46 
SEPARATE EXAMINATIONS FOR CHEMISTS. 
full responsibility, unaided by the supervising care of a master, of a dispensing 
establishment; let him not however be misled by what we say on this point, his 
examination is practical as well as technical, and a want of familiarity with the 
practice of the dispensary would be fatal to his hopes, but it is important that in 
technicalities he should be more perfect, as he has to give evidence that he is qua¬ 
lified to begin; whereas the man who has not only begun, but creditably con¬ 
ducted his business for a period of five years, brings a certain amount of evidence 
that he possesses the right foundation, and his examination should therefore be 
more—much more—practical than technical. He has already utilized his educa¬ 
tion, in reality improved it, and yet might not pass muster so well in a mere 
technical questioning as his juvenile competitor. 
A schoolboy at the end of his pupilage passes a severe ordeal and takes high 
honours, an ordeal fitted for advanced pupils, but the time has gone by when 
such an one was regarded as an educated man : the real work of education is now 
to begin with him, and he has only shown his ability, cultivated ability we may 
call it, to proceed with the work. 
And this holds good with special or “professional ” education as well as 
general. 
A student of history, if he be not a teacher also, may have forgotten the ac¬ 
tual dates of the Conqueror’s landing in England, the signing of Magna 
Charta, or the expulsion of the Stuarts; but he has nevertheless a very clear 
appreciation of the influences these events have exercised on the character and 
liberties of Englishmen. So too in Botany, one branch of study indicated for 
Pharmaceutical Chemists by our Act of Parliament; it is well known that 
many of the elements of the science, we mean the exact details of classification, 
are but matters of memory, and unless a man is handling flowers continually he 
forgets them ; but they have assisted him and taught him great principles ; he 
has generalized the information obtained by their means, knows the indige¬ 
nous medicinal plants when presented to him, and possesses such an acquaint¬ 
ance with -the vegetable substances employed in medicine as renders him a safe 
vender or dispenser for the service of the public. He has attained the end for 
which he studied, and the examiners finding him so qualified need not make 
him recount the steps by which he ascended the tree of knowledge,—he has 
plucked and applied its fruit. 
We are quite aware that one of the greatest responsibilities of the Council 
lies in the Examinations ; they are the very foundation of the Society, and the 
maintenance of their integrity is the tenure by which its privileges are held. To 
reduce these examinations to a mere farce would be to destroy their value both 
in the eyes of the public and of pharmaceutists; to break faith with the Legis- 
gislature which enacted the law, and with those who have been examined under 
it; therefore we should not be slow to denounce and warn our readers against 
any proposal which could have such an effect, although that proposal might be 
one which would for the moment increase the numerical strength of the Society. 
We have to look to the future, consider well the previous conduct and progress 
of the Institution, maintain that which is right, amend that which needs altera¬ 
tion, and above all things adapt our laws and regulations to the requirements of 
the time, always regarding as indispensable the educational qualification to esta¬ 
blish which our Society was formed. In considering our progress we are by no 
means discouraged ; let those who say we have done nothing look to the late 
examination lists,—the number of candidates will indicate the estimation in which 
the seal of the Society is held, and satisfies us as to progress. The proposed 
regulation we take to be a necessary adaptation to circumstances, which if 
carried into execution fairly and honestly by the Board of Examiners will be of 
service alike to the Society, and to those chemists and druggists who, although 
well qualified for their business, have reasonable scruples about coming up for 
examination in company with the Students presenting themselves monthly. 
