sets 
of the various substances in materia medica and chemis¬ 
try were made available, it is not, I think, too much to 
believe, that the examination of many of the articles ex¬ 
ternally, might lead to the getting up of the habitat and 
other particulars, such as uses and doses of root, plant 
or gum. Again, there are many establishments in country 
towns, and even in large cities, where there is a great 
paucity of books. In all such cases, I conceive a well- 
assorted library might prove of very considerable advan¬ 
tage. Further, accommodation might fairly be given 
free to any gentleman who was disposed to give a short 
series of instructive lectures, on the understanding that 
so far as his own remuneration for such services was 
concerned, he w’ould be paid by the fees of those who 
attended his demonstrations. 
But the cry with many is still give us lectures, and let 
the funds of the Society be spent in paying, or, at all 
events, assisting to pay gentlemen for giving lectures 
in different places. No one can more appreciate the ad¬ 
vantages of such instructions than I do, yet I am equally 
certain that in many, I w r ould almost venture to say the 
majority of instances, young men have not the oppor- 
