PHARMACY  IN  GREAT  BRITAIN. 
38 
recommending  them  to  take  it  to  such  a  member  of  the  profession,  because 
all  you  want  is  to  secure  its  being  compounded  by  a  person  of  education  and 
competence? — There  might  be  a  person  in  the  next  street  who  was  a 
chemist  by  instinct,  by  taste,  who  might  be  equally  competent  with  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Pharmaceutial  Society,  and  I  should  feel  a  delicacy  certainly  in 
interfering. 
"146.  Would  you  feel  less  delicacy  in  saying  to  your  patients,  cTake  my 
prescription  to  one  who  is  a  member  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society,'  than 
you  would  in  interfering  now1? — Certainly. 
"175.  There  is  another  point  to  which  I  will  call  your  attention  with  re- 
spect to  the  effect  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society,  assuming  it  to  exist  with 
the  privileges  as  stated;  would  it  have  any  effect  upon  the  other  branches  of 
the  profession  in  this  way  ;— would  it  by  any  possibility,  induce  chemists  to 
become  practitioners  in  their  own  houses'? — I  believe  they  would  become 
Jess  and  less  practitioners  over  the  counter,  as  it  is  called.  They  are  prac- 
titioners now  to  a  great  extent  in  many  instances,  and  very  reprehensible 
the  practice  is;  and  by  none,  I  believe,  is  it  more  deprecated  than  by  the 
leading  members  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society.  But  I  believe  if  their  sta- 
tus was  raised  as  pharmaceutical  chemists,  if  they  were  recognized  under 
an  Act  of  Parliament  as  a  scientific  body,  with  a  real  chartered  and  Parlia- 
mentary existence,  they  would  be  less  inclined  to  meddle  with  the  practice 
of  Physic,  to  tamper  with  what  they  know  but  little  or  nothing  about." 
"  176.  In  fact,  it  would  secure  a  division  of  labor  ? — I  believe  so,  though 
not  entirely;  because  if  a  groom,  for  example,  had  swallowed  'boot-top  stuff' 
or  {  stuff  for  cleaning  saddles,'  by  mistake,  and  then  his  friend  rushed  into 
the  chemist's  shop  and  said,  1  Give  me  an  antidote  for  oxalic  acid/  how 
could  it  be  possible  to  refuse  it?  or  how  would  it  be  possible,  on  Saturday 
night  if  a  farmer's  man  asked  for  a  good  strong  dose  of  physic  to  take  the 
next  morning,  to  refuse  that? 
"  177.  Then,  in  point  of  fact,  you  consider  that,  more  or  les?,  it  is  inevita- 
ble that  the  chemists  and  druggists  should  practice  physic  ? — To  that  extent 
inevitable." 
John  F.  South  Esq.,  President  of  the  Royal  College  of  Surgeons,  &c. 
"202.  Do  you  think  that  a  division  of  labor  is  desirable  in  the  profession? 
— Certainly. 
"  203.  And  that  advantage  would  arise  from  a  body  being  recognized  by 
law  as  representing  the  department  of  pharmacy  ?— Certainly. 
"  204.  Do  you  think  that,  by  that  means,  discoveries  in  pharmacy  and  im- 
provements in  preparations  would  be  more  to  be  expected,  than  would  be 
the  case  if  the  persons  practising  pharmacy  were  also  medical  practitioners? 
— Yes,  because  such  persons  would  be  able  to  give  more  time  to  it  than  medi- 
cal practitioners  usually  have  the  opportunity  of  doing. 
"206.  Do  you  consider  that  the  state  of  the  Law  in  reference  to  pharma- 
ceutical chemists  is  satisfactor}  at  the  present  time,  seeing  that  any  person, 
whether  he  is  a  tinker,  or  a  footman,  or  a  coachman,  whatever  he  may  be,  if 
he  can  get  money  enough  to  start  a  little  shop,  can  assume  the  title  of  phar- 
maceutical chemist  ? — Certainly  not. 
"207.  Do  you  think  it  the  duty  of  the  Legislature,  in  cases  affecting  life 
and  health,  to  have  a  supervision  over  matters  of  that  description  ? — Yes,  I 
do. 
"208.  Have  you  heard  of  the  proceedings  which  have  been  taken  by  the 
chemists  during  the  last  11  years,  with  the  view  of  raising  their  qualifications 
and  becoming  an  educated  body  ? — Yes,  I  have. 
"  209,  Do  you  generally  approve  of  those  proceedings  ? — Yes,  very  sincere- 
ly ;  very  fully. 
"210.  Do  you  think  it  desirable,  fair,  and  proper  that  the  chemists  should 
have  the  management  and  examination  of  their  body  ?—  I  think  so." 
