378 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRAN DNS. 
[November 4, 1371 
Society bo given to the Council of the Pharmaceutical 
Society for fho special grant of ten pounds, and also for 
the PuArtnA cetjticax. Journal (monthly) to the library, 
which was seconded by Mi. p.. Thompson, who took oc¬ 
casion to remark that he could not quite endorse the 
opinions which had been expressed by previous speakers 
with respect to the education of the young men. In the 
well-appointed laboratories of the Mechanics’ Institution 
and Young Men’s Christian Institute, so ably conducted 
by two members of our Society, he thought the young 
men connected with the trade had excellent opportuni¬ 
ties afforded for making themselves acquainted with 
theoretical and practical chemistry,—such facilities, in¬ 
deed, as we could not offer except at a great outlay of 
capital, which would not be remunerative. It would be 
quite in accordance with the objects of our Society to 
continue the lectures on botany. 
Mr. Rhodes moved, and Mr. Yewdall seconded, a 
vote of thanks to Mr. Reynolds, F.C.S., for the gift of a 
glass case to hold materia medica specimens, which was 
carried unanimously. 
In conclusion, Mr. Highmore (associate) urged the 
Committee to endeavour to obtain shorter hours of 
business. 
MIDLAND COUNTIES CHEMISTS’ 
ASSOCIATION. 
The Monthly Evening Meeting of this Association 
was held on Thursday evening, the 26th of October; 
the President, Mr. George Dymond, occupied the chair. 
There was a large attendance, the reading-room being 
quite full. 
In introducing the paper of the evening, by Mr. 
"William Southall, the President remarked that the 
subject was one which could not fail to interest those 
who were present who had yet to submit to the ordeal 
of examination. So far, however, from regarding a 
preparation for the examinations of the Pharmaceutical 
Society as an oppressive burden, he thought that a just 
view of the advantages of study in its effects upon the 
mental powers, and of the benefits to be gained in the 
acquisition of knowledge, should stimulate the student, 
whose life would thus be raised above the mere drudgery 
of the shop and ennobled by high and worthy aims, 
whilst an additional motive might well prompt his en¬ 
deavours in the reflection that his studies had for their 
ultimate object the mitigation of human suffering. 
[We purpose printing Mr. Southall’s paper in extenso 
in next week’s issue.— Ed. Pharm. Journ.] 
VACANCIES AND APPOINTMENTS IN CONNEC¬ 
TION WITH PHARMACY. 
The ’Editor will he glad to receive early notice of any 
vacancies of pharmaceutical offices connected with public 
institutions, and likewise of appointments that are made, 
—in order that they may be published regularly in the 
Journal. 
APPOINTMENTS. 
Mr. James Richard Gardner, A.P.S., has been appointed 
Assistant Dispenser at the Royal Naval Hospital, Plymouth, 
vice Mr. Benjamin Marks, Pharmaceutical Chemist, appointed 
Dispenser and Medical Storekeeper at the Royal Naval Hos¬ 
pital, Chatham. 
The following journals have been received:—The ‘British 
Medical Journal,’ Oct. 28; the ‘Medical Times and Gazette,’ 
Oct. 28 : the ‘ Lancet,’ Oct. 28 ; the ‘ Medical Press and Cir¬ 
cular,’ Nov. 1 ; ‘Nature,’ Oct. 30; the ‘Chemical News,’ 
Oct. 28; ‘English Mechanic,’ Oct. 27 ; ‘ Gardeners’ Chro¬ 
nicle,’ Oct. 28; the ‘Grocer,’ Oct. 28; the ‘Journal of the 
Society of Arts,’ Oct. 28; the ‘British Journal of Dental 
Science’ for November; the ‘American Chemist’ for Octo¬ 
ber ; the ‘ Journal de Pharmacie et de Chimie ’ for September; 
‘Zeitschrift des allgemeinen osterreichischen Apotheker-Ve- 
reines,’ October 20; ‘ Neues Repertorium fur Pharmacie,’ 
Sept. 9; the ‘Chloralum Review’ for November; ‘Evans, 
Lescher and Evans’ Monthly Price Current.’ 
Camsjrtmiifnrc. 
* # * 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. 
Provincial Education. 
Sir,—A few facts may possibly assist the successful theo¬ 
rizing of some of your contributors in reference to Provincial 
Education ; I regret that those I have to communicate are- 
painful ones, since they relate but to failure and disappoint¬ 
ment. 
In the autumn of 1868, when the requirements of the 
Pharmacy Act were fresh in all minds, the Manchester Che¬ 
mists’ Association established classes in chemistry, material 
medica and Latin; 62,58 and 49 entries were respectively 
made in these, and a good average attendance was obtained ; 
encouraged by such a ready response, we applied to Owen* 
College for co-operation, and a special course of instruction 
for pharmaceutical students v r as arranged. Our lecturers 
were, on Chemistry, Mr. Schorlemmer, F.R.S.; on Botany, 
Professor Williamson, F.R.S.; on Materia Medica, Mr. Somers* 
(now and for many years past lecturer on the same subject- 
in the Manchester School of Medicine), and on Latin, Pro¬ 
fessor Wilkins, M.A. The fee was 15s. per course of twenty- 
seven lectures, with a considerable reduction in the case of 
those who attended several classes. The ardour of our stu¬ 
dents had, however, cooled, and comparatively small classes* 
were formed. The following session renewed efforts were* 
made by our Association, a special course on pharmacy was 
added, an accomplished local pharmacist, Mr. Louis Siebold,. 
being appointed lecturer; nevertheless, our classes dwindled,, 
and this session we have been obliged to close those on phar¬ 
macy and materia medica, because the minimum number of 
entries (10) could not be obtained. The chemistry, botany 
and Latin classes continue working, being open to other than# 
pharmaceutical students. Here is another “ mournful sen¬ 
tence ” for Mr. Ince. Can ho point out who is to blame ? Our 
lecturers were men of undoubted ability, and enthusiastic- 
teachers ; we were connected with one of the most eminent 
science schools of the kingdom; and our prizes were distri¬ 
buted by the Lord Bishop of Manchester! What more could 
our students desire ? 
For myself, I believe the causes of our failure to be many, 
but chiefly, I fear, the disinclination of young men to enter 
upon the serious study of the various subjects in our curricu¬ 
lum,—a putting off of the evil day, in the hope that some¬ 
thing may turn up to relieve them from the necessity of 
meeting it, and a trust in the vaunted powers of “rapid pre¬ 
paration ” men 'to assist them at the eleventh hour if need be- 
Some of them have discovered that mere attendance at lec¬ 
tures does not qualify them for the examinations; and as they 
have not been accustomed to regard the acquirement of 
knowledge for its own sake as desirable, but only as a mean& 
to an end, that end being the examinations, they are dissa¬ 
tisfied with what appears to them the indirectness of the 
means, complaining that the Latin taught is not “ pharma¬ 
ceutical” Latin, nor the chemistry “pharmaceutical” che¬ 
mistry, etc. But can we expect young pharmacists to be 
wiser than young doctors, or other young men ? Cramming: 
is one of the evils of our day, and it will test the skill of our 
examiners to find out where it has been resorted to, that 
they may do the candidates the kindness of sending then* 
down. Professor Huxley recently said in Manchester tbat» 
he had had the satisfaction of plucking sixty out of seventy 
papers from one school where he knew cramming was prac¬ 
tised. Let our own examiners follow this good example, and 
we shall soon have loss of it, and more healthy study amongst 
our assistants and apprentices. Some excuse must be made- 
for those who were engaged in the business before 1868, and 
werp taken unawares by the Pharmacy Act. For them the 
Minor might, perhaps, be a little relaxed; but those who 
have deliberately joined our ranks since that date should feel 
it an honour that so much is expected of them. That some 
of the responsibility of our failure rests with tho masters L 
doubt not,—the relation of master and apprentice is scarcely 
yet adapted to the new pharmaceutical era. The importance 
of getting well-educated apprentices has been frequently al¬ 
luded to; equally important is it to the progress of pharmacy 
that the apprentice gets a good master, one who, though he 
may not, for one or many reasons, personally undertake the? 
