THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
SECOND SERIES. 
VOL. VI.—No. XII.—JUNE 1st, 1865. 
TITE PROGRESS OE LEGISLATION RESPECTING PHARMACY. 
Our readers will doubtless expect some information as to the present position 
of the Chemists and Druggists’ Bills now before Parliament, but we have nothing 
very definite to offer, owing partly to the multiplicity of questions addressed to 
each witness before the Select Committee of the House of Commons, and partly 
to the adjournment of the Committee from Thursday the 18th to Thursday the 
25th ult., and again the postponement to the 1st inst., making in all a loss of 
a fortnight. This is indeed a most important delay, and we shaU not be sur¬ 
prised if the session close, the Parliament go out in fact, without completing our 
work. 
At the first sitting of the Committee, Dr. Alfred Swaine Taylor was examined at 
great length ; Mr. Simon more briefly. The evidence of both was strongly in fa¬ 
vour of legislation ; the former gentleman perhaps dwelt more particularly on the 
necessity for restrictions on the sale of poisons than the dispensing of medicines 
under the authority of prescriptions ; but both spoke confidently as to the pro¬ 
priety of entrusting whatever examination might be instituted to the hands of 
the Pharmaceutical Society. 
On the second day Dr. Quain, in an examination of three hours’ duration, 
never wavered or failed to express most clearly his opinion, however tortuous 
and apparently irrelevant the questions put to him might be, that what is 
called u free-trade ” in physic implies danger to the public. Dr. Wilson followed, 
and was equally strong in the same conviction. Mr. Mackay, of Edinburgh, 
closed the day, and had been only a part heard’ 1 ' 1 when the Committee broke up. 
On the third day the Committee consulted, with closed doors, for more than 
tw T o hours, and then called Mr. Mackay ; on the completion of his examination 
the room was again cleared, and when reopened the Chairman read the following 
resolutions as having been agreed to :— 
1. That no compulsory examination or registration under the Bills referred 
to the Committee should be required of persons now carrying on the trade of 
chemists and druggists. 
2. That the Bills do provide that no other person shall, after a day to be 
fixed by the Bill, sell certain dangerous drugs to be scheduled in the Bill, unless 
he shall be examined and registered. 
3. That the Committee do proceed on this day week with Chemists and 
Druggists’ (No. 2) Bill. 
This then is the present position of the whole affair. The registration of men 
in business at the time of the passing of the Act, which had been made compul¬ 
sory in both Bills, is struck out. Its insertion in Sir Fitzroy Kelly’s Bill had 
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