THE PHOPOSED PHARMACY RILL. 
665 
For myself, I am independent of any Pharmacy Act to become a Pharma¬ 
ceutical Cliemist, and havdn^ nothing personally to ffain, 1 am in this respect 
on a level with your correspondent; but I have looked beyond my own in¬ 
terests, and I have faith that the jndijment and patriotism of Pharmaceu¬ 
tical Chemists will place far above some slij^lit personal distinction they may 
now have, that for w'hich their Society was established,—the incorporation 
of the trade, and the elevation of the status of Pharmacy in this country. 
The t];olden opportunity of presenting a Bill to eflect this, is now in their 
hands, r'o voice, save their own, will dei'ry it. The trade are wishing the 
Bill “ God speed,” and confidently awaiting to see among the members of 
the Pharmaceutical Society that spirit of compromise, the legitimate and 
honourable offspring of self-negation, which has animated the outsiders 
throughout these negotiations. They have placed the Pharmaceutical Society 
in the van to do for every chemist and druggist what the great majority desire, 
and on the Pharmaceutical Society they tlirow the responsibility of failure. 
I remain, truly yours, 
S. C. Betty, 
Member of the Executive Committee of Chemists and Druggists. 
1 , Parle Street, Gloster Gate, 
Regent's Park, London. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Sir,—I have just read the article in this month’s Journal on “ Pharmaceu¬ 
tical Legislation.” I cannot but think that the Council, in their desire to 
“ act liberally to outsiders,” have altogether sacrificed the interests of those 
whom it w as their especial duty to protect. 
The case, as I view it, is this. Members of tbe Society have paid heavy 
fees, have subscribed annually to the Society, and, in many cases, have passed 
a scientihc examination, on the express understanding that, in return, they 
were to receive a distinctive title, marking them out to the public as men 
peculiarly qualified for their profession. Now, how ever, the Council propose 
to destroy this distinction entirely, and to do so without supplying its place 
by any pecuniary or professional equivalent; and when those who have thus 
w orked hard and paid money to obtain a position, seek for some justification 
of this extraordinary proceeding, the reply is, that “ the Council were in¬ 
structed to act liberally to outsiders.” Unquestionably they were; and, in 
like manner, w e are all of us instructed to “ do good to them that despitefully 
use us,” but the man w ho should carry out this precept w ith such generous 
ardour as to neglect to “ provide for those of his own house,” w ould “ deny 
the faith.” 
It will be replied, that I am proceeding on a false assumption, and that 
the distinction is not removed, that “ the one title protected by law, and be¬ 
coming understood by the public, is that of Pharmaceutical Chemist,” and 
that this protection w ill continue to exist. Granted ; but the practical ques¬ 
tion is, “Does not the Council propose to give to all who may be willing to 
pay a guinea a year, a title which the public will take to mean quite as much, 
or even more, than the protected title of ‘ Pharmaceutical Chemist ’ P” We 
must not suppose the public, or even medical men, to have an intimate ac¬ 
quaintance with the latest editions of our “ bye-laws and regulations.” In 
their estimate of the value ot a diploma, they will be guided by general prin- 
cijiles of analogy. 
It will be assumed that the Pharmaceutical Society has a public reputation 
as an examining body, that it stands in a similar relation to chemists as the 
VOL. viii. 2 Y 
