October 21,1871.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21 , 1871 . 
Communications for this Journal, and boohs for review, etc., 
should be addressed to the Editor, 17, Bloomsbury Square. 
Instructions from Members and Associates respecting the 
-transmission of the Journal should be sent to Elias Brem- 
■ridge, Secretary, 17, Bloomsbury Square , W.C. 
Advertisements to Messrs'. Churchill, New Burlington 
•Street, London, IV. Envelopes indorsed u Pharm. Journ.” 
PHARMACEUTICAL EDUCATION IN THE 
PROVINCES. 
The recently published reports of transactions of 
local associations all agree in showing that attention 
is directed to the subject of education, but though, 
in some instances, there seems reason to believe 
satisfactory progress has been made, it is impossible 
lo overlook the fact that, in a general way, there is 
u tendency to look upon special education as a neces¬ 
sity to be met as a matter of form and in the least 
troublesome way rather than as the cliief basis of a 
successful career. The great aim on the part of 
students appears to be the acquisition of just enough 
knowledge of chemistry, materia medica, etc. to 
€nable them to get through the Minor Examination; 
and in accordance with the usual relationship be¬ 
tween supply and demand, the efforts of those who are 
endeavouring to provide means of education seem to 
be involuntarily restricted to the same object. 
In making this comment on the attempts to esta¬ 
blish systematic pharmaceutical education in the 
provinces, it is not by any means intended to dis¬ 
parage the efforts of those who are in various places 
everting themselves to that end; for the tendency 
above referred to may almost be regarded as a 
natural consequence of the defective education given 
to boys while at school. How rarely it is the case 
.that a lad at the time of passing from school to 
apprenticeship with a druggist has even the most 
elementary notions of chemistry, physics, or botany! 
Even in Latin he is frequently deficient. As a con¬ 
sequence such a lad is less able to profit by the 
practical experience he has while an apprentice, and 
what he does learn is but little understood. Subse- 
•quently, when he seeks to become an assistant, or 
to go into business for himself, the necessity of pass¬ 
ing an examination is regarded as a disagreeable 
■obstacle, and he has recourse to a s} r stem of cram¬ 
ming, to help liim past it. 
Considering the present distracted state of our 
middle-class educational methods, there is little 
doubt that some time must elapse before much im¬ 
provement is manifest as regards the acquirements 
■of those commencing a pharmaceutical career; anp 
until that is the case, we must be content at seeing 
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9 . _ 
apprentices and assistants studying subjects which 
in Germany or France schoolboys are familiar with. 
It is true some schools are now including science 
among the subjects taught to boys, and in a few 
there are competent teachers; but that course is still 
only exceptional, and not unfrequently what is 
taught as science is merely legerdemain. For im¬ 
provement in the scientific culture of the younger 
members of our calling, we would rather trust to the 
establishment by its senior members of a demand 
for higher qualifications than are generally to be 
met with. In this respect much still remains to be 
done. Looking through the advertisements for 
assistants, how rarely is it found that certificates of 
qualification are required! and when particulars are 
specified, they generally refer only to age, height, 
appearance, and such like. 
THE RELATIONS OF “MEDICAL ETHICS” TO 
PHARMACY. 
Pieadily and willingly to give advice and infor¬ 
mation upon every imaginable subject is generally 
understood to be an editorial function, and this 
understanding is fully relied upon by some cor¬ 
respondents. But we can easily sympathize with our 
contemporary the Lancet , when we read that it is 
one of its few “ painful duties ” frequently “ to decide 
“ on matters of professional conduct—to act as umpire 
“ between brethren who, in the practice of their art, 
“ may seem to have forgotten the principles which are 
“ supposed to regulate the conduct of medical men 
“ towards each other, and the public at large.” Even 
the bliss of being “not without a certain authority 
upon the subject” must be tempered by such a sad 
necessity. Indeed, the extent of the evil,—and the 
probability, we presume, that our contemporary’s 
columns will be required for something more in¬ 
teresting now that the dull season is over,—has moved 
its Editor to say a few words on the subject of Medi¬ 
cal Ethics. Of course with the disputes of medical 
men among themselves pharmacists have no right 
or wish to intermeddle, but some of the editorial 
remarks are worthy of their consideration as the 
opinions of an “authority ” on the matters discussed. 
The first failing mentioned is the disregard by 
practitioners of the difference between a trade and a 
profession. We should not do justice to this para¬ 
graph without printing it entire. Here it is 
“ The essential distinction between a trade and a pro¬ 
fession is in the nature of the service to be rendered. In 
the case of trade there is an exchange of wares for 
money; in the case of a profession, opinion, advice, or 
skilled judgment is the essential commodity to be ex¬ 
changed. And some men cannot receive this pure pro¬ 
fessional idea of service. Perhaps it arises from a modest 
diffidence as to the value of anything they have to offer 
the public in the way of opinion or judgment,, and so 
they supplement the real professional commodity with 
something more tangible. They deal in actual wares 
such as tooth-brushes, soaps, perfumery, Tidman s sea- 
