546    APPRENTICESHIP  AND  EARLY  TRAINING  OF  PHARMACISTS. 
monly  direct  him  by  supposed  short  cuts,  which  lead  him  into 
all  sorts  of  tangled  difficulties.  The  teachers  in  the  various  de- 
partments should  be  men  of  real  ability  and  experience.  I  have 
not  much  faith  in  the  educating  power  of  the  "  certificated  science 
teacher,"  who  is  now  ubiquitous.  Much  as  we  may  respect  a 
young  man  who,  in  addition  to  the  pratice  of  some  honest  handi- 
craft, such  as  shoemaking,  lectures  on  chemistry,  botany,  and 
one  or  two  other  branches  of  natural  science,  to  the  mechanics 
and  artisans  of  his  neighborhood,  we  may  doubt  if  he  is  the  most 
suitable  person  to  influence  boys  better  educated  in  ordinary 
subjects  than  himself.  It  is  generally  admitted  that  a  thorough 
master  of  a  science  is  required  to  impart  quickly  and  accurately 
the  rudiments  of  his  subject,  and  these  are  what  we  want. 
The  establishment  should  possess  a  good  museum  of  drugs  and 
a  garden  of  medicinal  plants,  and  should  be  under  the  direction 
of  a  thoroughly  practical  pharmacist.  How  much  might  be 
learned  by  a  boy  in  such  a  school  in,  say,  twelve  months  !  It 
should  give  him  such  an  impetus  as  would  last  whilst  he  lived. 
How  interesting  to  him  would  be  the  occasional  half-hour's  stroll 
in  the  country,  for  he  should  know  much  of  physiological  and 
something  of  systematic  botany  by  that  time  !  He  would  pursue 
his  studies  with  the  signposts  full  in  view ;  and  would  he  make 
a  less  successful  business  man  for  the  scientific  bias  he  had  re- 
ceived ?  I  think  not.  The  acquirement  of  business  tact  would 
be  just  as  necessary,  but  none  the  more  difficult.  Amongst  the 
minor  advantages  to  be  derived  from  this  proposed  year's  train- 
ing may  be  mentioned  the  bond  of  fellowship  which  would  be 
formed  between  kindred  spirits,  and  which,  thus  early  established, 
would  greatly  tend  to  the  diffusion  of  pharmaceutical  knowledge 
and  the  furtherance  of  the  objects  aimed  at  by  our  own  Confer- 
ence. 
If  the  introduction  of  this  subject  brings  about  a  discussion 
from  which  any  more  practical  conclusions  shall  be  derived,  I 
have  not  wasted  your  time  this  morning. — Proc.  Brit.  Pharm, 
Conf,^  in  Lond,  Pharm.  Journ.,  Sept.  24,  1870. 
