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

examination. 47 From 1846 the Society received letters from potential
examination candidates: Mr F. Symonds wrote to the Court of Examiners in
1846 asking if a Mr Moore could present himself for examination as a
dispenser. Mr Moore had been duly apprenticed, but becoming partially
deaf, together with other unforeseen circumstances, had prevented him
completing his studies. He had the opportunity of a position as a dispenser
and wanted to know about the examination. 48
The status of the Assistant was not well understood as illustrated in a
letter from Thomas Barrow in 1851. He asked if a Certificate of an
Assistant would qualify him to make up medicines for a general practitioner
as well as a chemist. The answer to this was that it would permit him to
compound and dispense, but not to prescribe. 49 I. H. Shorthose was
apparently also confused about the regulations. He had earlier asked for a
copy, but on 4 August 1848, he wrote again requesting to be excused Latin
having once had a good knowledge of the language, but since an attack of
Phrenitis, had entirely lost it. This confusion was probably the fault of the
Society, for it sounds as though they had sent him a copy of the regulations
for the licentiate‘s examination and not those relating to the assistant‘s
examination. The Court replied that it could not forego the examination in
Latin, but would consider any peculiarities in his case when he presented
47
Society of Apothecaries Archive, Society of Apothecaries of London Candidates Regulations 1841-
1900.
48
Society of Apothecaries Archive, Court of Examiners Society of Apothecaries Correspondence Book
no. 2, 1845-52, Letter, F. Symonds to Society of Apothecaries, 14 Apr. 1846.
49
Society of Apothecaries Archive, Court of Examiners Society of Apothecaries Correspondence Book
no. 2, 1845-52, Letter, T. Barrow to Court of Examiners, 12 Sep. 1851.
98