66 
THE AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY. 
important argument brought forward by the northern association against legislation 
is that the proviso “ providing a penalty of £2 and upwards against anyone, 
not being a registered vendor of poisons, retailing drugs and patent medicines, 
if residing within four miles of such vendor of poisons,” might be struck 
out of any new Act. Now, if Parliament makes provisions and restrictions 
for the proper qualification of chemists, as it naturally must do, it follows- 
that in exchange for these restrictions, such as a long apprenticeship and strict 
impartial examination, some privilege must be given. Although we are opposed 
to monopoly, still no privilege can be given so equitably without harming any 
business now existing as the sole right of retailing these articles by one 
trade. The grocers, the only people who are supposed to be opponents 
of the present system, have never complained, and there is no reason to 
suppose they would offer any opposition to a similar clause in the new bill. 
At any rate legislation might be attempted, and, if too much opposition was 
shown by the members, there would be time enough to make an alteration then, 
and not before. The remaining point for consideration at our hands is that o£ 
the government of pharmacists, and, being equally as important, we shall make 
a proposal in our next which will satisfy the jealousy which is supposed to 
exist between north and south, and lead to the two associations working amicably' 
together in passing through both Houses of Parliament a bill which shall be 
not only a boon to the pharmacists but to the public in general. 
In the Hobart Mercury we see a writer, under the nom de 'plume of 4< Vase- 
line, ” parading a grievance that “persons not having passed the examination 
of the examinee's are allowed to carry on business, or to manage branch 
businesses .” This is quite true, and a grievance which would be remedied at 
once by a new Act, but, at the same time, it is a point of law whether the Act* 
as it at present stands, does not prevent other than one licensed by the Court of 
Examiners from retailing drugs at all. We believe this is a grievance that will 
be brought forward by the hon. secretary of the Hobart Association in his 
annual report, to be read on 17th February. A very great piece of negligence 
on the part of the Government is to be traced to them in not appointing a 
qualified dispenser for the gaol or, at least, obtain their medicines properly 
dispensed at the General Hospital. We read in last week’s Mercury that 
any ordinary prisoner, without any knowledge of pharmacy whatever, was in 
the habit of dispensing for his unfortunate companions. Surely they suffer 
sufficiently in being confined for their evil doings ! Then why should the- 
continual dread of a mistake being made by such an amateur dispenser ever 
be present to the mind of a sick man as an additional punishment! We 
hope the mere mentioning of this grave matter, combined with the represen- 
tation of the coroner, Hr. Crowther, will be the signal for its instant cessation, 
and thus prevent us some day having to chronicle an unfortunate death by 
“ misadventure.” 
The first meeting of the Federal Council has passed off successfully, and, 
although the members have not gone in for bold legislation, still their labours 
must yield good fruit to those colonies who have Imperial federation at heart, 
and earnestly desire to see rise in the future a truly “ Federated Australian 
Dominion,” which, in the future, will prove to be the gem of the many 
possessions of the British Empire. In Tasmania the spirit of federation has 
taken great hold, the good work having been aided by the Mercury publishing 
daily verbatim reports of the council’s proceedings, which have been eagerly 
and, we hope, profitably read by all true Tasmanians. In bidding farewell to the 
council for this year, we trust that next year all the colonies will send 
representatives according to their population, and endeavour to carry out the 
