May 24, 1873 ] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
937 
registered as an assistant shall be eligible for admission as 
an associate of the said Society, and every such person 
duly registered as a student or apprentice to a pharma¬ 
ceutical chemist shall be eligible for admission into the 
said Society, according to the bye-laws thereof and also 
clause 20 of the Act of 1868—“ Every person who shall 
have been registered as a chemist and druggist under this 
Act, by reason of having obtained a certificate of qualifi¬ 
cation from the Board of Examiner;-, shall be eligible to 
be elected an associate of the Pharmaceutical Society ; 
and every such person so elected and continuing as such 
associate, being in business on his own account, shall have 
the privilege of attending all meetings of the said Society 
and of voting thereat,” etc. I would also call attention 
to the bye-laws, which, when they pass, become a part of 
the Act, section 1, rule 2—“ Persons qualified to be 
elected members, associates or apprentices, or students 
of the Society shall at a meeting of the Council be pro¬ 
posed and seconded by members of the Council. The 
qualification of the proposed member, associate or appren¬ 
tice, or student shall be stated in a written resolution.” 
Now, gentlemen, you will observe that the word 
“qualification” is very prominently brought out in the 
bye-law and in the Act. I take it to mean this : that 
qualification is a test of eligibility. If a person is qualified 
I suppose, and I think that it is natural to suppose that 
person is eligible. That is simply the ground upon which 
I move. Now women have been registered, both women 
who were in business before the passing of the Act of 
1868 and also several who have passed their examination 
since, and I consider this registration to be a practical 
acknowledgment of the position I assume. We have 
tested their qualifications and so far we read the Act as 
assuming that there is no distinction to be made between 
a male and a female person in the Act. That so far is 
our interpretation of it. Our own solicitor I have no 
doubt will support me when I refer to Lord Brougham’s 
Act, 13 & 14 Viet. sect. 4.—“ That all words importing the 
masculine gender shall include the feminine unless there 
be an express provision to the contrary.” Under that 
particular Act of Parliament I have no doubt our solicitor 
advised this Society to admit women to registration and 
examination. He would not move without authority, 
and I believe it was under his authority that they 
were admitted to examination. The Society has so 
far adopted this view, and I believe it is simply a 
matter of prejudice which prevents the Society taking 
the consequence of continuing this view and allowing 
women to become apprentices or students, associates, 
or members. There is a notion abroad something 
to this effect, that this is really a private society. It was 
a private society, I am free to admit, but it is no longer, 
sti’ictly speaking, a private society. I believe that state¬ 
ment to be a most fallacious one. Our authority comes 
from the public, we have important public duties to per¬ 
form, and I think, in our duty to the public, we should 
read the Act in a spirit of liberality, and that is the mode 
in which I should wish to read it. We cannot view the Act 
of Parliament as conferring power on a private society. It 
is a society of a public character ; we have a Council 
which you elect periodically to represent you ; we have 
members joining for the purpose of controlling that Coun¬ 
cil ; and all the principal functions of the Society are of a 
public character. Do you suppose, gentlemen, that if the 
Council refused to elect a number of men to various grades 
in this Society, the Government would not step in and 
say that we were using our power badly. Do you think 
if we refused to elect a certain number of members com¬ 
ing from a particular town, or for some reason or other, 
that the Government would rest satisfied, and that there 
would be no remedy to set us right ? I am quite sure 
that if there were a powerful class of men anxious to enter 
the Society, they would soon find a remedy. Then, if that 
be the case, I think we ought to be thoroughly just in this 
matter. It is a question of simple justice and common 
fairness. I think in excluding women in this way we are 
not dealing according to the great principle of English 
fair-play. We have been told that women must not do 
this, that, and the other, and many tell us they must not 
be chemists; but you cannot prevent them being chemists, 
and why should you prevent them entering the Society as 
men do ? I will just mention two facts. We are con¬ 
stantly told that women must stay at home, and that is a 
very good thing, too, sometimes, but there are at this 
moment between two and three millions of women earning 
an independent livelihood, without masculine assistance, 
in this country. That is a grave statement, and we 
ought to ponder it well before we shut up this 
Society, and say we will shut this Society against 
them. A few weeks ago there were eleven situa¬ 
tions offered in London for young Avomen in the Post 
Office, and for those vacancies there were 1500 personal 
applications. Over a thousand Avere examined, each can¬ 
didate being questioned and having to give evidence of a 
certain capacity. Noav in the face of these facts we ought 
really to consider before Ave say Ave Avill not be fair and 
just and allow women equally to enjoy the privileges of 
this Society. Again, I cannot conceive that any dishonour 
would be done to us by the admission of women. If it be 
possible, it is highly improbable that more than a feAV 
women will distinguish themselves in pharmacy, but 
women do occasionally distinguish themselves in various 
ways, and if they do so in Pharmacy, would it not be an 
honour to us to have them as part and parcel of our body. 
I would conclude by repeating Ave shall do no dishonour 
to oui'selves by admitting women, but shall be simply 
acting fairly at least to a feAV women Avho wish to join us. 
Mr. Bostock (Ashton-undei’-Lyne) said that he hoped 
to spend the evening at South Kensington with many of 
those he saw around him, and each gentleman was invited 
to take a lady Avith him. The px-esence of ladies Avould 
add much to the agreeableness of the evening, and he 
must say he should not consider himself as a member of 
this Society in any way degraded if ladies, properly qualified, 
were admitted to membership. On the other hand, it would 
be an honour to the Society rather than a disgrace, to have 
ladies associated Avith them. There were many cases in 
Avhich it Avas vei'y desirable that Avomen should be able to 
conduct the business of pharmacy. Sometimes the head 
of a business was removed, and if his Avife or daughter 
could make a living by carrying it on, it Avas very desirable 
that she should do so. If they passed the examination 
they Avere entitled to become chemists and druggists, and 
Avhy should they be denied admission as members of the 
Association. If they had gone through the course of 
study necessary to qualify them, Avhich was not a very 
easy one, be thought their perseverance and industry 
should be rewarded by accepting them as members. They 
could not be kept out of the trade, and if they applied for 
admission as members of the Society, it should be our 
duty and our pleasure to allow them to join. He, there¬ 
fore, had much pleasure in seconding the resolution. Men 
themselves would have thought it very hard if they Avere 
shut out from any ordinary rights of citizenship by the 
accident of birth, and what they Avould not like to have 
done to themselves they should not impose xxpon others. 
Mr. Atkinson Pickering (Hull) begged to move:— 
“That the question of admitting ladies as members, 
associates, apprentices, or students be adjourned sine 
die." 
He did so for several reasons, which were perfectly con¬ 
clusive to his own mind, and lie hoped it would be so to 
others. It was a matter of great doubt to him Avhether, 
Avhen the rules and regulations of the Society Avere 
framed, the word “ person” was ever intended to include 
the female sex, though, in strict legality, no doubt it did 
so ; but the question was this, Avas it desirable that the 
women should occupy the position of pharmaceutical che¬ 
mists ? There were many callings which females could 
adorn Avith credit to themselves and advantage to society, 
such, for instance, as the duty of educating the rising- 
generation. Again, he could understand Iioav a young 
