A Respectable Occupation: - University of Hertfordshire Research ...

written by H. Carson in February 1918 to the Clerk to the Society of
Apothecaries illustrates. It concerned a Miss Wolseley, who had been a
student of his and had been granted a Society of Apothecaries‘ Assistant‘s
Certificate in 1907. She had worked at seven establishments as a dispenser
for over 12 years, including the Royal Free Hospital and on two foreign
appointments. She had recently returned from a two year appointment as a
dispenser in the Scott Women's Hospital in Macedonia and had applied to
Devonshire House for dispensing work on another foreign appointment.
Devonshire House was the administrative centre recruiting V.A.D. nurses,
hospital cooks, clerks, storekeepers and dispensers for war work. 187
She had been told that although they needed three dispensers, they
would not take her, as the War Office required, for Foreign Service,
dispensers with the Pharmaceutical Society's ‗minor‘ qualification, but that
they might be able to get her a home appointment. When she applied to the
Evelma Hospital, a pharmacist who was a member of the hospital
committee objected saying that they had never had anyone with the Hall
Certificate before. However they had to take her because a pharmacist with
the Pharmaceutical Society‘s ‗minor‘ certificate, whom they had appointed,
failed to take up the position. The pharmacist who had objected, was
sufficiently satisfied with her work as to ask her not to leave when she later
wanted to go and do war work. Miss Wolseley said that she considered that
the Hall Certificate was adequate when given some practical experience and
that the ‗minor‘ qualification only improved on it in that it gave a lot of
187 „Work for Voluntary Aid Detachments‟, The Times, 14 Mar. 1917, p. 9.
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