70 
SELECTED ARTICLES. 
last year twice. How many were visited in a day on that 
occasion? I should think, between forty and fifty. Do you 
keep a record of the names of the shops visited? The beadle 
of the College accompanies the deputation and takes the name 
of the individual keeping the shop, and minutes any observa- 
tions that are made by those who examine, and on the ap- 
pearance of the drugs. And that book is kept? Yes, I sup- 
pose so; but it is in the keeping of the College of Physicians. 
At what hour of the day does the visitation commence its 
proceedings? I think somewhere about one o'clock. And 
when does it end? It ends about six. How long, upon an 
average, does the visitation of each shop last? Perhaps a 
quarter of an hour; — not so much. Besides the visitations of 
the shops of apothecaries and druggists, which the officers of 
your society make in company with the censors of the Col- 
lege of Physicians, do they, sole and unaccompanied by the 
censors, make any similar visitations, by virtue of the autho- 
rity granted to them by the act of 1815? Yes, we are bound 
by the charter, as well as the act of Parliament of 1815, to 
visit apothecaries' shops, but not those of druggists; we have 
no power over druggists. Are you, sole and unaccompanied 
by the censors of the College of Physicians, in the habit of 
visiting apothecaries' shops? Certainly. Upon what officer 
does that duty devolve? It devolves upon the Court of As- 
sistants, or if necessary, upon some men of the livery of the 
society. A power is invested in the master of the society to 
appoint and direct certain individuals to undertake this office. 
Is a search by the members of your society, so appointed, 
constantly going on, or is it only on extraordinary occasions 
that it is directed to be made? For a great many years a 
search was made every year, but lately it has been but once 
in two years. But one day, once in two years? One day, or 
more than one day, depending entirely upon the district they 
visit, and upon the number of visits they have to make. We 
have now and then gone thirty miles from London, and that 
cannot be accomplished in one day. Do they now by virtue 
of these powers, make visitations all over England and Wales? 
