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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    M- Hall, E-q., M. D. 29 April 1852. E- Crisp, Esq , m. r>. pharmaceutists have a right to their own council, and the question would be as to the examiners. 2280. Would you allow the examiners to be pharmaceutical chemists only, or would you incorporate with them some other branch of the profession, such as physicians ?—I do not see any reason why physicians should be incorporated with them ; they might be appointed examiners, but if the question be one of exami- nation on pharmaceutical chemistry only, I do not see the necessity for it. 2281. You think it would be perfectly satisfactory if the council were composed of pharmaceutical chemists?—I certainly do ; 1 do not see any objection to that. 2282. Mr. Wakleu.] Is there any remark that you would wish to make to the Committee?—I think I have said I am of opinion that the diploma should be of the simplest kind, and that it should not be displayed in the window any more than a country apothecary should display drugs in his window; and I think it is very important to be stated, that the chemists can have no pretension to a know- ledge of anatomy or of disease, and therefore cannot, in honesty and truth, prescribe. I consider counter practice, as it is termed, to be as great an evil as any form of quackery ; by the loss of precious time, by the want of a just diagnosis, the real difficulty in the practice of physic, and the consequent loss of time in the administration of the appropriate, and perhaps energetic remedies, disease is too frequently permitted to pass, from the early and curable, to the inveterate and incurable stage, the consequence being lingering disease or loss of life. 2283. Chairman.] Is it not the case that an intelligent chemist, when applied to by a patient, refers that patient to a medical man, whereas a chemist who is quite ignorant would have blundered on and prescribed himself ?—The chemist very often sends a patient to a physician. 2284. Do you not think that a chemist who is properly educated would be more sensible of the responsibility he would incur by doing that for which he has not been educated at all, than one who starts with ignorance altogether ?—I think that is a question that would be determined more by his integrity than by the amount of knowledge he possessed. 2285. Do you not think that a chemist who has a character to lose would be more desirous of maintaining it, and more convinced of the responsibility he incurred by giving advice, than one who has no character at all ?—As honesty is the best policy, I think that would be the case. 2286. Having been trained in correct views on this subject, would he not be more likely than the other to maintain a proper system of ethics between himself and medical men ?—I think he would. I think that science ought to make us more high minded, and therefore that such a person so informed would be more likely to act with credit to himself and others. 2287. Do you not think that a Bill tending rather to elevate the character of chemists would tend also to promote a proper feeling than otherwise?—Yes, I do. Edwards Crisp, Esq., m.d., called in ; and Examined. 2288. Chairman.] YOU have heard the examinations for the last three days ? —Yes. 2289. Would you favour the Committee with any remarks that you have to make upon the subject of the Bill ?—I approve of the general principle of the Bill, that every chemist and druggist should be examined, and that no person should sell ch ugs without having passed an examination ; but I specially object to making this a club or corporation, which it will be, similar to the 22 corporations (including the new Irish colleges) which now exist in this country; this will make the 23d ; but not only are there 22 corporations, but there are 27 various diplomas granted. I have, with great labour to myself, ascertained the qualification of all the medical practitioners (10,947) whose names are contained in the London Medical Directory. 2290. Mr. Wakley.] This Bill does not refer to the medical profession ; this Bill does not constitute a medical corporation ; it constitutes a corporation com- posed of chemists and druggists; it is only a Bill for increasing the powers of an existing trading corporation?—Allow me to say I think it has a most important bearing upon the medical profession, and I have heard statements made here which are quite erroneous. It was stated just now that a few members only of the medical profession were members of the Apothecaries’Company only, whereas the fact is, that there are more than 1,000 medical practitioners who are members of
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