THE AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY. 
843 
instituted inquiries as to the time when he commenced his education as a druggist, 
and, not being satisfied with the result of their inquiries, they refused a certificate. 
The application for a certificate was renewed in 1882, and again in January of this 
year. On both these occasions the Board confined its attention to the question which 
had first presented itself to it, namely — whether or not the applicant was qualified for 
the business. It was not their province to inquire into the applicant’s qualification. 
They had only to determine the fact, whether or not, for three months before the 
commencement of the Act, he had been employed as a dispensing assistant as provided 
for in Section 18, sub-section 2. This is a question of fact which there is no doubt 
the Board will honestly and properly determine when they come to consider it ; and 
the order of the Court below will be varied by directing the Board to hear and 
determine this fact. The Board has practically succeeded in the appeal, and the 
appeal, therefore, will be allowed with costs. As to the costs of the mandamus in 
the court below, the Board had to exercise gwm-judicial functions, and in accordance 
with the usual and proper practice it will not be required to pay the costs of the 
mandamus. 
(From our Special Correspondent.) 
Sydney, 14th September. 
Consideeable surprise has been expressed by the members of the Pharma- 
ceutical Society of this colony at a circular issued by two members of the 
council of the society in reference to the Intercolonial Pharmaceutical Conference, 
At a recent meeting of the council it was unanimously resolved that two delegates 
should be sent to the Conference, and Messrs. Mayne and Melhuish were 
appointed as the society’s representatives. This action met with the undoubted 
approval of all the leading pharmacists, and great satisfaction was expressed at 
the probability of all the petty jealousy that has been a reproach to this colony 
being at an end, and that henceforth the policy was to be one of reciprocity and 
united action for the benefit of all. This seems to have been the wishes of the 
council, and there is every reason to hope that such will yet ere long be the 
case. The circular already mentioned was not issued by the council, but was 
so worded as to convey to the readers that such was the fact. The first para- 
graph states that before the council was committed to the Conference, they 
desired an expression of opinion from the members on certain topics. Now, as 
the council had committed itself to the Conference, and had no intention of 
retracting its decision, the remaining five members of the council were naturally 
very indignant at the wording of the circular, especially as one of the persons 
whose names appear on the circular as responsible for its publication is one 
whom they had already chosen to represent them at that gathering. It is greatly 
regretted by all that any person or persons should have presumed to issue such 
a circular without the consent of the council of the society. Some of the 
statements contained in this circular are utterly false, and the insinuations 
against the promoters of the Conference are quite unworthy of notice. Of one 
thing the druggists of Australia may be assured, viz., that New South Wales 
is quite prepared to take its part in this undertaking, and to show a friendly 
and tolerant spirit towards the pharmacists of other colonies, working amicably 
for the common good of all parties concerned. 
The proceedings and evidence taken before the committee of Parliament on 
the Pharmaceutical Society Incorporation Act have been printed, and display 
very little information either to the House or the trade. Only three 
witnesses were examined, and in the evidence taken there is but a very meagre 
account of the nature or operations of the society. We are surprised to find 
that none of the leading druggists were examined, and that even the president 
was not summoned to give evidence. The sitting of this committee was a good 
