Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-16
PHARMACY MATTERS.
Names Standard Equal To That q
Any State ia the Union.
assertions That Examinations Arc Too Strict
Not Generally Accepted.

What is the reason that 81 man,
lai' to pass the examinations befor,
the Maine Board of Pharmacy?" wa.
'he question asked of Secretary F. r
Partridge of the board, by a Journa
reporter.
me principal reason lies. not Sc
much in the applicant" answered NJ,
Fartridge' as in the druggist who has
tutored him. The majority of the
managers of drug stores do not dirac,
ne boys who are studying under them
properly, the result being that the
student takes his own course. and often
i'esiects some of the more practical
thihgs for technical points, and many
40 not go at subject properly to get
'he Facts from it, Many applicants
VIII come before us, who can give cor
rect answers to everything in the line
OF preparation, who cannot give the
least idea of the source of the drug.
This shows that they, instead of Begin
ming at the origin and working I'm az
they should, simply learn the prepara-
tior."
Are very many complaints ever en-
tered by the candidates or their friends
in regard to the examination? That it
is too rigid, and that unimportant
questions are asked?"
Yes, we often receive such COM
plants, but in most every case as soon
as it has been made clear to the com.
plainants, they entirely agree with us.
Not long ago a prominent Androscog-
gin druggist wrote to us, and made
that complaint, but after had written
to him. he answered my letter and said
that now that he understood the mat
ter, he believed entirely in the method
pursued by the board. OF course We
cannot crafty or please all, but we try
conscientiously to do our duty to the
drug trade, and to the people. I find
that many have been misinformed in
regard to the unreasonable and unfair
questions. A question which the can
didate cannot answer, he often con-
siders unfair, no matter how simple it
may be. The young man to whom I
was giving an oral at one of our
late meetings, was asked about calx or
10 of Crro l,n
ing so we put the question in this
manner in order to make it simple:
How is common lime made? He
could not answer, and considered it an
unfair question.
Our questions are often times mis-
represented, and are not reported in
the same phraseology in which they
are put. For instance, From what is
iodoform made, or what ingredl-
ents enter into iodoform?' was re-
ported, How is iodoform made?' Now
you will see quite a difference in the
question. A professional chemist even,
would be obliged to consult his text
book to PREPARE it, at the same time
what it is made. 1t is our endeavor to
be practical and fair, to find out what
the applicant knows, and not what he
does not know, for we know he does
not know it all. One thing more in re
gard to the examinations. We have
had a score, at least, of young men
who have passed other New England
boards, come before us also, tell us
that our examinations are more prac-
teal and profitable than any other
they had passed. We have also had
many come before us who did not ex~
pect to pass, but simply came for in
structions and proper directions in
reading or study.
I'VE do not wish to appear critical
nor expect the candidates to be perfect.
but it is very important matter, and
we wish the standard of pharmacy to
compare favorably with that of other
states. We find that through our en-
deavors the degree of pharmaceutical
knowledge has been advanced in this
State, and much good has been the
result Of our labor"
Are the applicants made to pay for
the second examination"
Not if they take it within IL months
from the date of the first one."
How many new druggists were
there registered during the past year.
From June, '96 to December OF this
wear. there were Al applicants regis
tered by examination. Eight others
were granted certificates as qualified
assistants. and one other has been
registered under an old law. There
have been 1873 examinations, some OF
the applicants having been before the
commission from two to six times each'
Twenty-four passed on the first ex-
animation. seven on the second, five on
the third, four on the fourth ana one
on the fifth. Then in addition to those