228 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [September 17 , 1870. 
excitement, salt and water emetics were successfully 
administered, so tliat no great harm seems to have 
been done. 
The British Medical Journal , in commenting upon 
the case, and referring to our recent note 011 the sub¬ 
ject, adds, “ The accident gives room for thought. If 
the Pharmaceutical Society, whose function it is by 
Act of Parliament to devise rules for storing and dis¬ 
pensing substances, can offer any suggestion to our 
hospital authorities, they will certainly be favourably 
received, and carefully considered. There is in 
many instances much room for improvement.” 
The Lancet, however, in an article which not even 
the advent of the “ silly season” can justify, appears 
to object to our statement as to “ carelessness about 
bottles and labels too, at a great many hospitals,” 
and adds, apparently in the way of refuting our re¬ 
marks, that even the out-patient section of the imper¬ 
fect work of the hospital system is an immense boon 
“ to the sick and diseased poor.” This certainly never 
was doubted; but it need not be balanced by unne¬ 
cessary accidental poisoning of the class benefited, 
if that result can anyhow be prevented. The writer 
of this article also thinks our remarks “ came with 
exceedingly bad grace from such a source,” and he 
concludes by intimating in his not very exquisite 
language that the class of pharmaceutists are 
“ malefactors.” To reasoning so conclusive, and 
language so refined, we can only render the homage 
of silence. This is not the customary language of 
the profession to which a writer in the Lancet may 
be presumed to belong, and in the name of which 
he assumes to speak. 
The general moral of the whole affair is to indi¬ 
cate, not only the desirability of poison regulations 
or precautions, but also to point out the difficulties 
which environ the subject, since precautions are sub¬ 
ject to the disturbing influence of such extreme neg¬ 
ligence and stupidity as are displayed in these latest 
examples of accidental poisoning. However, it is 
not against those disturbing influences that we can 
hope to prevail. They will baffle all precautions; 
but that is of course no reason why an attempt 
should not be made to afford as much security as 
possible, and to decide whether any mechanical pre¬ 
caution or any set of regulations are at all likely to 
meet the desired object. 
The draft of a Bill has lately been laid before the 
French Senate, containing provisions for medicinal 
and pharmaceutical education, the details of which 
we propose to notice in a future number. Its con¬ 
sideration has been deferred by the occupation of 
the Senate and Corps Legislate; but it is evident 
that the subject has been thoroughly examined, and 
it may be assumed that the Bill shadows forth the 
reforyns which are about to be made in France, in 
the important subject of superior education and pro¬ 
fessional degrees. 
REPORTS ON THE EXAMINATIONS OF THE 
PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN. 
In an Appendix to the Twelfth Report of the 
Medical Officer of the Privy Council are printed 
two lengthy reports from Professor Christison and 
Dr. Greenliow, the official Assessors of the Privy 
Council, in which they describe the objects and me¬ 
thods of the Major and Minor Examinations, and 
state their conclusions as the sufficiency of these 
Examinations. The greater part of these reports is 
occupied by the details of Examinations, with which 
our readers are well acquainted. The following are 
the more important of their comments. Dr. Green- 
how says:— 
“ The technical examinations are made as practical as 
possible. The prescriptions submitted to the candidates 
are very various in character, and have all been actu¬ 
ally written for patients and dispensed in chemists’ 
shops. The ability to read prescriptions is obviously 
one of the most necessary qualifications for chemists and 
druggists, and a large proportion of marks has therefore 
been very properly allotted to this subject in both the 
Modified and Minor examinations. When present I 
have observed that although most of the candidates can 
read ordinary prescriptions correctly enough to ensure 
their being able to dispense from them with safety, com¬ 
paratively few are sufficiently conversant with Latin to 
read with accuracy prescriptions couched in somewhat 
unusual terms, or having appended to them minute di¬ 
rections for use in the Latin language. The already- 
recited regulations sufficiently show the scope of the 
several examinations in the other subjects, and I may 
add, that the selection of specimens submitted to candi¬ 
dates for recognition is well calculated to test their prac¬ 
tical knowledge. 
“ I have closely observed the mode of conducting the 
several technical examinations by the appointed exa¬ 
miners, and can bear testimony to the zealous and con¬ 
scientious manner in which these gentlemen discharge 
their duty. On some occasions I have followed the same 
candidates through their examination in all the succes¬ 
sive subjects, making my own estimate of the number of 
marks which they had earned in each subject, and then 
comparing this estimate with the number of marks 
assigned to them by the examiners, which has seldom 
shown any considerable discrepancy. On other occa¬ 
sions I have remained for a considerable time watching 
the examinations of successive candidates in the same 
subject, and have satisfied myself of their being con¬ 
ducted with perfect fairness and impartiality as between 
one candidate and another. 
“ I am informed that it is intended gradually to raise 
the standard of the examinations, and particularly of the 
First or Preliminary examination; but it would have 
been manifestly unfair to have passed suddenly from the 
degree of laxity which, before the passing of the Phar¬ 
macy Act, allowed persons to act as chemists and druggists 
without any examination at all, and to have begun at 
once to exercise a degree of severity in the examinations, 
which would exclude from the privileges of registration 
under the Act many fairly qualified candidates whose 
education had commenced before the Act was passed. 
“ The regulations have now, however, been in force for 
some time, and young men who may hereafter intend to 
become Chemists and Druggists, or Pharmaceutical 
Chemists, will have no reason to complain if, after a 
reasonable period has elapsed from the passing of the 
Act, they should be required to give proof of still higher 
qualifications before being admitted to registration. 
“ The fact of the rejection of so large a proportion of 
the candidates at every examination, would seem to show 
conclusively that the standard of the Board of Examiners 
