[B. F. GARDINER.

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137. You simply speak as a layman? —Yes. 138. Mr. Hornsb'i/.] You have a society now registered, and have rules and regulations governing that society ?—Yes. 139. You have prescribed in those rules the examination which shall be passed by anybody desiring to join your association ?—That is so. 140. Your rules absolutely bar any herbalist from advertising anything with regard to sexual remedies or diseases of the urinary organs?— Yes. 141. In fact, in your rules you are safeguarding the public, but you are endeavouring as far as possible to maintain the reputation of the registered herbalists of this colony I—That1 —That is so. 142. You will be prepared under this Bill to send to the Board an authorised representative of your association to sit as a member of it?— Yes. 143. With regard to prescriptions, and the revealing of remedies, and so forth: as a matter of fact, you know that doctors have to give in the aggregate every day thousands of prescriptions to chemists to make them up; these prescriptions are left in their hands, and they can make use of them as they think fit?— Yes. Strictly speaking, they are the property of the patient or doctor; but all chemists enter them in their book, and can make use of them. 144. So that doctors are just as much in the hands of those to whom they confide their prescriptions as you would be if you sent your formulae or your various medicines to this Board?—ln a way, that is so. 145. I am glad to find that you say personally there is bound to be some trouble or injustice always where reforms are brought in: you cannot make a reform work evenly?— There is always the possibility of hardship. 146. Speaking personally, or as a representative of a firm in this town, would you not be satisfied to trust the Board if it were constituted of men of. such high character as those selected by the Governor in Council? Would you not feel quite safe in the hands of such a Board? —Well, all men are human, and, as I say, I see no other way of arranging the matter safely, unless it was decided that, instead of calling on every one to deposit his formulae, the Board might, if it thought fit, because a certain formula was thought injurious or not what it should be, have power to call for the production of the formula. 147. They will have power ?—lf they were satisfied of the efficacy of the medicine it would not be necessary for the formula to be disclosed. 148. It is not what you prescribe in your business place or shop that we are asking for, but, if you advertise any remedy, then before you can go on selling that article it will be necessary for you to deposit with the Board the formula of it? —I quite understand that. 149. And, personally, you say you have no great objection to that?— Personally I have no objection. 150. The Chairman.] Have you held any examinations in New Zealand?. —Not yet. 151. When was your association registered? —Last year some time. 152. How many members have you on your roll? —Between twenty and thirty. 153. They have passed no examination ?—Some have. 154. Under any association? —Not under our association, save that they have been four years and over in the business. We admit no. one to membership who has not seen that amount of service. 155. What was the nature of the examination some of the members have passed?— Mr. Niel sat for two years in Dunedin, and then went to America and passed some examination there. 156. In connection with some herbalist or botanic college?—l cannot say. I know that he passed a certain examination, the specific nature of which I cannot state. Of course, some of the members are members of the British Association of Medical Herbalists. 157. Do they pass an examination to obtain that privilege?—l think there were certain exiiminations, but their character I do not know. 158. Do you herbalists prescribe for customers? —To a certain extent we do. 159. Do you not think that a person to beneficially prescribe should first be able to diagnose?— That is so. 160. And to be able to diagnose correctly should not a man have some knowledge of physiology and anatomy?— Yes. 161. And the effect of drugs on the human system?— Yes. 162. Do you not think it is a serious thing to allow a man to dispense medicines or drugs without possessing some knowledge of medicine?— Yes; knowledge of his own particular department, anyway. 163. Do you require any of your members to have any knowledge of diathetics? —The association is for the purpose of uplifting our profession and urging every member to make himself as perfect as possible, to help each other, and to diffuse information among members. 164. What penalties do you enforce for breach of your regulations?— The extreme penalty is expulsion from the association. That is all we can do at present. 165. There is nothing to prevent any person setting up as an herbalist and prescribing or selling medicines? —Our intention was to approach Parliament this year, suggesting that a status should be given herbalists on somewhat the same lines as is given to pharmaceutical chemists. If that were done, not only would the herbalist be protected, but the public also. 166. Do you not think your examiners should have some educational standing?—l think every examiner has a very practical education. 167. But should he not be required to pass some examination, or hold some diploma or certificates from professional or expert examiners? —I do not know that you can get anything better than practical knowledge. 168. But what guarantee have the public got that the examiners have practical knowledge?— t think if a man has been twenty or thirty years in one place of business he must have the respect