APOTHECARY, the name formerly given in England and Ireland to members of an inferior branch of the medical profession. The A. was in England a licentiate of the apothecaries' society of London; in Ireland, a licentiate of the apothecaries' hall of Ire land. Up to a comparatively recent period, however, no inconsiderable proportion of those who practiced as apothecaries, at any rate in England, were persons practicing without any licdnse. The A. frequently kept it shop in which he sold drugs and made up medical prescriptions, in this respect competing with the chemist and druggist. But he was entitled to attend sick persons, and prescribe for them; and though. it was the almost universal practice of apothecaries to charge their patients only for the medicines supplied, they had the choice between doing this and charging for their attendances. They could not charge for both. This was held by chief-justice Best, in an action by an A., who sought to recover on both grounds (see Wilcock, On the Medical Profes sion), In having this choice as to their mode of charging, they had the advantage of the chemists and druggists; but the chief advantage they had over these lay in the recogni tion. by the law, of their right to practice, and their consequent immunity from punish ment for the results of malpractice, except where they had shown gross ignorance. The medical act of 1858, which greatly altered the conditions of medical practice throughout the united kingdom, has much improved the status of licentiates of the apothecaries' societies; and though such licentiates are still entitled to keep shops for the sale of drugs, and to make up their own prescriptions, the passing of the pharmacy act (1869) has made broader the distinction between them and the class of chemists and druggists (see CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS). The term A. has been long in disuse, though, no loubt, it is still a legal description for licentiates of the apothecaries•society of London, or of the apothecaries' hall of Ireland ; and such licentiates arc now, as licentiates in medi cine before the law, in all respects, including eligibility for public appointments, on a par with the graduates of universities. Under the medical act of 1858, they are entitled
to be registered as licentiates in medicine, and, when registered, they have the right of practicing medicine in all parts of the queen's dominions, charging both for their visits and professional advice, and for medicines or medical appliances supplied by them. It is possible, indeed, that they have one advantage over medical men practicing on other qualifications; for it has been repeatedly held by county court judges in England that they are the only medical practitioners entitled to recover the price of medicines supplied to patients. But this question has never been brought before the superior courts in England, and the decisions referred to'seem not to be supported by the language of the medical act. The conditions of getting the licenses of the apothecaries' society and of the apothecaries' hall in Ireland are nearly the same as those imposed by other corpora tions which grant medical qualifications, the only difference worth mentioning being that an apprenticeship to a licentiate for five years in England, for three years in Ireland, is indispensable for the apothecaries' license. The requirement of an apprenticeship put the apothecaries' society and the apothecaries' hall of Ireland at a disadvantage com pared with the colleges of physicians whicligrant licenses to practice medicine; it also made it impossible for them to combine with surgical corporations in giving the double qualification in medicine and surgery on the result of a conjoint examination. Accordingly, the act 37 and 38 Viet. c. 34, s. 2, in 1874 made the requirement of appren ticeship unnecessary. The apothecaries' society of London and the apothecaries hall of Ireland each appoint a member of the general council of medical education and registration. The former is the first licensing corporation in the united kingdom which granted a license to a woman to practice medicine; and the act of 1874, which has been above referred to, saved their rights to admit women to certain examinations.