94 
Original Gorrimunications. 
his medical education, by including chemistry, botany, and 
materia medica, justifies him in this course. The pharma- 
ceutical graduate, even though he may be in a country 
situation, is not deemed justifiable in practising medicine ; 
because, in connection with the pharmaceutical branches of 
of his education, he has not studied anatomy, surgery, and 
the practice of medicine ; subjects essential to be known by 
the humblest practitioner. 
In all cities and large towns, the two professions, though 
kindred, should be held as perfectly distinct, and the prac- 
titioners of each should disdain to encroach on the domain of 
the other, feeling a just pride that their respective professions 
are sufficiently honourable to satisfy any laudable ambition 
for distinction, and sufficiently elevated in their objects, and 
in the character of the diversified attainments necessary for 
their successful pursuit, to form the exclusive objects of study 
of the most gifted intellects. 
The legitimate objects of the pharmaceutical profession 
are chiefly two ; first, to keep and accurately dispense all 
the officinal and standard medicines and preparations; and, 
secondly, to improve the mode of preparing articles of the 
materia medica, by the aid of the lights of practical phar- 
macy and chemistry. 
The dispensing of medicines on pharmaceutical principles 
is, for the most part, accomplished in fulfilling the prescrip- 
tions of regular physicians. Many medicines, however, are 
necessarily disposed of independently of prescriptions ; and 
when the sales are restrained by proper limitations, the course 
is perfectly justifiable. Thus the dispensing of simple medi- 
cines to the public at large, on their own requisition, could 
not be declined without interfering with that reasonable free- 
dom of action which belongs to all persons. But the ques- 
tion assumes a different aspect when it relates to very active 
and poisonous preparations. To sell laudanum, prussic acid, 
corrosive sublimate, arsenic, and other dangerous substances 
in poisonous quantities, to whomsoever may apply for them, 
may cause deplorable mischief, — not merely great suffering 
and danger, but the loss of life itself. The conscientious 
