864 
THE BENEVOLENT FUND. 
already in business, or of persons of the full age of twenty-one years, 
who should, at a given date, be assistants to chemists and druggists. 
Other necessary exemptions to be made for apothecaries, veterinary sur¬ 
geons, wholesale dealers, etc. 
“ 7. That chemists and druggists already in business may, if they 
choose, be placed on the register of chemists and druggists, if within a 
certain time after the passing of the Bill, they make application, and 
- produce to the Begistrar satisfactory evidence that they were actually in 
business on their own account, and engaged in the compounding and dis¬ 
pensing of medicines under physicians’ and surgeons’ prescriptions, and 
vending, compounding, and dispensing the dangerous poisons, as per sche¬ 
dule, prior to that date.” 
AVe really see very little difference between these two plans of settling the 
question of legislation. It will be remembered that the Committee of the 
House of Commons recommended that after a certain day no person^ except 
those already in business, shoidd sell certain dangerous drugs, unless he he ex¬ 
amined and registered; that the Government shoidd, early in the new Parliament, 
bring in a Bill on the subjects in question ; and that there should be no compulsory 
examination or registration of persons already in business. 
The vested interests of chemists already in business, and assistants also, 
would, by the proposed scheme, remain untouched ; but if such persons should 
desire a voice in what would be the governing body, they would have easy means 
of securing it by mere registration under the 7th clause, and election under the 
4th. The vested interests of Pharmaceutical Chemists would be held sacred, 
like all others, but that title would be open to all who chose to win it by educa¬ 
tion. The proposition that the second examination should entitle a man to the 
rank of “ chemist and druggist,” was made in the belief that an education 
deemed to qualify an assistant, to whom is entrusted the responsible business of 
dispensing, would in practice be sufficient for a principal; but it may, never¬ 
theless, be hoped, that the higher distinction would be attractive enough to 
tempt most chemists to attain it, and so advance both pharmacy and its vo¬ 
taries. 
The time for action was left with the Government, and, even if Parliament 
had not been so unsettled last Session, it might have been right, un ler such 
circumstances, for the Pharmaceutical Society to wait awhile; but having waited 
one year, we deem it their duty now to endeavour once more to prosecute their 
object. 
As we have endeavoured to show, there seems evidence forthcoming that 
opposition, which produced so much mischief in 1865, would not reappear in 
1867. It is not merely the result of the Manchester meeting which leads us to 
this conclusion ; the feeling of desire for legislation and union with the Phar¬ 
maceutical Society took a definite form there, and -has consequently been 
specially alluded to ; but the same feeling has been expressed in many places; 
in some publicly, in others privately, as our correspondence would attest. For 
all these reasons, we say that the year on which we are now entering is a fitting 
time for action, and we earnestly trust the opportunity may not be lost. 
THE BENEVOLENT FUND, AND THE PBOPOSED DINNER 
IN AID OF IT. 
The financial statement, which will be found in another part of this Journal, 
showing the present position of the Benevolent Fund, together with the addi- 
