PHARMACEUTICAL LEGISLATION. 
597 
does not introduce a Bill having for its object the prevention of the sale of poisons, and 
which it is competent for him to do, I hope the Home Secretary will bring in such a 
Bill, and if he will have such a Bill prepared under good advice, he will confer a last¬ 
ing benefit upon the whole of the community at large. (Hear.) 
Mr. Kinglake.— It is not very extraordinary that the honourable baronet, the Mem¬ 
ber for Westminster, should be able to boast of the United Society having a greater 
strength of members than belongs to the Pharmaceutical Society, because, if I under¬ 
stand the matter correctly, the Pharmaceutical Society have for a long time adopted, 
and now propose to continue, a very rigid examination, whereas the United Society 
have not subjected their members to any examination at all. (Hear, hear.) Therefore 
I think there is no force in that part of the honourable baronet’s argument. (Hear, 
hear.) When the honourable baronet boasts of the large number of members of 
the United Society in comparison with the members of the Pharmaceutical Society, it 
is something like saying how inferior in point of numbers are the wranglers at Cam¬ 
bridge and the first-class men at Oxford to all that large number of men at both Uni¬ 
versities who go up for examination in honours, but who obtain none. (Hear, hear.) 
Now if I understand the matter rightly, the Pharmaceutical Society have actually 
instituted a machinery suitable in every respect for conducting these examinations; 
whereas the Society represented by my honourable friend the honourable baronet, have 
no such machinery, but they must, if their Bill passes, begin their operations de novo ; 
and the principle of their Bill is that for the future, and for the future only, shall those 
persons who become new members be subjected to an examination under the auspices 
of the Society. And there is an exception as regards all those who up to the present 
time have been in the actual practice of the trade of Chemists and Druggists. This 
exception is a most important feature in the Bill, and I think some important alterations 
in that respect will have to be made in the Bill of my honourable and learned friend 
opposite, so that all Chemists and Druggists may be placed upon the footing of the 
Pharmaceuticals. The Bill of my honourable and learned friend will not have my 
support unless that shall be effected in the most complete manner. There ought to be 
one form of Register for all Chemists and Druggists, whether they are Pharmaceuticals 
or not. If the form of Registration be the same, one person will not be able to say 
that he is entitled to more than another, whether he be or not a Pharmaceutical 
Chemist. If a Chemist has undergone an examination, there should be no legislative 
sanction to a plan which may work to the detriment of one class of men and in favour of 
another. Therefore upon that understanding I will give my support to the Bill of my 
honourable and learned friend. (Hear, hear.) 
Mr. Roebuck.— This is a very important subject, and one which the House may feel 
itself not fully competent to decide without further inquiry before a Select Committee ; 
matters connected the sale of drugs, poisons, and medicines have always been subjected 
to a careful inquiry before a Select Committee ; but, according to the argument of my 
honourable and learned friend, the great body whom he represents are fully entitled to 
undertake the part of controlling the business of Chemists and Druggists throughout the 
country. So far as the matter of examination is concerned, so far as I can judge, the 
Pharmaceutical Society is justified in saying that they are fully entitled to the confidence 
of the public, and that they are able to undertake the examination of all persons who 
desire to carry on the business of Chemists and Druggists. Now, turning my attention 
to the subject, the first question is, what are the Government going to do in reference to 
it? Are they going to do anything? for, upon the course which the right honourable 
gentleman the Home Secretary may take shall I feel myself bound, because this is a 
matter which falls particularly within the right honourable gentleman’s cognizance. 
(Hear, hear.) I am rather surprised that the Bill is not in the hands of the Govern¬ 
ment. (Hear, hear.) 
Sir George Grey.— I confess that the subject is a very important one. I have no 
objection to the second reading of the Bill of the honourable and learned gentleman 
opposite. (Hear, hear.) I think that the Pharmaceutical Society is a very useful one ; 
and if there are to be examinations of Chemists and Druggists, those examinations may 
with safety be placed under the direction of the Council of that Society. But there is no 
doubt that these subjects require very careful consideration. The honourable and learned 
gentleman was quite right in saying that Bills having reference to medical subjects have 
hitherto been very carefully inquired into. That was the case with the Pharmacy Act, 
