89 
VoL. ii.,No. 4. THE CHEMIST AND DEUGGIST OF AUSTRALASIA. 
Pharmacists’ Picnic. — On March 10, the second annual gather- 
ing of Pharmacists of Sydney and suburbs visited Sandringham 
picnic fashion. A meeting had been held on February 24, 
called together by a number of well-known Pharmacists, 
and an executive committee was appointed from those who 
attended, to carry out all arrangements. A circular was 
issued on March 1, stating what would be jirovided, and 
tickets were sent out to all pharmacists in the district. The 
price of the tickets, 25s. for gentlemen, and lOs. (id. for ladies 
seems rather high, but the attendance showed that this was 
not- a serious obstacle. The first social gathering of pharm- 
acists was held last year, and took the form of a steam boat 
excursion down the bay, On that occasion ladies were not 
invited. On March 10, a short rail journey brought the party 
in detachments to Kogarah where it was met by conveyances 
for a two mile drive to Sandingham, a pleasure resort on one 
of the coves of Botany Bay, within sight of the course followed 
by Captain Cook, on his first arrival on the Eastern Coast. 
The day was perfect ; the recent abundant rains had given 
the country quite an English aspect, and the choice of locality 
for a picnic on tevm jinna could hardly be improved. Oysters 
and sandwiches were served at noon, accompanied by a small 
but excellent string band. Cricket and rounders followed 
with luncheon at 2 p.m., a course of ten toasts at 3 p.m., and 
by 4 p.m. dancing had begun in a leafy saloon. The printing 
of the Menus, and, in fact, every arrangement, was admirable. 
Mr. F. W. Elliott of Elliott Bros., took the chair at the 
luncheon, with Mr. Hy. Sadler, President of the Pharmaceutical 
Society as his vU a vis. Mr. Nicholson of the Australian 
Druggist Company, took the vice chair, his partner Mr. F. Kemp 
being prevented from attending by indisposition. After 
luncheon the Queen and the Governor received the usual 
attention, and the Chairman, Mr. Fred Elliott, proposed success 
to the Pharmacists’ Gathering. The Chairman could call 
most of those present old friends, he had known many of them 
from the time they were apprentices. The gathering was a 
well-deserved relaxation, and would benefit pharmacy not in 
the present only but also for the future by producing a unan- 
imity of feeling^ which would give power to pharmacists as £ 
body. The musical honours with which the toast was receivec 
wound up with the inappropriate though stirring refrain 
“ Britons never will be slaves.” Mr. J. S. Abrahams in repl} 
said this gathering would rub off the irritating angles that 
made their pursuit troublesome, and so brighten the lives oJ 
them all. The toast of the Pharmaceutical Society was 
received with acclamation on the proposition of Mr. J. W. 
Allison. He felt that it had done good work in the past and 
would be useful in the future. Members were begluulng to 
appreciate better the work that had been done, and to give it 
.their support. They in New South Weles were not so well oft 
as the pharmacists in Victoria with their £1,000 grant, and 
power to retain all their fees. But the council would put all 
that right; Mr. Hy. Sadler, drank to this toast as an indi- 
vidual member of the society, and then responded as its 
president, humorously justifying his proceedings. He had 
immediately after to propose the toast of the ladies. Arguin^ 
fiom the fact that he had been allotted this task on a previous 
•occasion, he inferred thatuo onepresent could do it better, an 
inference sustained by the applause of his audience, Mr. H. 
S. Bevy (Elliott Bros.,) in returning thanks for the ladies 
thought the committee could easily have found one or several 
ladies present who could have done this work admirablv. 
Mr. i- B. Melhiiish pro^iosed the health of the chairman, 
lemaikmg that at great personal inconvenience he had put 
oh an engagement to be present. Mr. Elliott said in replv 
that he was glad to be present, and had thoroughly enjoyed 
himself. Mr. J. H. Manners proposed the health of the vice- 
chairman; Mr. Nicholson responded that the evident hearti- 
ness of the reception given him was very gratifying as he had 
come to the colony comparatively recently. Mr. W. Hume 
proposed the pre.ss which was responded to with the usual 
.ability by the representatives of the Syd,ie>/ ]\Iornino Herald, 
lown and Coiintxij, and The Chemist and Druggist of Audra- 
lasta. Mr. Thornton then proposed the health of ‘the com- 
mittee, Messrs. J. S. Abrahams, .J. W. Allison, H. S. Broth- 
Manners, and T. B. 
Melhuish His remarks were received with acclamation, and 
the fact that ten toasts were proposed, honoured, and respond- 
ed to in fifty minutes shows how well even this detail had 
been arranged. 
The Board of Technical Education waited on the Minister 
of Public Instruction to urge that a bill should be presented 
to Parliament for the incorporation of the Board, and also 
desiring other privileges. It was desired that the Board 
should be given power to call to their aid as councils of advice 
experts in architecture, mining, engineering, pharmacy, and 
other like professions. To the latter suggestion the Minister 
replied that with regard to the scheme submitted in the bill 
proposed by them, that contemplated by far too large a 
council. Another objection was: hat they proposed to call in 
the aid of experts and form sub-committees. With such a 
bulky board as that contemplated they would find themselves 
in irretrievable confusion. 
Mr. John Row, chemist, brother to Mr. Edward Row, of 
Sydney, died on March 17. He had been ailing for the past 
nine months. Mr. Row had been a resident of Burrowa for 
the past eleven years, and was held in high estimation by all 
classes. 
PHARMACY AND ITS DETRACTORS. 
To the Editor of The Chemist and Druggist of Australasia). 
Sir, — As the official organ of the Pharmaceutical Society of 
N.S.W., and on matter affecting the interests of the mem- 
bers of that society. I feel satisfied that no ajiology need be 
made for occupying your space in drawing attention to the 
envenomed and disingenuous attacks to which the society has 
been for some time past persistently subjected. 
The unblushing audacity with which absolutely false state- 
ments are made in these letters to the daily press call for 
some immediate action on the part of the Council of the 
society, as it is to be expected that, emboldened by the lenity 
hitherto displayed, the author of these effusions will seek 
to still further damage the society in the eyes of the general 
public. 
It is hot very many months ago since a gentleman so uni- 
versally and deservedly respected as the secretary of the society 
was openly charged in one of the letters I am referring to, 
with having sworn falsely before a select Committee of the 
House of Legislative Assembly ; and, during the present month, 
we have another examj)le of these audacious and malicious 
attacks. 
I am credibly informed that certain members of the Council 
are in possession of documents which, if made use of, would 
at once and for all, put an end to this intolerable state of 
affairs ; so that it is to be hoped and expected that they will 
not stay their hands, should these venomous attacks continue. 
Members of the profession, knowing the source from which 
the attacks in question emanate, are apt to regard them with 
the contempt they merit ; forgetting that the general imblic 
often form their ideas from what they see in the newspapers. 
In a letter appearing in one of the Sydney evening papers, 
I noticed that an attempt is made to fasten upon the society, 
the responsibility of issuing the circular sent out as a siniple- 
ment to your last number. In the letter referred to, a most 
unfair and deliberate perversion of the meaning of the circular 
is placed before the public, who are in effect, told that the 
Pharmaceutical Society has entered upon a sort of campaign 
to crush out all freedom of trade, and to compel the public to 
buy patent medicines, &c., of qualified chemists and druggists 
only. And this reminds me of a very pertinent question — 
What are the Board of Pharmacy doing ? From the reports 
constantly appearing in the Victorian papers, it would seem 
that the Pharmacy Board of that colony is always on the 
alert to protect the interests of qualified men, whilst the 
Board in this colony seem to imagine that matters of this 
kind are not within their province, and, as a result, the estab- 
lishments kept by unqualified men multiply. And it will soon 
be a question which chemists and druggists in this colony will 
have to seriously ask themselves, as to how far the wholesale 
houses are responsible for this setting up of un(iualified men in 
opposition to the legally qualified members of the profession. 
When the time _ conies it will not be difficult to a\^swer this 
question, nor will it be difficult to say how such a policy as 
that now being pursued should be rewarded. Let qualified 
men look to it, for the day is drawing near when a determined 
stand will have to be made if the profession is to hold its own 
from false friends within the camp, and foes without. 
I am, etc. 
Sydney, March 20, 1887. 
VIGILANCE. 
