358 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[October 29, 1870, 
Cormptote. 
*** No notice can be taken of anonymous communica¬ 
tions. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authenti¬ 
cated by the name and address of the writer ; not necessarily 
for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. 
Pharmaceutical Titles. 
Sir,—In your issue of the 17th ult. a letter appears, 
signed “Omega,” on which I should like to make a few re¬ 
marks, since I consider it to refer to all who, with “ Aspirant 
to the Major” and “ T. C.,” share the opinion that some dis¬ 
tinct title ought to be given to those who have succeeded in 
passing the three examinations of the P. S. at great expense 
not only of money but pf time. “ Omega ” accuses us of 
wishing “to parade our intellectual status,” which is, by his 
bitter repining for a grand flaming diploma, evidently one of 
his peculiar weaknesses, but where he has seen this desire dis¬ 
played amongst the Major Candidates beyond the ordinary 
desire all men have of reaping some advantage by their ex¬ 
penditure of money and labour, I am at a loss to conceive ; he 
seems to think it very unjust that those who have worked 
hard for many months to pass the three examinations of the 
P. S., should enjoy any precedence over those who have merely 
passed such an examination as any apprentice who has been 
in the trade a year or two ought to be able to pass creditably. 
I suppose our dear brother in pharmacy is one of those 
persons of retiring demeanour (and surely he had better have 
kept in the shade than have paraded his ignorance before the 
eyes of an intelligent profession) who wish for a higher social 
position, but shrink from paying the inevitable price of hard 
labour, energy and perseverance. If he have a very burning 
desire for a grand flaming diploma, I should advise him to apply 
the saying of the great man whom he quotes to himself, and 
employ his time in getting sufficient wisdom whereby to pass 
the Major,—and he might at the same time get a little under¬ 
standing, of which he seems to be sadly in want at present,— 
and then he may also find that there is a higher reward in the 
satisfaction of having improved his mind than in having a 
title to his name or even than in having obtained that su¬ 
preme height of human bliss,—the possession of a grand 
flaming diploma. But even if he does not choose to take my 
advice, he may still have the satisfaction of deceiving the 
public into the belief that he is on an equality with a Phar¬ 
maceutical Chemist by styling himself “ Chemist by Exami¬ 
nation of the Pharmaceutical Society,” for the public can see 
no difference between the two terms. 
I am also ignorant of the remarkable fact of which our cor¬ 
respondent kindly informs us, viz. that true doctrine leads 
men to humble themselves before men; I had rather thought 
that it led them to humble themselves before their Maker, 
not before their fellow-men, but probably our correspondent’s 
humility is another of the virtues which he is anxious to 
parade before the eyes of the public. 
Before he next exhibits himself in print for the ridicule of 
the profession, he had better take the trouble to consult Dr. 
Johnson, where he will find that doctrine and knowledge, 
advice and motto, are not synonymous terms as ho uses 
them. 
1 must now leave our dear brother to agitate for his grand 
flaming diploma, and sincerely hope he may succeed in ob¬ 
taining it, when, as he gazes on the coveted object of his life, 
he will, perhaps, be content to hold his peace and leave us to 
obtain our title of Fellow undisturbed. 
Candidate for the Major. 
Sir,—The reason why Major men would like the title of 
“ Fellow” is, that at present the public are quite unable to 
distinguish between them and the Modified men. In fact, a 
friend of mine, who has passed the Modified Examination is 
considered far in advance of me by some, because he went up 
to London and passed it immediately, whilst I had to prepare 
for the Major. 
To show the necessity of parading our status even before 
our confreres, I would mention that a Minor Associate 
opened a shop just before the passing of the Pharmacy 
Act, and, being elected a member of the Society, a chemist 
close at hand quite thought he had a Major to contend with, 
because he was a member. Again, Modified men call them¬ 
selves “ Chemists by Examination of the Pharmaceutical So¬ 
ciety,” and boast that their title sounds grander than ours; 
and when asked what is the difference between an Associate 
and a Member, reply, that “ all Associates have been exa¬ 
mined, but that all Members have not.” 
In conclusion, I think that if the Society could be called 
“The Royal College of Pharmacy,” its Majors and Founders,. 
“Fellows,” and its Minors and Chemists “Members,” our: 
whole Society would be raised in the estimation of the 
Public. Alpha. 
Dear Sir,—No one will dispute the fact that the vast 
majority of the public does not appreciate the difference be¬ 
tween the titles of Pharmaceutical Chemist and Member of 
the Pharmaceutical Society. I confess that I fail to see how 
those members w T ho are such merely from being in business 
two years ago, can object to all who have passed the Minor 
and Modified Examinations being classed with them as 
members, whilst the Founders of the Society (that is to say r 
all who were members before the Act of 1868) could then r 
with all those who have passed the Major Examination, en¬ 
joy the title of Fellow. If such were the case, it would per¬ 
haps be found advantageous to admit those who pass the- 
Preliminary Examination to the title of Associate. We should 
then have three distinct and well-marked gradations of rank, 
in the Society, which could hardly fail to be understood by 
the public, as only the Fellows and members could conduct, 
businesses. 
I feel confident that the agitation which is now commencing' 
on this point will rapidly attain its end, and the thanks of all 
concerned will be due to you for your courtesy in inserting' 
correspondence on the subject. 
Philip H. Mason. 
Noncich, September 2, 1870. 
Sir,—I have noticed several communications in your Jour¬ 
nal on pharmaceutical titles. I fully agree with some of 
them. “Aspirant to the Major” tells us that the “Modified, 
men ” are of a class whose retiring dispositions are such that 
they are perfectly satisfied with their present attainments. 
I think it might be proved that he is under a delusion to 
suppose this, for some of them, I have no doubt, would be glad, 
to compete even with “Aspirant to the Major,” were it not 
for the expense and—a not less important thing—the sacrifice- 
of time required for the Major. I do not hesitate to say, any 
young man of ordinary ability can pass either the Modified 
or Minor Examination by making good use of his leisure time- 
and working systematically, without losing more than a week 
in London; whereas for the Major, it is almost imperative- 
that he should have a course of study which it is next to im¬ 
possible to obtain in the ordinary routine of business. 
The titles themselves are very secondary, I have no doubt ~ r 
but the public can in a great measure judge of their chemist’s 
ability without requiring to see his diploma. Should it be 
deemed necessary to make a change, let the pharmaceutical che¬ 
mist be Fellow, the chemist and druggist Member, and he who-' 
chooses to subscribe to the Society, and has passed the Modi¬ 
fied or Minor, Associate,—each having his certificate to that 
effect. If “Aspirant to the Major” studies the lists of the- 
Minor Examination, he cannot but be convinced that large- 
numbers stop at this qualification, and consequently will be a 
very strong body, unless the Pharmaceutical Society step in 
with an additional Act, enforcing all to pass the Major Exa¬ 
mination. 
Wakefield, Oct. 17th, 1870. A. P. S. 
Sir,—“To be, or not to be?” that is the question. Is it 
granted, or is it not granted, that the Modified Examinations 
of the Pharmaceutical Society are worthy the time and 
labour of the gentlemen conducting them ? If not suffi¬ 
ciently stringent, why do the Privy Council sanction, the- 
President and Council of the Society endorse, and the majo¬ 
rity of our brethren acknowledge them ? Such are the ques¬ 
tions I submit to the omniscient philosophy of our worthy 
friends “ Spes” and “ Aspirant to the Major.” 
“ Spes ” does not see his own fault when complaining that 
last session he passed the Minor, and, not being able to dis¬ 
tinguish the “ Major ” title from the great bulk of titles ac¬ 
corded to the body of English chemists, he declined “ going" 
in” for the “grand event.” , 
In “Aspirant’s” former epistle he gives us to understand 
that we Modified men “resort to means whereby we may 
mystify tho public,” and that they, the Majors, having 
