628 
THE TWENTY-FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF 
and the pleasure of again meeting you here is a reward and encouragement. I 
say an encouragement, because 1 believe you come actuated, as I have been, 
by a desire to promote the great objects of our institution. The advancement 
of pharmaceutists in Great Britain to their legitimate position has occupied us 
all more or less for nearly a quarter of a century ; and if at times we have 
worked under discouragement, or at least with no very definite prospect of 
success, and still have not wavered in our course, I feel assured that under pre¬ 
sent circumstances we shall not flag. These anniversaries are, as it were, halt¬ 
ing-stations on our road ; not stations at which we are to rest, but opportuni¬ 
ties for refreshing each other on the journey,—high ground from which we 
look back to difficulties surmounted, and forward to still higher ground yet to 
be attained. And, gentlemen, there have been difficulties in our path. There 
was on the surface so little interest in common amongst chemists and druggists 
at the commencement of our Association, that the very men of whom it was 
necessary to form it seemed to be discordant elements ; but beneath the surface, 
under the petty jealousies which druggists were supposed to harbour more than 
other men of one calling towards each other, despite the conviction of each 
individual that he best understood his own business, there was an iuterest, 
latent it might be but capable of development as time has proved, strong 
enough to hold us together. I mean the interest we all have in the education 
of pharmaceutists. Year by year, our success in making this interest manifest 
has increased ; year by year, in proportion, those petty trade jealousies which 
were one of our difficulties have decreased, and we meet here in honest and 
hearty fellowship to promote our common cause. But, gentlemen, our common 
cause is the common cause of the public ; and now that we are united in 
recognizing it ourselves, we are able to obtain recognition for it from others. 
When we met here last year, we were commencing an effort to obtain legisla¬ 
tive enactments rendering examination compulsory on all future dispensers ; the 
prosecution of that object has been the chief work of the year, and I hope its 
completion is at hand. The Select Committee of the House of Commons 'has 
spent two days in hearing evidence on the subject; on the first, the preamble 
of our Bill was proved, that the safety of the public does require an educational 
qualification in our body. At the second sitting, the form in which legislative 
enactments should be cast occupied the Committee. It would be manifestly un¬ 
safe for me under these circumstances to attempt to foreshadow the ultimate 
decision ; but this much I may say, that the testimony of every witness who 
has appeared before the Committee up to this time—and they have included 
Dr. Swaine Taylor, Mr. Simon, Dr. Quain, and Dr. Wilson—has been abun¬ 
dantly in favour of the Pharmaceutical Society, and I feel that whether our 
Bill be carried through, this Session or not, our Society must be a gainer by the 
discussion which brings it so prominently before the Legislature and the public. 
Gentlemen, it is for us to uphold the character which we have received from 
these witnesses. I say to uphold it, but in that I would not be misunderstood : 
I mean, to maintain it so clearly, so unequivocally, by our individual 
course—and it is here that we must acknowledge our duty to the Society as 
individuals—as to confirm that testimony. I would not counsel you to hold 
your privileges in a narrow and illiberal spirit. Much has been said during our 
discussions on legislation about the equality of Pharmaceutical Chemists who 
entered this Society in its commencement without examination, and those who 
being in a position to do so, from some reason or other, thought fit to stand aloof. 
It would be easy to set up a claim of superiority on the mere fact of the instant 
acknowledgment of the necessity for education and the active assistance to pro¬ 
mote it; we might establish it, too, or rather consider that it is established by 
the anxiety of the outsiders, as they are now called, to come in and share our 
honours and our privileges. But I would not scan too closely the motives for 
