450 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[December 7, 1872. 
he did not think the public safety had suffered from the 
inefficient conduct of their businesses by those who had 
passed the Minor examination, nor did he think the 
Privy Council would permit any increase in the strin¬ 
gency of the examination. At the time the Act of 
Parliament was passed, the Minor examination was 
intended for assistants, but the Privy Council stepped in 
and insisted that men who passed it should be allowed 
to conduct business on their own account, and he believed 
the same motives which actuated them then, would 
operate now to prevent what he maintained was a very 
considerable increase in the stringency of the examina¬ 
tion. If changes were to be introduced, there was no 
doubt there would be a considerable diversity of opinion 
as to what the changes should be, as there had been 
with regard to the educational question. Some time 
ago this matter had been very much discussed in Man¬ 
chester, and great difference prevailed as to what should 
be done. Even with the present examination, it was 
well known there was a great difficulty in getting ap¬ 
prentices. This was found to be the fact in Glasgow, 
and it was the same in Edinbir 'gh, and he had the testi¬ 
mony of men all over the country to the same thing. Of 
course there might be exceptions as there were to 
every rule, and there was also a difficulty in getting 
young men at the termination of their apprenticeship on 
account of the stringency of the examinations and the 
expense of the fees. It had been stated that at the 
present time there was a much larger number in the 
trade than was either profitable or necessary, but there 
could be no doubt, if these changes were carried out, 
by-and-by it would be found that men could not be ob¬ 
tained to conduct the business, and they would have to 
take down their shutters themselves. The reason was 
very plain. The classes from whom they had hitherto 
derived their apprentices and assistants could not afford 
to give their sons the education necessary to fit them for 
these examinations, and the classes above them would 
not put their sons to such a business. He himself was 
giving his own son a university education, but he ques¬ 
tioned if there were more than three or four young men 
in Scotland preparing for the business who enjoyed the 
same advantage. No doubt the business was rising in 
importance, but so were others in equal proportion. The 
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istence, and he certainly thought it was too soon to make 
any change. In confirmation of v«*it he had said with 
regard to the difficulty of getting assistants, he might 
add that he had recently heard from one of the large 
wholesale London houses that even they had now a 
difficulty in getting assistants, and had to look to the 
country for them, instead of having a list of applicants to 
select from, as had formerly been the case. He had no 
objection to any amount of science being introduced into 
the profession, and, for himself he regretted that the 
Senior Bell Scholarship was to be abolished ; but still he 
did not want the compulsory examinations to be higher 
than the safety of the public demanded. Some persons 
might think there were too many in the trade, and that 
if there were less it would be better for those who re¬ 
mained, but still they were bound to act in accordance 
with the views of their constituents, and not to exclude 
young men who were not prepared for such stringent 
examinations, especially considering that even now the 
Senior Bell scholars were leaving the business and 
getting into better occupations. Very recently there 
had been a meeting in Edinburgh of some of the most 
highly qualified men in Scotland, when there was but 
one feeling, that the present examination should not be 
interfered with. 
Mr. Hampsox, in seconding the amendment, said he 
was one of the last men who objected to any real advance 
in pharmacy, or to do anything which would prevent its 
development in this country ; but besides the advance¬ 
ment of pharmacy they must look at the matter from 
another point of view, not only as pharmacists but as 
traders; and he wished the Council to pause before 
sanctioning the great step proposed in the contemplated 
alterations. Only three or four years had elapsed since 
a very great change took place, viz., the passing of the 
Pharmacy Act, which of itself was a very important step 
as affecting the trade, and he thought it very unadvisable 
that another change should be made so soon. The 
examinations as at present conducted, he believed, were 
not inefficient to test the qualifications of men who had 
to conduct our business; and it must be borne in mind also 
that they were not legislating for Prussians or French¬ 
men, where the whole influence of the State was exercised 
to support pharmacy, and to give it a proper status. In 
the majority of businesses throughout the country a 
very small amount of pharmacy proper was transacted 
in a chemist’s shop ; and until there was a larger amount 
of real scientific work to do, it was exceedingly prema¬ 
ture to take such a step as this. No doubt these regula¬ 
tions had been proposed by the examiners with a good 
object, and were very suitable for the purpose they in¬ 
tended, but notwithstanding that he believed they were 
unnecessary and unadvisable. Then, again, the legal 
obstacle had been referred to, and had not yet been 
cleared up. It was intended to exclude all who had not 
passed a period of pupilage; but this, in his opinion, was. 
a retrogressive step. Medical men were now doing away 
with the system of pupilage, considering it unimportant; 
and considering that about 99 per cent, of the candidates- 
had passed through an apprenticeship,which was the na¬ 
tural inlet to the trade, he did not think it necessary for the 
sake of the hundredth to tie their hands in such a way. 
The London trade were well represented in the Council, 
and in consequence of the large amount of pharmacy 
which passed through their hands, they might be disposed 
to take a partial view of the question; but they must bear 
in mind the character of the trade throughout the country, 
and he believed if all country chemists were obliged to> 
pass these examinations, the test would be altogether out 
of character with the condition of things. There was 
another important point to be remembered, the number 
even now leaving the trade. It will bo said from a 
selfish and purely interested point of view, that it would 
be a good thing for those who remained; but the in¬ 
terests of tbejmblic.must also be borne in mind. Rather 
than come to a decided vote on the matter that day, he 
should much prefer the question being postponed; for 
he did not think they were competent to settle it 
in a hasty manner, and most certainly he thought 
any such change was unadvisable for some years to* 
come. 
Mr. Savage said there was one point wffiich presented 
an obstacle to his mind, namely, the age being fixed at 
twenty-one. If a boy were apprenticed at sixteen 
he seldom continued more than four years, which 
left him one year before he could pass his examina¬ 
tion ; and he was never so likely to succeed after 
that interregnum as he would be during his four 
years of apprenticeship. He thought if a boy were 
qualified after four years of apprenticeship to pass- 
his examination, it was rather hard that he should be 
prevented doing so. In the main, however, he agreed 
with the amended regulations. With regard to the dif¬ 
ficulty of getting apprentices, it was probable that under 
the new state of things there might be even less than 
there was at present, in consequence of the profession 
being more appreciated. 
Mr. Baynes, as a country member, said while there 
was much that commended itself to his own mind in the 
new regulations, he did think they were attempting the 
alteration much too soon. They had already postponed 
the operation of the amended regulations with regard to 
the Bell Scholarships lest they should do injustice to 
individuals, and it was quite as likely there were many 
persons to whom this change would also prove a great 
injustice. The Pharmacy Act of 1868 took by surprise 
many young men who never expected to have to submit to 
