933 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[May 18, 1372. 
that certainly the mode of investment is open to a great 
deal of criticism, and, I think, might he much improved. 
Mr. Giles : There is no doubt we have just had our 
attention called to a very important matter with regard 
to the future of the Society. It is one which all those 
who have paid any attention, and have looked to the 
future welfare of the Society, have seen dawning for 
many years. It is unquestionably the fact that we have 
withdrawn, in the spirit of liberality we have practised, 
many of the inducements which formerly existed to lead 
men on to attain the qualification of a pharmaceutical 
chemist by means of the Major examination. That is 
a very serious matter. On the other hand, we have had 
little anxiety about quality of the institution, but every 
anxiety about numbers. In future, the difficulty 
will be reversed; wo shall have less anxiety about 
numbers, but more about our quality. "With regard 
to the Juries Bill, I cannot quite enter into the 
spirit of sat'sfaction with which this has been re¬ 
garded, for we are by no means out of the -wood; we 
have simply got into the condition in which our diffi¬ 
culties may begin. As I understand, this Bill has 
passed the second reading, which is a sort of guarantee 
that the Bill in some shape or form will be carried; 
but we have only just arrived at that condition when 
its clauses will be examined on every matter of detail as 
a perfectly open question. Now, Sir, the clause that 
applies to us in page 4, by which apothecaries, certifi¬ 
cated or registered ined'cal practitioners and chemists 
and druggists, if actually practising shall be exempted, 
is all very well supposing that it passed ; and I should 
be very pleased that all the members of our trade should 
participate in the advan'age which at the present time 
is secured to pharmaceutical chemists only. But sup¬ 
posing that clause should not pass,—supposing there 
should bean objection to eliminate from the jury lists so 
large a body (and I will venture to say without any 
affectation of modesty, such a qualified body), what is 
the consequence ? I find that one of the Acts repealed 
in this Bill is the Juries Act, which gives pharmaceu¬ 
tical chemists their exemption. Now that is a very 
important thing, and I think that while it would be 
very satisfactory that those who are practically engaged 
in the same trade should have the same advantages, yet 
I cannot help seeing, with considerable anxiety, the 
possibility of my losing that advantage which I have 
without their gaining it. Therefore, the best attention 
of our Council is still required to watch the progress of 
that Bill. We want it on all matters affecting the good 
of the Society. These meetings are very important, 
and the expression of opinion at them tends to strengthen 
the Council’s hands ; but in all matters of administration 
we must rely on the action of the Council itself, which 
is a more concentrated body. Very frequently ques¬ 
tions arise which take their origin outside the Council, 
and, as an instance, I may take the question of provincial 
education. It has advanced a certain stage by external 
action very properly and advantageously ; but at the 
same time—and [ am now going to act the part of the 
judicious friend, in other words, as a wet blanket, in 
giving a word of caution on this matter—let us be 
careful not to go too far. It seem.3 to be assumed by 
many speakers that this Society is an educating body. 
It is not; it never set itself up as such. It was estab¬ 
lished as a central organization of chemists and druggists, 
to promote education certainly, but never, as I under¬ 
stand, to provide it. The providing of education be¬ 
came to some extent associated with it from the c’r- 
cumstances of the time. It is surprising how little men 
govern the world, and how much it is governed by 
circumstances and the course of events. In the same 
way we have been led on to provide pharmaceutical 
education when we found that a large amount of quali¬ 
fication is demanded by the examiners ; that there is no 
means of providing if, and that now some means must be 
taken to provide it. At the same time that is not the 
main duty of the Society or part of its constitution, 
though I admit it is our duty, both in our corporate anil 
individual capacity, to aid in every way we can to pro¬ 
mote it. At the same time do not let gentlemen run 
away with the idea that this Society fails to fulfil the 
purposes for which it was called into being if it does not 
provide means of education all through the country, 
which it is highly necessary should be providod. Do- 
not let it be supposed that I am endeavouring to check 
the action which is being promoted in this direction. I 
perfectly agree with what has been said as to our 
adopting the principle of the Government schools, and 
acting in conjunction with them. These schools, as I 
have said before, are, I believe, destined to perform a. 
most important service throughout the nation in an edu¬ 
cational point of view, in furnishing a means which 
never had been provided before; and let us all in our 
respective neighbourhoods do what wo can to promote 
these schools. I am a subscriber to them, and, but for 
other engagements, I should have been on the Board of 
Management of the one in Bristol. In point of fact the 
Government of the day desire, I believe, to encourage 
art and science education. We cannot fail to see that 
there is a strong desire on the part of the Government, 
to foster, encourage and extend these schools, and 
I say that they are not only destined to provide a. 
general scientific education throughout the country 
for persons w r ho want it as a basis for their engagements- 
in manufactures and in art, but they are also intended to- 
subserve the necessities of pharmaceutical education. I 
also believe that the medical profession will give up their 
schools to the extent of their ordinary science teaching, 
and rely upon these Government schools for education, 
in chemistry, botany, and so forth. I consider it is our 
duty to ally ourselves with these schools as much as wo 
can, and to look forward ultimately to them as being tho 
means of providing that general provincial education 
which is necessary for carrying out the necessities of tho 
Pharmacy Bill by the education of our members through¬ 
out the country. At the same time I am not a great ad¬ 
vocate for watching and waiting. I would not wait in 
entire indolence. I do not believe in the masterly acti¬ 
vity which allows questions to solve themselves. I be¬ 
lieve there is a real power in patience; but, at the same 
time, we cannot allow things to go on without en¬ 
deavouring to do what we can. Therefore, I consider in 
the meantime it is the duty of this Society, until somo 
more efficient means are called into being, to do all it 
can to promote the cause of pharmaceutical education, 
whether it be in London or in the provinces. I approve of 
this Report very greatly, and I particularly admire tho 
caution with which that statement in the middle clause 
of the eighth page is worded,—it says, “It is eminently 
a question of considerable difficulty, requiring much, 
careful thought, for whilst the desirability of carrying- 
out such a project is generally admitted, it is obvious 
that it should be done equitably, and to be done 
equitably, it must be done systematically.” We 
could not possibly at this meeting pronounce any 
opinion on anything laid before us as being suf¬ 
ficiently tangible for action; it must go back to- 
the Council, and I hope we shall see this particular 
point well represented in the incoming Council. My 
vote has been largely influenced with that object, in 
order that those who have this cause at heart may also 
have the responsibility of carrying out their ideas, for I 
do not believe in anybody standing outside and begging 
that something should be done unless he will take the 
responsibility of carrying his views into action ; not that 
I wish to impute anything of that sort. That is all I 
wish to say upon this point. But I feel obliged to state 
that I shall not be able to vote for the reception and 
adoption of tho Report. If it were simply a question of 
reception, I w r ould say nothing, but I cannot adopt that 
which I believe to be injudicious, and which I also be¬ 
lieve to be untrue. I refer to the last clauso of the Re-. 
