192 
BUITISH PHAllMACEUTICAL COMFEllENCE. 
profession, as a body, did not look with a jealous eye upon the education of pharmaceu¬ 
tists ; but, at the same time, he could not be blind to the fact that there were those in 
the medical profession who did look with jealousy upon any improvement in the class of 
men which they considered next below them. These were men, however, for whom, as 
a rule, they had the least to care,—men who did as much drug business as they could 
in addition to their legitimate calling. From the educated medical man they had no 
reason to fear jealousy ; he would do all he could to show that he approved of increased 
education, and it was manifestly to his interest to do so. 
Mr. Carteighe said, that the few observations which he should offer would be, to 
some extent, theoretical rather than practical, inasmuch as he was not able to speak 
from the large amount of experience which Mr. Ince possessed. There was one point 
upon which he cordially agreed with the author of the paper, and that was concerning 
the quality of drugs. They must admit the fact that it was easy for them to exercise 
a professional skill in examining the quality of the drugs which formed part of their 
trade; and, while he would give every consideration to the poor in the shape of low 
prices, he deprecated any difference in the quality of the goods, which should not be in¬ 
ferior to those supplied to persons better able to pay. He knew several places where 
poor persons going in to ask for a really good thing in ordinary preparation would be 
received with courtesy, and given to understand that the price was as low as it could be 
consistent with quality; but, at the same time, they would be positively served with an 
inferior article. These cases might be rare, but several had actually come before his 
own eyes, and that which had the appearance of charity was no charity at all. Then, 
with regard to obtaining specialities from head-quarters, he might say that the views of 
Mr. Ince represented precisely his feeling in the matter. There was nothing which 
would so much raise a man in the estimation of the public as the endeavour to provide 
them with facilities for procuring specialities from head-quarters. He was afraid that 
many of their wholesale friends were frequently obliged, if even at an evident pecuniary 
loss, to provide customers with goods which it would be much better for all should be 
obtained from original sources. The substitution of “ pharmacy ” for “ shop,” would, 
he thought, be universally admitted to be an improvement; but there was one point in 
connection with the proposed change to which he wished to draw attention, and that 
was, that in many places establishments where drugs were sold were nothing more than 
mere shops. The early-closing movement was a question in which their country friends 
did not perhaps take the same amount of interest as they in London, where the hours of 
business were, no doubt, felt more than in the provinces. He believed that the hours 
in the metropolis might be reduced very materially. To effect that, it would require a cer¬ 
tain amount of conciliation both on the part of the master and on the part of the servant; 
but he believed, notwithstanding, that it was quite as possible for many of them living 
at the west end of London to close at eight as it was for them at that present moment 
to close at nine. Not many years ago a large number of good places of business actu¬ 
ally kept open till ten o’clock, but now some shut entirely at eicht and the majority at 
nine. He did not hesitate to say, then, that, looking to the exertions which were being 
made, not only by the tradesmen but the aristocracy, to shorten the hours of labour, if 
the question were discussed in a conciliatory spirit by masters with the assistants,—and, 
if need be, with their customers,—they would find themselves able to close at eight, if 
not earlier. They might even go so far, he believed, as to close in London for the half¬ 
day on the Saturday. They would be astonished to know that the effect of closing the 
drapers’ shops on Saturday, strange as it might appear from a professional point of view, 
was to prevent persons from bringing prescriptions to be made up: he knew several in¬ 
stances in which that circumstance had induced masters to put up their shutters at six 
o’clock on the Saturday. All would admit that there must be some one upon the pre¬ 
mises at all times; and, that being so, it did seem that it was hard if the amount of 
labour could not be so regulated as to allow their assistants in turns to have an outing 
for the recreation of their bodies and the improvement of their minds. He felt certain, 
however, that the time would come when chemists in certain localities would be able to 
close at seven, and the majority at eight. 
Mr. Deane said, that, from the fact of his name having been mentioned in connec¬ 
tion with the subject, it must be obvious to them that he had taken a great interest in 
its introduction ; but, as it was qtiite impossible for him to discuss the whole of the 
points raised in the able paper of Mr. Ince, he should confine himself simply to two 
