348 
HINTS  TO  DISPENSERS. 
penser ;  and  Hints  to  the  Hands,  under  which  head  a  few 
suggestions  may  be  offered  touching  a  general  manipulation  of  a 
prescription. 
Under  the  first  of  these  divisions,  it  will  be  well  to  observe 
that  a  good  general  education  is  perhaps  the  most  essential 
qualification.  A  dispenser's  writing  should  be  clear,  distinct, 
and  neat,  at  least ;  so  that  no  blame  may  attach  to  him,  for  mis- 
takes in  reading  his  directions.  His  orthography  and  acquain- 
tance with  u  Murray  "  should  be  unimpeachable,  so  that  patients 
may  not  have  their  faith  in  his  medicines  rudely  shaken  by  any 
fault  of  his  on  this  score.  A  good  practical  knowledge  of  fig- 
ures, especially  the  multiplying  and  dividing  of  fractions,  will  be 
of  a  great  service  to  himself,  and  is  necessary  to  the  safety  of 
those  who  have  to  take  strong  preparations  coming  from  his 
hands.  Under  existing  circumstances,  i.  e.  whilst  the  Pharma- 
copoeia are  wholly  or  partially,  and  physicians'  prescriptions 
almost  entirely  written  in  Latin,  it  is  important  that  the  dis- 
penser will  be  at  least  well  grounded  in  that  language.  The 
stigma  so  often  laid  upon  us  as  a  class,  that  ours  is  a  system  of 
"Dog  Latin,"  is  owing  to  a  deficiency  in  this  branch  of  education 
amongst  us,  and  is  one  that  comes  within  the  province  of  associ- 
ations like  this  to  remove,  by  establishing  classes  for  the 'better 
instruction  of  the  younger  portion  of  the  profession  in  the  Latin 
language. 
The  next  qualification,  under  this  division,  necessary  to  a  dis- 
penser, is  a  good  knowledge  of  chemistry  and  Materia  Medica  ; 
of  which  two  subjects,  the  more  he  knows,  the  pleasanter  will  be 
his  duties,  and  the  higher  the  position  he  is  likely  to  attain 
amongst  his  professional  brethren  and  in  the  world. 
Posology  is  another  branch  of  information  in  which  the  dis- 
penser should  be  well  up,  as  medical  men  are  not  infallible,  but, 
like  the  rest  of  humanity,  sometimes  liable  to  err.  He  should 
therefore  be  able  at  a  glance  to  detect  an  over-dose,  and  thus  act 
as  a  check  betwixt  the  doctor  and  the  patient.  These  are  quali- 
fications of  mind  which  can  only  be  acquired  by  assiduous  atten- 
tion, but  which  must  nevertheless  be  attained  ere  the  dispenser 
can  practise  his  calling  either  with  comfort  to  himself  or  safety  to 
his  clients.    There  are,  however,  certain  other  mental  qualifica- 
