April 13,1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
833: 
is a subject of tbe greatest importance to the rising 
generation of pharmacists in the country. There ought 
to he such a school in every large town, for the benefit of 
the apprentices of the chemists and druggists in them, 
and in the neighbourhood surrounding them. It is now 
a subject of paramount importance that apprentices, 
during their apprenticeship, shall receive such a scientific 
training as will enable them at least to pass the Minor 
examination when they are out of their apprenticeship. It 
is also equally as important for their masters that they 
should do this with credit to themselves, as well as that 
they should be instructed in the practical part, and be 
made men of business. The fact, however, should never 
bo lost sight of that our calling, although a profession in 
principle, is a trade in practice. Adam Smith lays down 
the rule that whenever goods are given in exchange for 
money, that constitutes trading. Therefore it becomes 
most important that the instruction given in these 
schools shall be of such a character as will enable the 
students when they commence business for them¬ 
selves to reduce it to practice and to turn it to profitable 
use. However scientific it may be to determine cor¬ 
rectly the colouring matter of a butterfly’s wing, such 
knowledge in a matter of fact world, such as this of ours 
is, would go a very short way towards providing a dinner 
for a man’s table. Therefore I advocate that the instruc¬ 
tion given shall be as much as possible of a practical 
character and have special reference to pharmacy anl 
its collateral sciences. 
“The establishment in Bloomsbury Square, with its 
able lecturers, its laboratory, its library, its museum of 
materia medica, and its lecture-hall containing every¬ 
thing necessary to illustrate the lectures delivered 
therein, enables the London apprentices and assistants 
to become thoroughly instructed in every branch of their 
profession. Now, whilst the country membex-s do not 
begrudge their town brethren their noble institution and 
the advantages which they possess, they feel that the 
institution as a means of education to the country ap¬ 
prentices and assistants is comparatively valueless. It 
therefore becomes a serious question how this lack of 
service is to be supplied. I think in all large towns this 
difficulty may be got over by forming provincial schools of 
pharmacy affiliated with the parent Society in London. I 
do not see any difficulty in establishing these schools. Let 
a room be rented; if in a literary and scientific institution, 
church institute, or other public building, so much the 
better. The furniture and the fittings may be of a very 
inexpensive character. The cost of them and of the 
apparatus necessary to illustrate the lectures on che¬ 
mistry, of specimens to illustrate those on materia medica, 
botany and pharmacy need not be large, and once ob¬ 
tained could be kept up at small cost. This would be 
all that is necessary to commence the school. A library 
in connection with it is most desirable, and that and 
other things would follow in due course. It may be 
asked how are the funds to be raised for these purposes F 
I answer that there should be no difficulty here, but 
that the local members of the trade ought to subscribe 
liberally for this purpose, and from what I know of the 
country members’ pluck and determination, I feel per¬ 
suaded that they would do so; and not only carry out 
what I have suggested, but supply the rooms with 
everything that is needful to found first-class schools. 
“ It now becomes necessary to consider how these 
schools are to be permanently supported. I answer by 
subscriptions from the local members, by fees from the 
students, and by very liberal grants of money from the 
funds of the Pharmaceutical Society. For this object 
the country members are entitled to their fair share of 
the income of the Society, to which they have so long 
and so largely contributed, and whose success is in a 
great measure due to them, and from which they have 
hitherto received little or nothing in return. According 
to the last annual report of the Society, it possesses a 
largo surplus income. The Council ought to feel that it 
is not only a duty incumbent upon them, but a privilege- 
to extend, to encourage, and to foster pharmaceutical 
education throughout the kingdom. May I ask for what 
their charter of incorporation was granted F What steps- 
have they hitherto taken to extend pharmaceutical edu¬ 
cation in the Provinces F To make grants to libraries, 
to lend materials for class-teaching, or a few apparatus 
for a period of fourteen days, cannot be construed towards 
forwarding this object. The country chemists have 
taken this subject in hand, and wall not let it rest until 
; they have established on a sound and a firm basis theso 
provincial schools. They are a majority of the Society, 
and it rests with themselves to vindicate their rights, 
and to maintain their proper position in it, and to de¬ 
mand their fair share of its income. For this purpose I 
hope there will be established in every large town, a 
Chemists’ Association to form and to watch over theso 
schools. I think the Council ought to grant at least 
thirty pounds a year to each of them, which will be some- 
I proof that they take an interest in the matter, and I 
think that the funds of the Society will allow this 
without at all injuring the institution in Bloomsbury 
Square. 
“ Having got the schools established, the next thing 
will be to find a lecturer who is competent to instruct in 
chemistry, materia medica, botany and pharmacy, and 
also the translating and dispensing of prescriptions. To 
prevent jealousy, as a rule, I would say that he ought 
not to be a man who is in business in the town in which 
he lectures. There are in most towns members of the 
medical profession who would be willing to undertake 
the duty. To enable the lecturer to do so with the 
greatest advantage to the students, I think that it is 
desirable that he should be furnished with copies of the 
questions used for three or four previous examinations 
for the Minor and the Major, and I have no doubt the 
Council will gladly furnish him with such. Here, in 
Hull, we have been fortunate in obtaining lecturers- 
who are well up in the above subjects ; those on chemis¬ 
try, materia medica, and practical pharmacy are delivered 
by an able member of the medical profession. The 
lectures on botany are delivered by the curator of our 
Botanic Garden, where his lectures are illustrated by 
j living specimens. Very fortunate have w r e been in se- 
' curing the services of one so eminent in his profession. 
It was a source of much pleasure to me, at the last 
supper of our Chemists’ Association, to hear the lecturers- 
speak in such kindly terms of the attention of the stu¬ 
dents. I have no doubt but there wall at all times be 
found members of the trade wdio will feel proud to pre¬ 
sent prizes for each subject of study, for students to- 
contend for. 
1 “It cannot be too forcibly impressed upon the minds of 
apprentices that there is no royal road to learning; that 
it is only by constant study and reflection that a man 
can become eminent in any profession. I do not see 
that there can be any objection, but I think it might be 
a great advantage to supply any student v r ho may be 
preparing for either the Minor or the Major, with a 
printed copy of the questions asked in the previous 
examinations. This would pi'ove specially valuable 
to those young men in small country towns who cannot 
have the advantage of attending a course of lectures. 
“ It will be two years, at the next Annual Meeting, in 
; May, of the Pharmaceutical Society, since the subject of 
Provincial Pharmaceutical Education v r as brought pro- 
minently before and commended to the serious consi¬ 
deration of the Council. During the past year the 
- sums voted by them for that purpose amounted to 
£48. With the exception of the Journal, this w r as all 
that the country members of the Society received for 
! educational purposes out of income, for the same space 
of time, amounting to above £10,000. 
“I beg to commend to the serious consideration or tho 
: members of the Society, but especially to the countiy 
] members of it, the report contained in tho Journal foi 
