THE AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY. 
467 
“it is not true to say that the pharmacist has no concern with the action of 
the agents which he dispenses. Theoretically and professionally he has not. 
Practically he has. He dare not dispense that which he believes to be 
dangerous in the quantity written. Therefore he has to know the danger 
point of all dangerous substances that are in use A dispenser of 
intelligence is an observant and thoughtful person, and brings a watchful, and 
often a critical, sense to bear on all that passes through his hands.” 
In his concluding remarks Sir Henry paid a generous tribute to the dignity 
of the pharmaceutical profession, and gave some excellent advice, which we have 
much pleasure in reproducing for the benefit of our younger readers : — “ There 
is no occupation in life,” he said, “ in which personal character tells more than 
in the duties of a dispenser. They are replete with interest of the most varied 
kind. The details are to him drudgery or pleasure, as he makes them to be. 
Cleanliness, exactitude, order, punctuality, shrewdness, become a habit which is 
simple delight. If you have not these habits and this delight, disorder and 
discomfort, dissatisfaction and dirt will be your daily lot. If you have, the 
most practical among you will live on the borderland — I would rather say 
within the boundaries — of science, and be in relation to the sufferings and 
sorrows and troubles of your fellow-men, and become their friend. This is no 
ideal fancy. In a few masterly words, one to whom you and all pharmacists 
are deeply indebted, the venerable Professor Bed wood pointed out long since 
that, whereas the business of the druggist in the last century was generally a 
paltry trade, the occupation of the skilled pharmacist is becoming one in 
which education and science are essential to gain the position which pharmacy 
deserves, and which it is obtaining in this country, as on the continent of 
Europe.” 
At the conclusion of Sir Henry’s address, Mr. Bosisto, having been specially 
requested to move the vote of thanks, said that he had been absent from England 
for just upon forty years, and to be thus privileged was to him one of the 
greatest pleasures he had had since his return to his native land. It was satis- 
factory for him to know that, while they had men in Great Britain who were 
endeavouring to teach the rising generation, they had men in distant colonies 
under the flag of Great Britain who were fulfilling similar functions for their 
youth, and they had a body of young men rising up amongst them in Australia 
who would set before these colonies knowledge such as they thought those in 
England possessed. He himself was once a student of the Pharmaceutical 
Society of Great Britain, to which, whatever knowledge he had since attained, 
he owed a great deal, and he concluded with the hope that the society would 
send forth men into the various colonies who would be able to do their work in 
the future as those who had formerly been students had done for nearly forty 
years. 
At the annual meeting of the North of England Pharmaceutical Association, 
on 8th October, the president, Mr. Martin, made some very pertinent remarks 
on the necessity of union among pharmacists, which we would recommend to 
the careful consideration of our Australian readers. “ There were about 13,000 
registered chemists and druggists, of whom only about 3600 were members 
of the Pharmaceutical Society ; and of these only 1550 took a sufficient 
interest in its affairs to fill up their voting papers for the annually- elec ted 
Council. If the pharmacists of this country had been true to themselves and 
to their privileges, there was no calling which would have suffered so little 
at the hands of co-operative stores and the class of competition he had 
considered. At the present time they were doubtless passing through a crisis ; 
but if every chemist and druggist would do his best to carry out not only 
