THE AU STRALASIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY. 
243 
tisements and sales. Numerous and valuable additions to the libraries in London 
and Edinburgh are reported, and the attendance at the institutions named is said 
to have been of a satisfactory character. The report gives expression to the council’s 
regret at the retirement of Professor Bedwood from the Chair of Chemistry and 
Pharmacy, and hopefully anticipates that the members heartily approve of the 
movement to found a scholarship in connection with the society’s school, to be 
called the Bedwood Scholarship, in honour of the gentleman with whose name it 
is associated. Beference is made to the steps which had been taken to establish 
a constitutional mode of conducting the society’s business in Scotland ; and the 
council’s decision to institute and equip a Besearch Laboratory is also noted. The 
income of the Benevolent Fund is stated at about the same as last year ; but the 
report mentions that the council “feels compelled again to direct attention to the 
fact that the number of persons eligible to receive assistance who do not subscribe 
to the fund is still in the proportion of more than five to one as compared with 
those on the list of subscribers.” In referring to the obituary of the year, the 
council honours with particular mention the names of Henry Sugden Evans, Dr. 
Xavier Landerer, and Professor Hermann Yon Fehling. 
Of special interest to Australasian pharmacists are those portions of the report 
dealing with the projected Besearch Laboratory and the educational scheme. 
With the former matter we dealt at some length in our June issue, and there 
seems no occasion to seek further for a convincing proof that such an institution is 
urgently needed than our recently published note of a report by the Pharmaceutical 
Society’s analyst, wherein he makes the astounding confession that it is not yet 
known to science whether the therapeutic value of sandalwood oil is properly ascribed 
to that article or to the cedar wood oil with which it is commonly adulterated. 
If additional testimony were required, it is to be found in our May issue, wherein 
we gave the details of a Nottingham coronial inquiry into the death of two 
children, which was found to have resulted from taking a cough mixture, in 
which so common a medicament as syrup of squill had been the principal factor. 
In addressing the jury, the coroner explained that the outside portions of the sea 
onion, from whence the syrup of squill is obtained, is of greater strength than that 
of the interior, and, said he, we are brought face to face with the fact that there is 
no standard of strength for the article in question which had produced such 
poisonous results. Our editorial of last month treated of the society’s pro- 
posal in general terms ; but the cases here particularised emphasise our previous 
remarks, and should conclusively show that the society’s proposal is one for 
the adoption of which there is very urgent need, and upon the successful establish- 
ment of which the profession and public have every reason to hope to have 
an early opportunity of congratulating themselves. 
We have so repeatedly urged the necessity of providing means for the 
systematic teaching of those who desire to join the profession, as well as 
insisting upon the advantages which would accrue to all classes of the com- 
munity through the raising of the educational standards that anything which 
we might now add could scarcely be other than in iteration of former remarks. 
Therefore, we need scarcely say that the efforts of the British society to 
establish a system of preparatory training has our heartiest sympathy. Some- 
thing to this end has been accomplished by the classes of practical dispensing 
for some time conducted by Mr. Joseph Ince ; and also a work in the desired 
direction is Professor Bedwood’s series of lectures on pharmacy, which he had 
just entered upon as our latest mail left London. That no le*s than 212 
candidates, out of a total of 409, had failed at the recent preliminary examina- 
tion conclusively shows how special is the necessity for the contemplated 
improvement in the present deplorable state of affairs. 
