900 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[May 6, 1871. 
not to slirink from the conditions upon which they are ob¬ 
tainable. 
My own opinion is that with the qualifications necessary 
to pas 3 the “Modified,” £1000 and a good opening for busi¬ 
ness, any one may leave all doubts about getting on to 
“aspiring” members of the profession. 
Another Associate. 
Sir,—I quite agree with B. S. that the Council ought to 
be a little more just in their rules, etc. in respect to the exa¬ 
minations. I will not take up much of your valuable space, 
but I should like to say a word on the separate examinations 
for chemists who were in business at the time of the passing 
of the Pharmacy Act. I was in business myself at the time, 
and made application to the Secretary for examination, but 
was informed that I either must have been in business five 
years or be not less than thirty years of age. I could not 
comply with either, as I had only been in business about a 
year and was only twenty-eight years of age. I was 
anxious to pass the examination; but I could not think of 
starting with the Preliminary Examination at my age and 
with the cares of business. It may be said that a line has to 
be drawn somewhere and that it must be hard for somebody. 
Now I contend if a line is to be drawn, why not in all fair¬ 
ness draw it thus, viz., that all who were in business for 
themselves at the time the Act was passed ought to have 
been entitled to pass the separate examination irrespective 
of their age ? What has age got to do with it so long as a 
man is in business P Will some one plead my cause ? if they 
do they will plead for many in like circumstances. The 
Council ought to revise their regulations on the above sub¬ 
ject and give all a fair start. Pro Boko Publico. 
Sir,—Your correspondent George Sant, in last week’s 
Journal, is quite correct, I am sure, in his assumption that 
“many of the unsuccessful in the last” Preliminary knew 
little or nothing of the Latin language before entering their 
apprenticeship, and I am glad he has opened up the subject 
in order that it may be thoroughly ventilated. I should like 
to see some of your abler correspondents give some hints and 
recommendations to those who are in the following position, 
and they are not a few. A young man not having received 
a classical education, possibly educated at a British school, 
and whose parents were not in a position to give him a liberal 
education, aspires to the trade of chemist and druggist; he 
becomes an apprentice before the passing of the Pharmacy 
Act, not knowing that examination would be compulsory, 
and twelve or eighteen months after he has been apprenticed 
the Act is passed, compelling him to learn Latin during his 
business hours and to undergo a thorough training—a most 
desirable thing, but which, if he had known it before, would 
have turned his attention to some other trade or profession, 
possibly as remunerative and requiring no classical know¬ 
ledge. 
In your leader of the 22nd ult. you say the questions apart 
from Latin “ were not at all more difficult than a boy who 
has received a liberal education might be expected to answer.” 
Unfortunately all have not received a liberal education, and 
it is on behalf of such I write and ask for information for 
their direction. Can anything be done to meet their case ? 
May they expect any mercy at the hands of the examiner ? 
To a youth having just left school and knowing such an 
examination has to be passed before enteriug on the study of 
chemistry, botany, etc. it is nothing, but to such an one as 
I have described the case is widely different; and you would 
be conferring a great benefit upon such if you would open 
your columns for a little interchange of ideas upon this par¬ 
ticular subject, and upon which our future pharmacists de¬ 
pend. Sympathetic. 
In reply to our correspondent’s inquiry, we would 
suggest that since a liberal education is a necessary qualifica¬ 
tion for the practice of pharmacy, those who are wanting in 
that respect should either overcome this deficiency or abandon 
the idea of becoming pharmacists. At the same time, we 
think it would not be any great hardship to acquire a know¬ 
ledge of such Latin as is of daily use in ordinary business.— 
Ed. Pjharm. Journ.] 
Sir,—In the beginning of the year 1869 I was one of a num¬ 
ber of gentlemen who passed the Modified Examination. Seve¬ 
ral months later, whilst busy at my work of preparing for the 
Major Examination (my progress being but slow, in conse¬ 
quence of the calls of business), I heard that some bye-laws 
had passed which took from me the right of presenting my¬ 
self for examination, and swept away whatever privileges I 
had possessed upon my election as an Associate of tbe Phar¬ 
maceutical Society. 
Had I been in the least warned of such a step, in all pro¬ 
bability I should have taken immediate steps for entering 
my name on the list of candidates for a Minor Examination, 
or, to say the least, if I had had any degree of foresight I 
might have avoided, as a snare and a delusion, the Modified 
Examination,—which, in truth, I had elected solely on 
grounds of economy. 
To an outsider, such a case may appear trivial, and nothing 
worse than a mild dose of red tape ; but to many assistants 
who have already passed middle age, it is far otherwise. I 
refer especially to those who are engaged in some of our 
bustling shipping and manufacturing towns, where the hours 
of business range from 6.30 or 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and not un- 
frequently midnight. I know of situations where it would 
puzzle the boldest to find any time for study; but, for the 
sake of brevity, I will not multiply instances. Is it reason¬ 
able that the meaning of the Pharmacy Act should be so 
affected by stringent bye-laws as to withdraw the only bond 
of sympathy that connected the most intelligent part of our 
assistants with the Pharmaceutical Society? 
I hope the Council will reconsider their cruel decision, and 
prevent the estrangement of a large body of well-meaning 
gentlemen. The result will be, I feel sure, a source of encou¬ 
ragement to many who are striving, by self-instruction and 
other means, to fulfil their part in the elevation of their pro¬ 
fession. Spes. 
Warrington, April 28th, 1871. 
A Ciiemists’ Club. 
Sir,—Having frequently been asked by young men in the 
country, “ Where can we stay if we come up to town to attend 
the Pharmaceutical Society or in search of situations?” it Las 
induced me to address those in the trade through your columns 
on the subject of a “ chemists’ club ” being formed, where 
young men could Lave the comforts and accommodation of home 
at a moderate expense. I am fully convinced it would be 
well supported, nor. only by those in the country, but also 
those resident in town, and there are many advantages v hi fa 
would be derived from such an institution. I should much 
like to see the matter further discussed in your Journal. 
. ■ A Subscriber. 
C. P.—The plant sent is not Ranunculus bulbosus, but is 
the common celandine, figwort or pilewort, R. Ficaria, Liun. 
var. a. dioergens, E. Schultz. Its acrid property has led to 
its use for outward application in some forms of tumours, but 
this acridity is easily dispelled by heat,—indeed it is used as a 
potherb in some parts of Sweden. It is not nearly so acrid 
as some of the buttercups, though moist grass lands are some¬ 
times dressed with coal or wood ashes to destroy it. We do 
not remember an instance of its injurious effects to man or 
beast. Eigures of that plant and R. btilbosus can be seen in 
Sowerby’s ‘English Botany,’ vol. i. 
F. Thompson. —You had better apply to the Secretary for 
a Syllabus of the Examination. 
F. Hall. —Yes. 
C. G. B. —The sum of 10s. 6d. paid annually by a registered 
apprentice or student of the Society is not paid by him for 
the Journal, but as the subscription attached to connection 
with the Society. In virtue of this connection he is entitled 
to be supplied with a copy of the Journal free, to the free use 
of the library and museum, and to attend the lectures of the 
professors at half fees. The Jacob Bell scholarships, also, 
are, under certain restrictions as to age, open to him. 
Querist. —See the information on this subject already pub¬ 
lished, ante, pp. 590,752, 772, 791, and in this week’s number, 
p. 890. 
G. H. —A formula for u Pick-me-up ” has already been 
given at p. 497. 
W. Clark will find a formula for peppermint cordial on 
p. 497 and one for aniseed cordial on p. 737. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Mr. E. Agnew, Mr. E. Skippei’, Mr. J. Whitfield, Mr. J. 
Metherell, Mr. C. Symes, Mr. A. Marshall, Mr. A. T. Girdlcr, 
Mr. M. C. Cooke, Mr. A. H. Mason, Norwich Chemists’ 
Assistants’ Association, C. H., J. T. V., M. P. S., B. S., 
“Kappa,” “TolPedn Penwith,” “Hydrargyrum,” “Stucco.” 
A. P. S. has not complied with the rule as to anonymous- 
communications. 
