May 18, 1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
039 
port, upon which. I make no further observation than 
this,—I thought what we wanted at this time especially 
was conciliation, and why on earth any recollection of 
things that are passed should be brought forward again 
I cannot understand! I am sorry that the Council in an 
injudicious mood has said that which I cannot believe is 
strictly accurate. In an official document of this kind I 
think it is of all things desirable that you should be very 
guarded, and that nothing should be said which is open 
at all to misconstruction. I cannot admit that Mr. Fors¬ 
ter’s Bill was withdrawn in consequence of the action of 
this. Society; nor can I admit that the Council had any 
official knowledge of its being opposed by a very large 
majority of the trade. I just take the opportunity of 
saying that if that Bill were brought forward again I 
should oppose it very strongly for this reason above all 
others, that it proposed to vest in the hands of the Coun¬ 
cil that which I say was a legislative faculty that ought 
to rest solely in the hands of the Society. If the 
Council were permitted to do that kind of legislative act, 
I say it would be exceeding its functions. I will not 
say any more about it, but it is impossible that this mo¬ 
tion can be carried unanimously, because however un¬ 
popular I may be, I shall follow the rule which I have 
made, and have often found the value of it, namely, to 
stand by my opinions and vote accordingly. 
Mr. Heald (Sleaford): The question of provincial 
education has, up to this time not been approached by 
anybody belonging to a purely provincial town, such as I 
come from, containing about 4000 inhabitants. I think 
masters in the country have many of them been harshly 
treated, and the shortcomings of apprentices have in 
most cases been attributed to the neglect or incapacity 
of the master, when, in a great many instances, the 
master has been not only willing but anxious that the 
apprentice should receive a scientific education, and the 
fault has been on his side in not availing himself of the 
advantages given. As a proof of that I may refer to a 
letter which I have here from a master in a small town 
referring to an application about an apprentice. He 
says the hours of business are from seven to eight in the 
summer and from eight to eight in the winter, except on 
Saturday, when they are later; that he allows time in 
the week when he expects the apprentice to collect 
plants; that he expects him to pass the Preliminary 
examination, and connect himself with the Society. I 
behove that is not at all an isolated example of what coun¬ 
try druggists wish to do for their apprentices. There are 
•a great many of us in the country towns who would be 
very glad to do these things; and many have passed their 
examinations without attending any lectures or receiving 
any instruction whatever. I do adhere to the old adage 
that “ God helps those who help themselves,” and I cer¬ 
tainly should oppose any assistance being given to large 
eentres like Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Manchester, and 
so on, while small country towns like the one I come from 
arc left out in the dark. I believe the Pharmaceutical So¬ 
ciety receives more support in proportion to the number 
of druggists in small towns than in large towns such as j 
those I have named. In the town where I live there 
are five chemists, three of whom are members of the 
Society, and out of eight apprentices and assistants, I 
think there are four or five associated with us, which is 
a much larger proportion than we have had mentioned in 
the statistics given with regard to Leeds and other places. 
One gentleman alluded to Preliminary examinations, but 
I believe most country druggists arc now insisting on lads 
passing the examination before they sign their indentures. 
I have adopted that plan myself, and I believe it is bo- 
■coining general. With regard to the entrance fees, I 
believe the abolition would be a good thing, for I know 
two druggists who would have joined immediately after 
the passing of the Pharmacy Act had it not been for the 
entrance fee of two guineas. As another reason why more 
'Chemists do not join, I am afraid from what I have seen 
in the the Journal that the Society does not really stick 
up for the interests of the country trade in the manner it 
ought to do. 
Mr. Carteighe (London) suggested that as all seemed 
agreed upon the necessity for provincial education, it 
was not desirable to spend more time in discussing mere 
matters of details, which must be left to the Council to 
carry out. 
Mr. Sutton (Norwich) said : I quite agree that we 
need not spend more time on this matter, but I should 
like to refer for one moment to the statistics of the ex¬ 
aminations given in the Report. I find that in the Major 
examination, the percentage who pass is 71, the Minor 
63, Modified 65, and Preliminary 66. I am quite pre¬ 
pared to believe that on the whole, that is a fair pro¬ 
portion ; but I certainly think it is a great shame that 
we have a failure of one third in the Preliminary ex¬ 
aminations, and I do hope it will go forth from this 
meeting as an expression of opinion that masters should 
be more careful in selecting tlieir pupils or apprentices. 
I do not mean so much with regard to the premiums 
they receive, but in seeing that they have been care¬ 
fully and properly instructed before they attempt to 
enter the business. If we do so, we shall place the 
Society in a higher position than it is now in, and I 
hope it will be borne in mind and acted upon year after 
year. 
Mr. E. Burden (London) : The question of education is 
no doubt, of great importance, but I think what I am 
about to speak of is of nearly equal importance, and I 
am sure I shall have the sympathy of all who hear me. 
It has been thrown out by two or three gentlemen who 
have spoken this morning, that something might be 
done to employ the money belonging to the Benevolent 
Fund to better advantage for the Society. I also re¬ 
member that last year we had no candidates for pensions 
beyond those who were previously elected, and therefore 
the fund is to some extent lying idle, which seems an 
unfortunate occurrence. A short time ago it was sug¬ 
gested to me that possibly it might be a good thing if, in 
conjunction with the Benevolent Fund, we could establish 
a life insurance society, which should be taken up by 
all the members. We cannot forget that throughout 
the country we are not, as a rule, a rich body of men, but 
on the contrary many of us are not so wealthy as other 
trades, and I think if we could employ the Benevolent 
Fund in some way as an insurance for our widows and 
orphans, it would be a great advantage. I find that in 
1861 the census showed that there were 16,000 chemists in 
the United Kingdom, including assistants ; and according 
to the present Report, we numbered at the close of last 
year, nearly 2500 members. This number is quite large 
enough to form a life insurance society for the exclusive 
benefit of chemists and druggists ; and if our present 
offices and staff could to some extent be utilized, it would 
effect such an immense saving in the working expenses, 
especially as we have local secretaries throughout the 
country and should not require advertising, that it 
would enable the managers of such a society, under the 
guidance of an actuary, to adopt a scale of payments 
considerably below those required by ordinary insurance 
offices ; I should say, and I speak after some inquiry, to 
the extent of 15 or 20 per cent. There are other and 
important arrangements which could be introduced, and 
it is here that I wish the application of the Benevolent 
Fund. AVe are generally a respectable body, and feel 
adverse circumstances deeply; and many hesitate, I 
believe, to come and ask for assistance even when they 
require it; but such a scheme would enable them to 
come with a better face, as they would feel they were 
not entirely asking for charity. For instance, a mem¬ 
ber unable to keep up his payments, might be assisted 
from the Benevolent Fund, so as to keep the policy on 
foot, or if he were unable or unwilling to keep up the 
premiums, the full value of his former payments might 
be secured to him payable to his family on his death ; 
money also might be advanced in case of need on deposit 
