December 7, 1872.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
45S 
everything considered on its own merits, especially as it 
would be most invidious and distasteful to reject en masse 
tlie whole scheme. However, Mr. Sandford had gone 
through most of the details, and said exactly what he 
should have done if necessary, and therefore he would 
only add, that he hoped they would vote almost unani¬ 
mously in favour of the new regulations, which he be¬ 
lieved would thoroughly stand the test when they came 
to be applied. 
Mr. Bottle said the time had now arrived when it 
w r as the duty of the Council to vary the examination in 
accordance with what was palpably the intention -when 
the Act was obtained. The 6th section of the Act of 
1868 stated that the examinations should be such as 
were provided for and contemplated by the Act— 
there were no assistants imder that Act—“ or as the 
same may be varied from time to time by any bye-law to 
be made in accordance with the Pharmacy Act as 
amended by this Act.” So that clearly the Legislature 
intended at that time to adopt what was then held to be 
the qualification for assistants, in order that they might 
not take any one by surprise in being called upon to pass 
an examination, but that they should have reasonable 
time to prepare for something better. The preamble of 
the Act said, “ Whereas it is expedient for the safety of 
the public, that persons keeping open shop for the re¬ 
tailing, dispensing, or compounding of poisons, and per¬ 
sons known as chemists and druggists, should possess a 
competent, practical knowledge of their business; ” and 
further, that they should be duly examined as to that 
practical knowledge. lie maintained that the alteration 
proposed was nothing more than asking men to show 
that they were practically acquainted with the business, 
and all this might fairly be expected of them. Mr. 
Sandford, however, had taken up the position which he 
was about to take in asking to defer, until 1874, the in¬ 
troduction of this new regulation. He thought that was 
only fair, and would give longer notice to those who 
were now r preparing for examination. As to the obser¬ 
vation that it was utterly impossible to expect the pupils 
of country chemists to pass the improved examination, 
he thought that if any pupils ought to pass such a one, 
they were the pupils of country chemists, for if their 
masters knew anything at all, they had more time to 
teach it than those engaged in business in London or 
large towns. Then it was said that twenty-one was ob¬ 
jectionable, but he did not think so. He remembered 
the first apprentice he took was the son of a friend of 
his who had been broken down by over exertion, and at 
the earnest request of the boy’s mother he took him 
when thirteen and a half years of age, being apprenticed 
until he should be twenty-one, and he stayed tw-o years 
afterwards as an assistant. He maintained that the very 
fact of this arrangement as to twenty-one would be a 
great advantage to masters taking apprentices, inasmuch 
as it would enable them in many cases to retain them 
until twenty-one, and they would thus get over the diffi¬ 
culty which had been spoken of as to getting junior 
assistants. His best assistants he had always found had 
been his own apprentices whom he had himself trained. 
Therefore the very fact of a man knowing that he could 
not pass-his examination till ho was twenty-one, would 
lead in many cases to his binding himself for five years 
instead of four. 
Mr. Hills asked the proposer and the seconder of the 
csolution if they would agree to alter the date to 1874 in¬ 
stead of 1873. By that means they would be acting perhaps 
more fairly towards those who came into the business. 
Mr. Suttox said ho ljad been talking to Dr. Odling 
and Professor Williamson in regard to the nature of the exa¬ 
minations which they conducted, and how they dealt with 
those questions which referred to the processes going on 
in large chemical manufactories—such as alkali works. 
They told him that they always incorporated these things 
in the examination ; and he asked them how they pro¬ 
vided for the case of a man who came up from some locality 
where he could know nothing at all about these things. 
They told him they did not make any strong point of 
such questions. If they happened to have a man from 
a locality where he had an opportunity of obtaining a 
knowledge of these processes they passed it to his credit, 
and if he did not, they passed it by altogether. That 
appeared to him the only way of doing it; for otherwise 
it simply resolved itself to this—a man must have lived 
in a certain place or he could not know anything about 
such matters. 
Mr. Baynes said if the year 1874 was substituted for 
1873, it would meet the views of many of the Council. 
Mr. Schacht, in replying on the amendment, said he- 
had not made the alteration just referred to for this- 
reason, that he should be rather disposed to suggest after 
the discussion that had taken place, that still greater 
liberty should be taken with the resolution, namely T 
that the regulations should be referred to a committee 
for the purpose of discussing every line and word, and if 
needful of making here and there a verbal alteration- 
If it were thought by such modifications the principle 
would in any way stand in jeopardy, he should adhere to 
his original resolution. But still he should like to make 
the alterations to meet the views which had been suggested 
if possible; and in doing so ho knew that they would not 
be acting contrary to the feeling of the Board of Exa¬ 
miners. For instance, if there was a strong objection 
to the introduction of the words “ domestic economy,” he 
knew the examiners would be willing to expunge them. 
Their intention, however, in introducing them was 
merely that the candidates’ knowledge should not be ab¬ 
solutely limited to medical botany. If, however, it was 
supposed that the words referred to included an exami¬ 
nation upon all subjects connected with the words “ do¬ 
mestic economy,” of course it would be better to expunge 
them altogether. He, however, wished it to be under¬ 
stood particularly, that the Board of Examiners considered 
the general arrangement of the paragraphs as essential 
to their scheme, and that to alter the balance of the sub¬ 
jects would spoil it altogether. To each of these subjects 
a certain number of marks were assigned, and they were 
carefully arranged so as to convey a general result to 
the minds of the examiners. Any material alteration, 
therefore, would be mischievous. For his own part he re¬ 
gretted the suggestion of postponement for a year, for he 
did not see why it should not come into operation at the 
end of the current session. At the end of that time he 
saw no injustice to anybody if the new regulations came 
into force. At the same time he felt quite sure that the 
Board of Examiners were the last body who would wish 
to insist on their own views, but would be willing to ex¬ 
plain them if that -were felt to be necessary. He would 
remind those who thought there was an extra stringency 
in the regulations, that the full number of marks which 
could be obtained by a candidate were not required in 
order to entitle him to a certificate. As to altering the 
age, he thought there would be equal difficulties in the 
way, and on the w'hole he should prefer the matter being- 
referred to a committee who should confer with tho 
Board of Examiners. 
Mr. Stoddart, as the seconder, said he should be glad 
to consult with Mr. Schacht. He was only anxious that 
they should have the Minor made a good and practical 
examination. He had been rather misunderstood as to 
his objection to the words “domestic economy,” his only 
object being that he might be able to advise young men 
who frequently came to him as to the course which their 
studies should take. 
Mr. Greenish said that the words were simply inserted 
in order that the examiners might have an opportunity 
of ascertaining whether the young men knew anything- 
of botany generally. In other words, to give the ex¬ 
aminers more scope. 
The President said he believed the Board of Ex¬ 
aminers had no other view in framing these regulations 
than to carry out the wishes expressed by the Council 
