12 
Preliminary  Examination . 
("Am.  Jour.  Pliarm. 
X      Jan.,  1885. 
by  side  with  those  thoroughly  drilled  in  the  rudiments  and  practice 
of  the  profession,  and  proclaimed  before  the  world  as  equally  compe- 
tent and  qualified  to  follow  their  chosen  calling  the  one  with  the  other? 
As  has  been  remarked,  the  chief  object  of  the  education,  is  to  make 
a  living.'^  It  is  the  practical  side  of  the  question  which  certainly 
carries  the  most  weight. 
Again  it  is  declared  that  no  young  man  is  allowed  to  graduate  till 
he  has  had  a  certain  practical  experience  with  some  qualified  apothe- 
cary. iVre  the  character  and  quality  of  these  certificates  ever  examined 
into  ?  Is  the  question  asked  if  the  party  giving  the  certificate  of  expe- 
rience is  a  qualified  pharmacist,  or  a  dry  goods  merchant,  with  a  few 
bottles  in  one  corner  of  his  store  ;  or  a  general  country  storekeeper  with 
about  the  same  complement  of  drug  store  requisites  as  the  dry  goods 
man.  Some  may  say  it  is  impossible  to  learn  such  facts.  Not  so,  when 
we  liave  State  organizations  in  almost  every  State  in  the  Union,  the 
officers  and  members  of  which  are  reputable  Pharmacists. 
What  is  the  general  result? 
The  country  is  supplied  with  Pharmacists — good,  bad,  and  worse. 
The  institution,  whose  certificates  of  proficiency  they  hold,  is  extolled 
or  degraded  as  they  (the  holders  of  them)  show  to  the  world  their  real 
worth  based  on  the  training  or  education  received. 
In  other  w  ords,  this  grinding  out  of  young  men  as  graduates  is  a 
mistake  in  more  ways  than  one,  and  always  the  community  and  fre- 
quently the  graduates  are  the  losers  by  it. 
What  is  the  remedy?  No,  we  will  not  call  it  that,  but  ask  can  any 
system  or  method  be  suggested  to  improve  this  condition  of  things? 
What  are  the  objects  of  the  schools  of  Pharmacy  ? 
Is  it  to  create  a  class  of  men,  morally,  practically  and  scientifically 
fitted  to  assume  the  responsibilities  of  and  conduct  a  profession  that 
holds  the  lives  of  the  community  within  their  grasp,  who  are  to  be 
trusted  for  their  integrity  and  ability  to  supply  such  things  as  are 
honest  and  proper,  intended  to  heal  the  wounds  of  the"  suffering  and 
cure  the  disease  that  is  wasting  life  away  ;  or  is  it  to  turn  out  as 
many  "  as  possible,  regardless  of  such  or  like  considerations  ?  If  the 
first  sort  or  class  are  to  be  the  character  of  those  educated,  then  sort 
out  the  material  from  which  they  are  to  be  made.  How?  When  young 
men  apply  for  their  tickets  for  a  Junior  course,  require  them  to  pass  a 
preliminary  examination  in  the  rudiments  of  the  branches  they  are  to 
study  (the  result  of  their  two  or  more  years'  experience  with  a  quali- 
