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THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[April 19, 1873. 
the proceedings of Council at the annual election of annui¬ 
tants have always been available, and it would, many will 
conceive, have been fairer to have first tested the value of 
criticisms at such a meeting, before attacking a benevolent 
fund which is virtually the property of the needy and the 
last remnant of their hope. Mr. Clark has elected to bring 
his charge for discussion and proof in the columns of our 
Journal. He may convince us that a donor to our Benevo¬ 
lent Fund does, by the fact of his election as a member of 
the Council, lose one of his senses, becoming deaf to the 
voices around; but at present I believe that the Council 
will meet him in his capacity of accuser without fear and 
without reproach. 
A Subscriber to the Fund. 
Sir,—I was delighted to learn from such good authority 
ns Mr. Sandford, in your last number of the Journal, that 
every deserving applicant to the Benevolent Fund has 
received relief. 
Is it possible that in the whole country there are only 
thirteen needy druggists or druggists’ widows at the pre¬ 
sent time who are willing to accept £30 per annum ? Then, 
Drugs for ever! and, Hurrah for the pestle and mortar! 
Or, on the other hand, is the sum to be received so small 
that it is not worth having ? 
The annual subscriptions to the Benevolent Fund appear 
to be— 
London members more than . . £400 
Country members (about) . . . 500 
Then, interest on £13,000 . . . 400 
£1300 
Why not distribute this sum annually? Why, with an 
income of £1300, is only £400 spent? Mr. Sandford 
instances the late Mr. Waugh’s approval of the conduct of 
the Council in this matter. But that which was only 
proper caution some years since is scarcely applicable at 
the present time. There is not much danger of the sub¬ 
scriptions decreasing, and I have omitted the donations 
altogether. 
At any rate, sir, pray leave it to the discretion of 
subscribers, whether their money should be funded or 
spent at once. Let the Council act boldly in this matter, 
and leave the result to the Giver of increase. 
J. B. B. 
Pharmacy in Ireland. 
Sir,—I cannot allow Mr. Anderson’s letter to pass un¬ 
noticed, as in many points he is far from correct. In the 
commencement of his letter he says, “A great amount 
of misunderstanding exists in the minds of the English 
chemists regarding the state of pharmacy in Ireland, 
especially with regard to the position of the chemists 
and druggists there.” I shall be glad to learn what is 
the misunderstanding regarding the state of pharmacy, 
and what “especially as regards the position of the 
chemists and druggists there.” If he alludes to their social 
position being lower than that of their English brethren, 
he makes a great mistake, as it is equal to theirs, if not 
higher. Again he says, “ the Irish chemists must not be 
confounded with those bearing the same name in England 
by this we must infer that they are not so competent. 
Here, again, Mr. Anderson is at fault. The Irish chemists, 
as a body, axe fully as competent as their English brethren. 
He goes on to say, “ The pharmacists proper are those who 
have given up the practice of medicine and devoted them¬ 
selves to retailing of drugs and dispensing of prescriptions.” 
If such is the case, St. Patrick must have banished them 
with the snakes, as there are none to be found now. 
I do not agree with Mr. Anderson about the examina¬ 
tions. Men who have been in business for years would 
scarcely be inclined to read up for so difficult an examina¬ 
tion as the Major examination of the Pharmaceutical 
Society. 
If, at the passing of the Pharmacy Act, the Modified 
examination was considered qualification enough for mem¬ 
bership of the Pharmaceutical Society and the dispensing 
of prescriptions in England, why should not the same rule 
apply here ? 
The Society of Chemists and Druggists, at their last 
meeting, approved in the main of the draft Bill proposed 
by the Apothecaries’ Hall. I was one of the deputation 
which waited on the Apothecaries’ Company, and we 
arrived at a perfect understanding about the examinations. 
The deputation submitted that having been five years in 
business and served a proper apprenticeship, should be 
considered qualification enough without any examination. 
The Governor and Court did not agree with this, and, as 
near as I can remember, the Governor (Dr. Collins) said 
the examination they would propose for chemists in busi¬ 
ness would be almost nominal; that so far as the gentlemen 
constituting the deputation, as well as numbers more in 
the trade were concerned, they would have no hesitation 
in dispensing with examinations; but the public must be 
protected, and he knew that there were those in business 
to whom it would not be safe to entrust the dispensing of 
prescriptions, and he suggested an examination similar to 
the Modified of the Pharmaceutical Society. 
The apothecaries are certainly alive to the necessity for 
some change; the chemists have not neglected pointing it 
out to them, and if the Pharmaceutical Society endorses Mr. 
Anderson’s opinions, we must go in for “Home Rule” in 
matters pharmaceutical; and though our Society is young 
it is strong, and in this matter the members will certainly 
pull together. 
J. T. Holmes. 
30, Upper JBaggot Street, Dublin, 
April 14 th, 1873. 
Examined and Unexamined Assistants. 
Sir,—Allow me, through the medium of your columns, 
to draw attention to what I think an apparent slip in the 
Pharmacy Act, viz. the non-prohibition of branch busi¬ 
nesses of registered chemists and druggists being con¬ 
ducted by unqualified men. A registered druggist, as I 
understand the Act, is quite at liberty to open as many 
shops as he pleases, and, so long as his own name is ex¬ 
hibited, he may conduct them by his senior apprentices, 
or it may be by non-examined assistants, paying a personal 
visit perhaps once or twice a week, or even less frequently. 
Some may say that such is quite legitimate, and argue 
thus :—The responsibility rests with the owner, and there¬ 
fore he is as much justified in employing an unexamined 
assistant in his branch shop as in his principal; but I would 
meet this with a decided negative, holding, as I do, that it is 
quite as important that such a business should be conducted 
on the principles of qualification as that of a registered 
chemist (deceased) whose executors are held liable for the 
conducting of such business on these principles, if they 
choose to carry it on. Again, on the other hand, it may be 
argued that there is no temptation to follow such a course as 
stated; in reply to which I have just to say that very little 
proves a temptation to the meagrely-remunerated druggist. 
Were such an apparent small slip filled up, I am satisfied 
it would go far to increase further the safety of the public, 
and at the same time render greater justice to those young 
men who have thrown themselves into the field at an early 
hour fully equipped for their calling. 
Edinburgh, April, 1873. Fair Play. 
W. G. is requested to communicate full particulars re¬ 
specting the name and address of the person referred to, 
accompanied by his own name and address, in confidence, 
to the Registrar, 17, Bloomsbury Square. 
W. Macnaught .—The Paris ‘Codex’ is published by 
Messrs. Bailliere of the Rue Hautefeuille, Paris, but it 
could be obtained through Messrs. Williams and Norgate, 
Dulau, Trtibner, or any respectable foreign bookseller. 
“ Veterinary .”—Blaine’s ‘Veterinary Art.’ 
X. Y. Z .—Much would depend upon the circumstances 
of the case. Consult a respectable solicitor. 
H. W. (Belfast) and “ Cerasum .”—We believe Messrs. 
Southall, Son, and Dymond, of Birmingham, are prepared 
to supply the article in question. 
“ Cicuta.” —(1.) The Adulteration Act was printed in 
the Pharmaceutical Journal for Sept. 28, 1872, p. 252. 
(2.) We cannot undertake to say what the decision of a 
magistrate upon the point would be. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Mr. Betts, Mr. J. Waugh, Mr. Bradford, Mr. Gerrard, Mr. 
Jones, Mr. Fairlie, Mr. Houghton, Mr. Macnaught, Messrs. 
Tyrer and Co., Mr. Symons, A. G. P., H. B., “ Cicuta,” 
“ An Assistant.” 
