170 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[August 2G, 1871 
ceutical Society is pitched as high as can he attempted 
■with practical advantage. 
“ Of the 22 meetings held for the examination of candi¬ 
dates in technical subjects, 13 were devoted to the Major 
and Minor Examinations and 9 to the Modified Exami¬ 
nation. 
“During the year 1870, 258 candidates presented them¬ 
selves for the minor examination, of whom 178 passed 
and were registered as chemists and druggists, and 8(fi 
or nearly one-third, were rejected as incompetent. Of 
these 80 unsuccessful candidates 50 failed to obtain the 
number of marks requisite for passing the examination 
as a whole; the remaining 30 obtained the requisite 
total number of marks calculated on all the subjects 
collectively, hut failed to obtain the numbers requisite 
for passing in all the separate subjects. Of these 30 
candidates, 7 failed in one of the six subjects comprised 
in the examination, 18 in two, 4 in three, and 1 in four 
subjects respectively, and by the regulations of the 
Pharmaceutical Society they must present themselves 
for re-examination in those separate subjects in which 
they failed to pass, before they can become qualified for 
registration as chemists and druggists. 
“I should, perhaps, briefly repeat here what I ex¬ 
plained in my report of last year, that in order to pass 
any of the examinations a candidate must obtain not 
less than half the number of marks given for the exa¬ 
mination as a whole, and is even then only entitled to 
pass provided that in none of the separate subjects com¬ 
prised in the examination his number of marks has 
fallen below one-fourth of the standard number allotted 
to the subject. It is true that even though a candidate 
may have failed to obtain one-fourth of the standard 
number of marks in a single subject, if his excellence in 
all the other subjects be remarkable he may still possibly 
be allowed to pass by a special vote of the Board of Exa¬ 
miners ; but practically such a case very rarely occurs. 
Further, a candidate who has obtained the required total 
number of marks calculated on all the subjects of exa¬ 
mination collectively, but has fallen below one-fourth of 
the standard number in one or more of the separate sub¬ 
jects, is required to present himself for re-examination, 
not only in those subjects, but also in any of the other 
subjects in which he may have failed to obtain one-half 
of the standard number of marks. By these arrange¬ 
ments, which appear to me to be equitable, superior ex¬ 
cellence in some branches of the examination is to a 
certain degree set against any weakness in others which 
does not involve incompetence in essentials. 
“For the major examination 75 candidates presented 
themselves during the year, of whom 59 passed and w T ere 
registered as pharmaceutical chemists, whilst 16, or 
more than one-fifth, were rejected. Nor can this be 
regarded as otherwise than a large proportion, when it 
is considered that all these candidates must have pre¬ 
viously passed the minor examination, and were thereby 
already qualified to carry on business as chemists and 
druggists. The examination of candidates for the major 
qualification is conducted partly by means of written 
papers ; partly by viva voce questions and answers upon 
the nature, quality, composition and preparation of drugs 
and chemicals placed before the candidates; and partly 
by practical examination in the dispensing and com¬ 
pounding of prescriptions, and in the application of the 
requisite chemical tests for determining the nature of 
one or more of the definite chemical compounds em¬ 
ployed in medicine. The papers written in answer to 
questions set by the examiners show that the candidates 
have received very different degrees of elementary and 
technical education. Some of the papers evince a really 
high degree of cultivation, whilst others fall below me¬ 
diocrity. The practical examination in testing is con¬ 
ducted on the same day as the written examination, and 
each candidate is required to determine, by means of the 
appropriate chemical tests, the presence, in a given solu¬ 
tion, of some chemical comprised in the British Phar¬ 
macopoeia. The candidate is not made aware until the 
moment what solution will be presented to him for exa¬ 
mination, and he applies his tests under the eye of the 
examiner, who takes each candidate in turn at a counter 
upon which are placed the requisite apparatus and tests. 
Solutions of such salts as the perchloride of mercury, 
sulphate of copper, perchloride of iron, bromide of po¬ 
tassium, acetate of lead and alum were given to be tested, 
on the occasions on which I was present. Of the sixteen 
candidates who were unsuccessful in the major examina¬ 
tion, thirteen failed to obtain the number of marks neces¬ 
sary in order to pass the examination as a whole; the 
remaining three obtained the requisite total calculated 
on all the subjects collectively, but fell below the stand¬ 
ard minimum of marks in one or more of the separate 
subjects, and will, therefore, be required to undergo a; 
re-examination in those subjects before they can be. 
registered as pharmaceutical chemists. 
“ The modified examination was instituted, as I ex¬ 
plained last year, for the benefit of such persons as, be¬ 
ing of full age, had been actually engaged in the dis¬ 
pensing and compounding of prescriptions as assistants-, 
to pharmaceutical chemists, or to chemists and druggists, 
for a term of not less than three years previous to the- 
passing of the Pharmacy Act of 1868. 
“ The modified examination entitles such candidates, if 
they can give proof of reasonable practical competence, 
to be registered as chemists and druggists without hav¬ 
ing attained the standard of scientific knowledge now- 
fixed for the minor examination which confers the samo 
title. It will therefore be discontinued so soon as the 
class of persons for whose benefit it was instituted shall 
have all been examined. During the past year 348 can¬ 
didates presented themselves for this examination, of 
whom 231 passed and were registered as chemists and. 
druggists, and 117 were rejected. Of these latter, 102 
failed to obtain the number of marks required to enable- 
them to pass the examination as a whole; the remaining ■ 
15 obtained the total number, but failed to obtain the 
required minimum in one or more of the separate sub¬ 
jects. Two of the 15 failed in two subjects and 13 in 
one subject each ; but the four subjects which alone are- 
comprised in this examination are all so indispensable,, 
that incompetence in any one of them would render a 
person quite unfit to be trusted with the responsible duty 
of compounding and dispensing prescriptions. The can¬ 
didates in these modified examinations have appeared to¬ 
me to be treated by the examiners with equal considera¬ 
tion and tact, so that while on the one hand they are not 
rejected on matters of minor importance or technical 
form, on the other hand they are not passed unless their- 
practical competence be proved sufficient to guarantee, 
the safety of the public. The fact, therefore, of the re¬ 
jection of fully one-third of the whole number of can¬ 
didates, affords conclusive evidence of the danger to 
which the public must have been exposed, by the em¬ 
ployment of so large a proportion of unskilled persons, 
as assistants in the business of selling drugs and com¬ 
pounding prescriptions, previously to the passing of the- 
Pharmacy Act. 
“During the year 1870, I was present at the pharma¬ 
ceutical examinations on thirteen occasions, namely, on, 
January 7th and 19th, on February 16th, April 20th, 
May 6th and 25th, July 1st and 13th, October 19th and 
20th, and on December 2nd, 21st, and 23rd. Four o£ 
these were modified examinations, and the remaining, 
nine major and minor examinations. 
“No change requiring mention has been made during 1 , 
the past year in the mode of conducting any of the exa¬ 
minations, but I observe some minor improvements in. 
method, and I am led to believe that it is the intention 
of the Board of Examiners gradually to raise the standards 
of competence, both for the minor and major examina¬ 
tions. I have no suggestions to offer on this head, with, 
reference either to the minor or the modified examina¬ 
tion, both of which appear to me to be as high as could. 
