March 16, 1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
749 
&J)e Ijjjroitaxmtiral Jountd. 
•-♦-- 
SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 1S72. 
Communications for this Journal, and books 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- 
IRIDGE, Secretary, 17, Bloomsbury Square, W.C. 
Advertisements to Messrs. Churchill, New Burlington 
Street, London, W. Envelopes indorsed u Bharm. Journ.” 
THE EDUCATION QUESTION. 
For tliose who take an earnest interest in the 
advancement and future welfare of the business of 
pharmacy in this country, argument will he un¬ 
necessary in support of the opinion that the question 
how the rising generation of pharmacists are to he 
taught the principles and practice of their business, 
is the most momentous of all the questions which 
now claim our consideration. Apprenticeship, the 
old system of initiating youths in the “ art and 
mystery ” of various trades, is confessedly no longer 
adequate to satisfy the wants of the pharmaceutical 
.student. Even when adherence to that system is 
limited to the reception as apprentices solely of 
youths who have passed the ordeal of the Pre¬ 
liminary Examination, it is only in exceptional 
•cases that the apprentice can hope for the advantage 
of such educational training as the law now renders 
indispensable. 
The experience he acquires of shop routine has, 
no doubt, its value; the daily habit of dealing in 
some way with drugs and chemicals may give him 
some familiarity with the materia medica, and the 
preparation of tinctures, infusions, etc., may enable 
him to acquire some practical acquaintance with the 
Pharmacopoeia. 
By diligent study much more may be done in the 
way of self-education. But it is rarely that the ap¬ 
prentice is placed in such a position that he cannot 
fail to obtain such a knowledge of his business as 
will enable him even to satisfy the present very 
moderate requirements of the law in regard to com¬ 
petence for carrying on business for himself. The 
modern tendency towards the subdivision of labour 
and the special prosecution of particular branches of 
trade, still further limit the apprentice’s opportu¬ 
nity of learning many things which he must know 
before he can become a pharmacist. The prepara¬ 
tion of extracts, tinctures, etc., and even ointments 
and infusions by wholesale houses, has now be- 
-come so much the rule that, in many instances, the 
apprentice may pass through the term of his appren¬ 
ticeship without much need of coming in contact 
'with the Pharmacopoeia at all. 
Any suggestion that tends to mitigate these dis¬ 
advantages of a system which will probably remain 
in force to some extent for many years to come, 
must be regarded as a valuable contribution in aid 
of pharmaceutical progress, and the paper which 
appears this week from the pen of the President 
will no doubt be productive of much good in that 
direction. For the many who are situated in the 
country, remote from colleges or schools, it is only b} r 
some such means as those suggested in Mr. Hasel- 
den’s paper that they can learn anything of the more 
important details of pharmaceutical practice. Even 
then chemistry—that subject which may be regarded 
as most essential of all to the pharmacist—would 
be only ill provided for, and although the prepara¬ 
tion of certain chemicals of the Pharmacopoeia would 
give an insight into manipulation, together with a 
general idea of chemical action, a satisfactory ac¬ 
quaintance with chemistry requires a greater amount 
of systematic work than can perhaps ever be looked 
for as obtainable by youths during their apprentice¬ 
ship. 
How, then, is this to be obtained ? Our present 
school of pharmacy cannot satisfy the want; for, 
although its benefits are far from being “ enjoyed 
almost exclusively by those who live in London,” it 
must be admitted that those pupils who come from 
the country represent only a very limited class, and 
that the Bloomsbury school should be regarded 
essentially as one for the metropolis. There are 
many who think that, at some not very remote date, 
its continuance in that sense should no longer be 
the business of this Society; but whatever view be 
taken on that point, the need of educational orga¬ 
nizations for the preponderating mass of rising 
pharmacists remains the same, and it is especially 
for the Society and its members to consider how, 
in the common interest of pharmacists and of the 
public, that want is to be best provided for. 
It is with some regret that we have to refer to the 
fact, that there has not been a more ready response 
to our invitation, some months since, of discussion 
on this very important subject in the columns of the 
Journal; but it is at any rate satisfactory to find that 
it is receiving attention in the provinces, and if we 
may judge from the references to it in some recent 
reports of provincial associations, there are in some 
quarters evidences of an earnest determination to 
deal thoroughly with the matter. 
THE NEW YORK PHARMACY BILL. 
Tiie Bill for removing the grievances complained 
of by the New York druggists, arising from the 
carrying of the Act of last year, by which an ex¬ 
amining board was constituted, appointed by the 
Mayor, was, after considerable opposition and some 
modification, on the 28th of February read a third 
time in the Senate and passed. The circumstances 
