392  PHARMACY  IN  GREAT  BRITAIN. 
"833.  Does  that  occasion  the  circulation  in  the  market  of  a  great  many- 
drugs  of  so  inferior  a  quality,  that  they  would  not  be  received  by  any- 
educated  chemist? — Yes;  those  who  do  not  know  the  quality  of  drugs,  are 
sure  to  be  imposed  upon,  because  the  most  common  drugs  bear  the  best 
profits. 
"  840.  Do  you  think  that  the  ignorance  of  so  many  persons,  who  call  them- 
selves chemists,  causes  the  circulation  of  larger  quantities  of  inferior  drugs 
than  otherwise  would  take  place  ? — I  do.  If  a  man  is  educated  we  should 
not  show  him  the  inferior  drugs,  which  a  person  who  does  not  know  the 
article  would  select  in  preference,  on  account  of  the  low  price. 
"  852.  Is  it  your  practice  to  buy  these  adulterated  drugs? — We  do  not  buy 
them  largely ;  we  are  compelled  to  supply  an  article  of  that  kind  when  or- 
dered. A  customer  comes  in  and  asks  for  Scammony  at  a  low  price;  this 
article  [showing  a  specimen]  is  produced  and  he  buys  it,  but  we  do  not  keep 
it  in  stock ;  but  a  man  who  was  educated  at  all,  would  see  himself  that  it 
was  impure. 
"853.  You  are  obliged  to  yield  to  the  demand  for  such  drugs  as  are 
asked  for  by  your  customers'? — We  are  forced  to  keep  them,  but  we  never 
use  them  in  preparations. 
"857.  Have  you  found  more  difficulty  in  satisfying  your  customers  since 
the  establishment  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society;  have  they  paid  more  at- 
tention to  the  quality  of  the  drugs'? — Yes,  it  has  been  quite  a  stimulus  to  all 
them  who  have  joined  the  Society. 
"  862.  Ts  it  your  opinion  that  it  is  desirable  to  prohibit  the  sale  of  drugs  by 
persons  not  drusgists? — That  is  my  idea;  I  have  thought  for  a  considerable 
length  of  time  that  Government  ought  to  appoint  a  man  to  look  after  the 
drugs;  there  ought  to  be  a  man  who  understands  his  business  to  go  round  to 
the  different  shops  and  investigate  the  drugs.  You  see  what  a  great  im- 
provement has  taken  place  with  respect  to  the  importation  of  drugs  into  the 
United  Slates  of  America;  if  an  article  is  imported  there  now?  the  moment 
the  vessels  have,  landed  the  packages,  they  pull  them  open  if  there  is  any 
suspicion  of  their  being  bad,  and  if  they  are  bad  they  are  seized  ;  consequent- 
ly the  trade  dare  not  send  a  bad  article  to  America  now ;  it  would  be  seized. 
"  865.  Is  the  medical  inspector  attached  to  the  Custom-house? — The  med- 
ical inspector  is  attached  to  the  custom  house,  and  no  medicines  are  landed 
without  he  sees  them." 
Mr.  George  Walter  Smith,  Secretary  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society. 
"  935.  You  have  been  for  many  years  in  the  drug  business  ? — For  upwards 
of  30  years,  both  wholsale  and  retail,  in  town  and  country. 
"936.  You  were  connected  with  the  Pharmaceutical  Society  at  the  time 
of  its  formation  ? — [  was. 
"944.  But  was  the  primary  object  of  the  Society  education? — Yes;  to 
educate  and  qualify  the  body  so  as  to  render  them  efficient  servants  of  the 
public. 
"949.  Do  you  remember  the  number  of  members  who  joined  during  the 
first  year? — I  have  a  statement  here  of  the  numbers  in  the  several  years. 
[This  is  extracted  from  a  table  exhibiting  also  the  number  of  persons  who 
left,  and  who  were  admitted  into  the  Society  during  the  several  years  indi- 
cated, but  which  is  omitted.] 
Years. 
Members. 
Associates  and 
Apprentices. 
Years. 
Members. 
Associates  and 
Apprentices. 
1841 
668 
266 
1847 
1678 
1159 
1842 
1658 
2313 
1S48 
1634 
1013 
1843 
1640 
2079 
1849 
1561 
865 
1844 
1574 
1706 
1850 
1550 
814 
1845 
1691 
1475 
4851 
1485 
735 
1846 
1673 
1436 
