THE AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY. 
460 
friendly relationships between the members of the trade will be strengthened, 
both at home and abroad. 
In consequence of the resignation of Mr. Larmer, we have a vacancy in the 
Board of Examiners. Upon the motion of Mr. James Mayne, Mr. T. B. 
Melhuish was elected the examiner in materia medica. While we congratulate 
the society upon this appointment, and think the selection of Mr. Melhuish was 
a step in the right direction, yet it must be confessed the position of the 
examiners is a very unsatisfactory one. Some of the examiners claim 
that their appointment is for life, and that until a Pharmacy Act is passed they 
need not retire from the office. This claim is based upon the fact that a notification of 
their appointment has appeared in the Government Gazette, and no rule has been 
passed respecting the retirement of examiners. It is a generally accepted rule 
that examiners should be re-elected every year, and in many cases that the 
power of accepting or rejecting a candidate in an examination should not be left 
in the power of one man, but that the papers set should be submitted to the 
whole Board, who should have power to reject any question as too severe or 
unnecessary, and that the result should be declared on the inspection of the 
examination papers by two examiners in each subject. 
The appointment of a member of Council in the room of Mr. Larmer rests 
with the president of the Council, but, usually, is in accordance with the wishes 
or opinion of the Council. Several names have been mentioned as probable 
occupants of the seat, and there can be no doubt but that if an election to the 
position were necessary we would have an animated contest. Prominent among 
the candidates would be Mr. Thornton, of Petersham, who has shown a great 
deal of zeal in pharmaceutical matters, and whose excellent qualities — both of 
heart and head — have won for him a large circle of friends. The only drawback 
to this gentleman is the very precarious state of his health, which prevents his 
doing much that he desires to do, or to see done, for the welfare of pharmacists. 
Other names might be mentioned, especially Mr. R. Bellamey, of Newtown; Mr. 
H. Brothwood, of Leichhardt; Mr. W. Parker, of Balmain; and Mr. J. Hamilton, 
of Pedfern. Any of these gentlemen would form such desirable additions to the 
Council of the Society that we hope ere long to see the Council enlarged to ten 
members, and to have the pleasure of seeing some of these gentlemen among the 
Councillors. 
In spite of the dulness of the times we have news of several new phar- 
macies about to be opened in the neighbourhood of Sydney. Mr. T. McDonald, 
late assistant with Mr. Jones, of Surry Hills, Market-street, and Levuka, has 
opened a shop in Strathfield ; Mr. J. Mills is starting shortly at Milson’s Point ; 
Mr. F. M. Clements, late of Summer Hill, is about to open a pharmacy on 
the Newtown-road. Mr. Withers, of Burwood, is desirous of disposing of his 
business, and Mr. Froude, of M‘Donaldtown, wishes to find a purchaser. Mr. 
Pye, of Croydon, is about to open a chemist’s shop in Ashfield, and it is 
rumoured that another druggist is about to commence business in Croydon. 
At the last meeting of the Linnean Society of New South Wales Mr. E. 
Ilaviland read a ' T ery interesting paper on the “ Flowering Seasons of the 
Australian Flowering Plants,” and Mr. Masters exhibited a large collection of 
coleoptera, consisting of 500 specimens. 
During the months of November and December the Board of Technical 
Education engaged the following lecturers : — Professor Threlfall, to lecture on 
“ Science as a Means of Education Mr. Angus Mackay, a series on “ The Soils 
and Crops of New South Wales;” Mr. J. P. Edmunds, on “ The Metals;” Mr. 
C. E. Wood, B.Sc., B.E., M.A., on “ Structures and Materials ;” Mr. Fred. 
Wright, a course on “"Veterinary Medicine,” and a second course on 
