420 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [November 19, 1870. 
*** 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 Education. 
Sir,—To a certain extent I agree with Mr. Bremridge and 
Mr. Allkins on the subject of Pharmaceutical Education, but 
my idea is that, in the main, practical experience is far better 
than theoretical knowledge; the former is carried out in 
daily pursuits, the latter is, in many instances, laid on the 
shelf when once the “ necessary examination ” is over. At 
any rate, I think Mr. Allkins would not advocate the placing 
of a youth under the tuition of an M. P. S. such as “ As¬ 
sistant speaks of, more particularly if he is like some of our 
brother chemists, who, for the consideration of fifty or sixty 
poimds premium, undertake (as per indenture) to board, 
lodge, teach, and instruct, by the best means possible, the 
art of a Chemist and Druggist (dispense a 6-oz. mixture for 
8 d., retail sp. tether. nitr. 2 d. oz., make their proof spirit 
for tinctures, half and half, mix alum with cream of tartar, 
prepare tr. opii with ext. papaveris, etc.). 
It is very [right to assist apprentices in some theoretical 
parts of the business, but pharmacists ought to adopt no other 
methods than the authorized formulae, and they should scorn 
the idea of any kind of sophistication. If such were the case, 
depend upon it the cutting system would gradually wear out. 
Brighton, Nov. 15 th, 1870. “ Proof Spirit, P.B.” 
far such a statement was correct, the following morning I 
took a copy of the prescription to Messrs. Corbyn and Co. 
(Poultry), giving them an account of what had taken place. 
Their reply at once was, if the prescription has been dis¬ 
pensed by them their charge for it was Is. lOd. Comment, 
therefore, is needless. Upon my return I wrote, informing 
the gentleman of the result of my visit to Messrs. Corbyn’s.. 
I need scarcely say I have heard nothing since. 
E. Applegate. 
Tipper Holloway Road, November 14 th, 1870. 
Pharmaceutical Apparatus. 
Sir,—The very excellent suggestion made by Mr. Faulkner 
in your last issue will, I trust, meet with the approval of the- 
Council of the Society. I crave permission to add that I con¬ 
sider it would be most politic at the present juncture, while 
so much is being written about “ Pharmaceutical Education 
in the Provinces,” if the Council were to invite competition 
for the best complete set of laboratory fittings suited to the 
requirements of an ordinary retail business. I think a prize 
of sufficient value to excite an active competition, together, 
perhaps, with the privilege of the successful competitor 
being permitted to erect a model at the house of the Society, 
where it might be seen by any person connected with phar¬ 
macy, would yield us what lias been long a desideratum; 
while at the same time, by means of this small encourage¬ 
ment, some of the difficulties which beset a successful prose¬ 
cution of pharmacy in the provinces would be obviated. 
If you consider the above remarks of sufficient interest, I 
should feel obliged by their insertion in the next number. 
Cliff Town, Southend, Nov. 14 th. Jas. Wheeler. 
Preliminary Examination.—Prize Scheme. 
Sir,—In the hope of giving some encouragement to can¬ 
didates for the Preliminary Examinations of the Pharmaceu¬ 
tical Society, allow me to propose the following scheme :— 
That candidates for these examinations shall pay, in addi¬ 
tion to the ordinary fee of two guineas, one or two shillings 
extra (at discretion); that this sum shall be appropriated at 
the end of the year to the purchasing of medals, books, etc., 
and that these shall be given as rewards of merit to the three 
or four best competitors at each examination during the year. 
This scheme may be either optional or compulsory. If, 
however, the latter plan could be adopted the affair would 
be made much easier, for by the former plan the prizes would 
be available only to those who subscribed the extra fee. This 
might cause confusion. Suppose, then, that a shilling was 
fixed as the extra fee, and that this was compulsory. I think 
that so trifling an amount would not cause many objections, 
but, on the contrary, the plan would meet with much appro¬ 
bation. ' _______ An Encouragee. 
Dispensing Charges. 
Sir,—Several correspondents having addressed you in last 
week’s Journal upon the above subject, allow me to give an 
instance which came under my own observation, showing 
how inexpedient it is to be so influenced by mere statements, 
as not to make a fair and proper remunerative charge for dis¬ 
pensing. About a week since I dispensed the following pre¬ 
scription :— 
R. Quince Sulph. 9i 
Acid. Sulph. Dil. 5i 
Tinct. Cardam. Co. §ss 
Tinct. Hyoscyami 5hj 
Mist. Camphorse ad yviij. 
M. Take two tablespoonfuls three times a day. 
An empty bottle without label was brought by the ser¬ 
vant, and from some little observation made I thought 
a very moderate charge was requisite. Accordingly Is. 9 d. 
was charged. To my surprise, in the evening of the same 
day the mixture was returned, with a statement that Mr. G. 
could not think of keeping the medicine at such a preposte¬ 
rous price. The gentleman subsequently called himself, and 
asked why I should charge Is. 9 d. for dispensing a pre¬ 
scription which had been prepared several times by Corbyn 
in the Poultry for Is. 3d., and once in my own neighbourhood 
for the same amount (in the latter case it afterwards transpired 
that the charge was made on account of it being stated Cor¬ 
byn’s had charged that sum). I said I could not think of 
altering my price, which was exceedingly moderate, and that 
I did not think it possible Corbyn’s should make such a charge 
for it. Wishing fully to investigate the matter, and see how 
* See No. 20, p. 398. 
Obscure Prescriptions. 
Dear Sir,—Some of your readers may feel interested in 
reading another specimen of Mr. If atson Bradshaw’s pe¬ 
culiar style of prescribing, commented upon by F. J. B. 
last week, and I therefore enclose a formula, which was 
brought to me some time since to dispense:— 
R. Pulv. Cinerei gr. ss 
Ext. Sedativ. gr. iv 
M. ft. pil. h. s. 
R. Liq. Alkalin. 5iss 
Extr. Nigr. gr.ss 
Ess. M. Pip. mxx 
Infusi Subamarte ad ^viij 
Tinct. Subamarse, 5 v j 
M. capiat partem sextam ter in dies. 
Aprilis 19 mo die, 1869. Watson ^Bradshaw. 
43, Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, W. 
“ Socius” and e< Chemicus,” who do not send them names 
and addresses, are referred to the Registrar. 
Bharmacy in Ireland .—“ Mercurius ” wishes to be in¬ 
formed by “A Registered Chemist and Druggist ” (London) 
the route by which he can get from Dublin to London in 
“ four or six hours,” as he has to travel that journey fre¬ 
quently. 
“ Inquirer” (Hampstead).—Your letter has been handed 
to the Secretary. 
“A Century of Old Books.” — W. J., writing concerning 
Mr. Ince’s paper, expresses his opinion that a very interesting 
book might be produced on the changes which have taken 
place in pharmaceutical preparations and remedial compounds. 
The London ‘ Dispensatory,’ published by the Colleges of Sur¬ 
geons and Physicians, which was the authorized Pharmaco¬ 
poeia at the time when some of the books mentioned in Mr. 
Ince’s paper were issued, contains some absurdities quite as 
foolish as any to be found in Wesley’s ‘ Primitive Physick. 
“Patent.” —No. 
R. A. R. (Brompton).—No. 
F. J. Barrett. —We cannot understand your question. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Jr. J. E. Howard (London), Mr. W. J. Bramwell (Brighton), 
Jr. A. Barfoot (Leicester), Dr. L. V. Newton (New Lork), 
Jr. C. Umney (London), Mr. R. Giles (Clifton), Mr. J. !• 
3aldock (Rochester), Dr. Kidd, Mr. C. R. C. Tichborne 
Dublin), Mr. Watson Bradshaw, Mr. A. W. Bennett, Mi- 
Barker, Messrs. Churchill and Sons, Mr. Cann (Greenwich), 
Jr. B. H. Cowgill (Manchester), Mr. Allchin, Mr. Maleham 
Sheffield), Mr. Roberts (Leeds), Magnesia (Richmond), Dis- 
>enser, A Bookworm, Iodi (Sudbury), W. M. (Carhsle), 
Deprecator. 
