Report from the Select Committee on Pharmacy bill : together with the proceedings, minutes of evidence and index.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Pharmacy Bill.
Date:
1852
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report from the Select Committee on Pharmacy bill : together with the proceedings, minutes of evidence and index. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    J. A. Wilson, Esq., m. n. 30 March 1852. 37. It is stated in one of those documents that such measures as might be adopted must not interfere with the existing privileges of any of the present corporations. Can you conceive that any interference of that sort could take place by the fact that the body of men who now are constituted as chemists and druggists should undertake the examination of the future members of their body ; could that interfere with any existing privileges of any other body ?—Not if the examination was confined to members of their own body. 38. Confined to any persons who wished to embark in business as chemists and druggists, having no medical subject introduced into their curriculum ?—I do not conceive that it would interfere with any other body. I suppose the profes- sion would object to medical men being examined by chemists and druggists. 39. Mr. Bouverie.] Should you say that an examination in botany, materia mediea, and pharmaceutical and general chemistry and toxicology would trench in its operation upon the privileges of the medical bodies as at present consti- tuted ?—Supposing the examination, as I understood the question from the Chairman, to be confined to persons practising for carrying on the business of pharmaceutical chemists, 1 do not conceive that it could possibly trench upon anv of the privileges of medical men individually or in corporation. 40. Chairman.] It has been urged as an objection to the proposed Pharmacy Bill, that it contemplates placing in the power of what is called a private society the examination of future chemists and druggists ; do you agree in that objection ? —The society would be no longer a private societv, I presume, if a charter were granted, and the Bill passed empowering the society to act. 41. You are aware that the charter was granted to the society in 1843?— Yes. 42. Is not every institution small in the beginning, increasing by degrees ; for instance, wras not the College of Physicians, looking back to the year 1511, a very small society when Henry the Eighth first started it ?—-Very small. 43. If the objection which is now raised against this Bill had been raised, against giving powers to the physicians of that day, would you ever have had a College of Physicians?—It is difficult to answer that question. 44. I merely wish to show the analogy between the origin of the chemists in their association, and the origin of the physicians in theirs, and in the same way with respect to the College of Surgeons, which you are aware was originally com- bined w ith the barbers; would the argument which is now brought forward against this Bill have been applicable equally to giving powers to the barber surgeons, and giving powers to the physicians, who were examined at that time by the Bishop of London and the Dean of St. Paul’s ?—Mutatis mutandis with a very large margin, I should say the analogy holds good. 45. Are you aware of what the pharmaceutical chemists have been doing within the last 11 years for the purpose of raising their standard of qualification ; have you attended their meetings ?—I have some of them. 46. Have you seen the Transactions of the society ?—From month to month. 47. Have you any idea from that of the nature of the means which they are adopting for the purpose of improving the qualification of their members?—I have watched the birth, progress, and proceedings of the Pharmaceutical Society with very great interest, and with very great thankfulness; and at no time have I failed to express my sincere gratification, and my admiration of their labours, their science, their skill, and especially of the national purpose which the Pharmaceutical Society has had in view ; I conceive that already it has been of the greatest use to the profession of medicine—of the greatest use. As far back as 1843, which was two or three years, I think, after the institution of the society, I took occasion, or rather, I could not help expressing my opinion in a little work which I published at the time, that the only real progress made in medical reform up to that date (1843) was in the establishment of, and the increasing pros- perity and the exertions of, the Pharmaceutical Society. 48. Is the Pharmaceutical Society large enough to form an adequate repre- sentation of the chemists of the United Kingdom?—I cannot speak to the num- ber, but my impression is, that it is ; I may mention, in answer to that question, that in a little run down to Derbyshire some three or four years back, I saw in the village, or hamlet, or market town, or whatever it is, of Bakewell, the diploma of the Pharmaceutical Society, made very prominent in a shop window, and great importance seemed to be attached to it, and I have repeatedly heard
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