JACOB BELL. 



463 



Pharmaceuti- 

 cal Society. 



Visits the 

 Provinces. 



These zealous efforts were attended with success, and the new 1359. 

 society increased rapidly both in numbers and importance. It Ri se ~oTthe 

 is, however, unnecessary to trace the whole history of the 

 Pharmaceutical Society in order to show how large an amount 

 of its prosperity is due to the labours of Mr. Bell. Let us 

 recollect that he was a member of the council from the com- 

 mencement of the society to the day of his death, and that 

 hardly any engagement was ever allowed to interfere with his 

 attendance at its meetings. As a member of committees, and 

 of the board of examiners, and as an attender of the evening 

 meetings, his diligence was equally unfailing. 



The formation and healthy active existence of provincial 

 branches of the Pharmaceutical Society was also an object of 

 much solicitude with Mr. Bell ; and many a rapid journey did 

 he take when he thought that his presence and advocacy might 

 assist in promoting the objects in view. The kindly and dis- 

 interested feeling, and conciliatory spirit he displayed on these 

 occasions, will long be remembered. 



Many little examples of his disinterestedness, which was Liberality, 

 often exhibited in an eccentric way, might be mentioned. One, 

 very characteristic of himself occurred in reference to the copy 

 of Nees von Esenbeck's Plantce Medicinales, which is in the 

 library of the Pharmaceutical Society. The fly-leaf of this 

 valuable work has in it the following memorandum, in Mr. Bell's 

 hand.: 



"A member of the council having an offer of this book at 

 about half price, proposed it to the council, and it was resolved 

 unanimously that it was desirable to secure it for the Pharma- 

 ceutical Society. It was, therefore, referred to the Library 

 Committee; but in the meantime it was necessary to give an 

 answer, which the member above mentioned did, taking the book 

 and waiting the final decision of the committee. 



" When the committee met, the book was rejected ; con- 

 sequently the member of council who was saddled with it, now 

 has the pleasure of presenting it to the Pharmaceutical Society. 



April, 1850." 



Another instance in point was the case of his subscription to 

 the Pharmaceutical Society, which he was in the habit of giving 



