646 
COUNTER PRACTICE. 
sion, yet I am compelled by the patients themselves (often when medical men 
are in actual attendance) to recommend simple medicines continually; my re¬ 
fusal to do so would, I am convinced, involve me in a loss of caste and of their 
respect that would be quite fatal to my business. And here I must call atten¬ 
tion to that very large class of patients who have spent scores and hundreds of 
pounds with different medical men, and at last have been fully satisfied and 
assured that their cases are absolutely incurable, and all that medicine will do 
for them is simply to give some temporary relief. Now all chemists, I think, 
must be aware how much w r e are consulted by this class for some palliatives, or 
some medicines affording a little mitigation of some particular suffering in such 
cases. To send these again to medical men would not only be impossible, but in 
many cases would be deemed deliberate insult; they do not expect any cure, they 
have paid more than their circumstances warranted in the vain hope, and what 
they now want is some slight relief for the moment at as little further cost as 
possible. Ninety out of every hundred chemists are obliged in such cases to act 
to the best of their judgment without any medical man whatever. 
Let it not for a moment be supposed that I am advocating medical practice 
on the part of chemists; on the contrary, I am convinced it would be to the ad¬ 
vantage of chemists generally if there could be some decisive line laid down, over 
which the chemist was not allowed to pass; but I am equally convinced, and I 
am sure the immense majority of chemists who have paid any attention to the 
subject must be also, that any restrictions, pains, and penalties interfering with 
the sale and recommendation of simple remedies, or preventing patients apply¬ 
ing to us for ordinary information respecting them, will be not only oppressive, 
but will absolutely destroy the possibility of safely conducting our ordinary 
legitimate business. The proposed Pharmaceutical Bill in no way qualifies us 
for acting as medical men ; its leading idea is to protect the public from incom¬ 
petent persons, and to raise us from the herd of common dealers into our own 
proper status as preparers and dispensers of the means'of life- or death to the 
public. To make it into a Bill of oppression and penalty will, I hope, ensure- 
its determined opposition by every chemist in the kingdom. 
I am. Sir, yours faithfully, 
J. B., one of the Founders. 
COUNTElt FEACTICE. 
TO THE EDITORS OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Gentlemen,—If the following letter, taken from one of the medical journals, 
represented the opinion of the general body, or even a majority of the medical 
profession, who among the chemists and druggists would not hail the passing of 
the Bill so corrected as a preliminary to the millennium? Not only those gentle¬ 
men whose names stand prominently before the public as the leaders of British 
Pharmacy, but the greater number of Pharmaceutical Chemists throughout the 
country are opposed to the principle of counter practice, and would gladly avail 
themselves of a means of substituting a healthy legitimate business for the hybrid 
system at present prevailing. 
But what proportion of chemists, let me ask, pharmaceutical or otherwise, 
would be able to maintain their ground and occupy their present position, were 
counter practice honestly given up without any compensation ? What Pharma¬ 
ceutical Chemist would condescend to dabble in pomades and soaps, perfumery 
and stationery and the like, if he could get a fair and honest living by the exer¬ 
cise of his proper calling ? When the eyes of the medical profession are open to 
the evils which have arisen to themselves and us since prescriber and com- 
