66  Advantage  of  Preliminary  Examination.  {^^'Y^h\i^^^^' 
understand  the  primary  construction  of  the  Latin  language,  are  clearly 
and  plainly  essential  qualifications,  and  any  young  man  not  thus 
equipped  enters  this  institution  and  pharmacy  at  great  personal  disad- 
vantage ;  it  is  simply  the  dictate  of  candor  and  truthfulness  to  tell 
him  so,  and  advise  further  preparation.  It  is  to  determine  the  posses- 
sion of  these  qualifications  that  preliminary  examination  will  be  insti- 
tuted— before  the  student  is  admitted  to  collegiate  courses — to  require 
this  after  his  entrance,  presuming  that  he  is  deficient,  is  to  embar- 
rass his  progress,  dispirit  and  discourage  him,  and  to  involve  him  in  a 
mental  effort  for  which  he  is  wholly  unprepared.  With  all  the  unfa- 
vorable conditions  apparent,  he  is  yet  received  here,  and  entered  upon  a 
theoretical  and  technical  course.  With  an  ambition  worthy,  perhaps,  of 
more  consideration,  without  reference  to  his  inability  to  retain  and 
comprehend  he  has  to  keep  pace  with  his  better  favored  associates  in 
the  end  only  to  be  relegated  back,  rejected,  mortified,  and  disgraced. 
How  much  more  just  and  generous  to  intercept  his  entrance,  point  out 
his  palpable  deficiencies,  and  advice  a  better  course  of  preliminary 
preparation  !  Without  further  remark  on  this,  it  will  be  evident,  we 
think,  to  any  one  that  reflects  that  ^'  no  consideration  as  to  confronting 
the  candidate  with  an  apparent  difficulty  should  be  allowed  to  weigh 
against  imposing  a  set  of  conditions  framed  with  the  sole  object  of 
bringing  him  to  the  examination  room  more  thoroughly  equipped  for 
the  ordeal  itself,  and  for  the  creditable  fulfillment  of  the  duties  of  his 
life  work.'' 
In  September  of  the  year  1870,  a  Pharmaceutical  Educational  Con- 
ference was  held  in  Baltimore,  at  which  all  the  then  existing  colleges 
were  represented.  A  resolution  was  offered  by  Mr.  A.  B.  Taylor,  of 
this  purport :  ^'  That  there  be  an  educational  standard  established,  the 
evidence  of  which  shall  be  given  previous  to  the  admission  of  any  stu- 
dent to  attendance  on  the  lectures  of  the  Colleges  of  Pharmacy ; "  with 
a  modification  which  did  not  change  the  spirit  of  the  resolution,  this 
was  adopted.^  We  quote  simply  to  show  the  existing  state  of  opinion 
at  that  time  on  this  subject. 
1  Whether  the  spirit  was  ciianged  or  not  is  best  learned  from  the  resolution  which,  as 
oflFered  by  Prof.  Procter  and  adopted,  is  as  follows  (italics  our  own): 
Resolved,  That  in  the  opinion  of  this  Convention,  more  attention  to  the  preliminary- 
education  of  those  who  propose  to  enter  the  business  of  pharmaceutists  is  needed,  and  it  is 
earnestly  recommended  to  the  Colleges  and  Societies  of  Pharmacy  to  urge  their  mem- 
bers and  the  profession  of  the  United  States  generally  to  give  greater  care  to  this  sub- 
ject in  taking  apprentices. 
The  complaint  expressed  in  this  resolution  was  not  of  recent  date;  for  at  the  Con- 
