150 
THE CHEMIST AND DEUGGIST OP AUSTRALASIA. June 1, 1887. 
into force under the Incorporation Act. Mr. Bozon stated 
that he had no objection whatever personally to Mr. Allison 
being appointed the second auditor, but grounded his objec- 
tion on the fact that according to the Laws and Constitution 
of the Society as they at present stand the Council were 
acting ultra vires, no power resting with either the Council 
or the President to appoint an auditor, who could only be 
appointed at a general meeting of the Society. That such is 
the case there can be no question, and in acting contrary to 
the Laws and Constitution of the Society the Council has 
established a precedent which is almost certain to be an 
inconvenient one, and will in all probability lead to future 
trouble. For if the Council can in this off-hand way over- 
ride or ignore the laws passed by the members at large, it 
may be very fairly asked of what use or value is it having 
laws at all, and what guarantee has the Society generally 
that the Council will abide by the wishes of the majority. 
The matter is one of the utmost importance, and affects the 
most vital interests ©f the Society, since it is easily con- 
ceivable, though not, of course, probable, that four out of 
the seven members of the Council might act in a manner 
utterly opposed to the wishes of members generally, and the 
Society would be utterly powerless to control the action of 
such a majority — at any rate, until their term of office expired. 
This incident serves to emphasise the need of amended bye- 
laws. Originally, I believe, no power rested with the Council 
or its President to fill an extraordinary vacancy in the 
Council, but this being found inconvenient an amended law 
was passed at a general meeting somp four years ago, by 
which the power to fill an extraordinary vacancy was vested 
in the President, and, doubtless, this is as it should be. 
When the objection was raised to the Council appointing an 
auditor vice Mr. Thornton the question was asked — “ When 
provision was made for filling an extraordinary vacancy in 
the Council why was not a similar provision made for filling 
any extraordinary vacancy in the office of auditor?” To this 
it was simply answered that provision was not made, and the 
only reason that could be assigned was that the matter had 
certainly not been mentioned, and probably had not been 
thought of at that time. There can be no objection to the 
Council appointing an auditor to fill an extraordinary vacancy 
so long as the Laws ami Constitution confer such power ; but 
the very gravest objection must be taken to any ignoring of 
the laws framed by the members of the Society as a whole, 
and intended for the guidance of the conductors of the 
Society’s affairs for the time being. The Council must, on 
reflection, recognise the grave consequences of their action, 
and will doubtless bring Mr. Allison's name before the general 
meeting this month, and have him duly and regularly ap- 
pointed. This, however, is of minor importance. The point 
of chiefest importance is the necessity for bringing into force, 
and having printed and circulated, the bye-laws w'hich were 
adopted by the Council as far back as February, 1885. It 
was, I believe, intended that these bye-laws should come into 
force with the Act of Incorporation ; but if they are desirable 
then, they are equally desirable now, and no valid reason can 
be assigned for further delay in adopting them. It is there- 
fore to be hoped that they will be brought forward at the 
approaching general meeting, and will thereat receive the 
approval of the Society, and be formally adopted. Any 
desired alteration of the laws must be given notice of at least 
one month before the annual meeting, but in a case of tins 
kind there can be no doubt that the Society could ado 2 >t the 
bye-laws in gloho. 
The Vacanxies ix the Council. 
This year there will be only two vacancies in the Council, 
viz., the seats of Messrs. Thornton and Abrahams, these gen- 
tlemen having been appointed to fill extraordinary vacancies 
for the current year. Of the remaining five years no one has 
yet completed his three years of office, Messrs. M‘Carthy and 
Bozon having been re-elected in 1885, and Mr. Mayne- in 
1886, whilst Messrs. Sadler and Melhuish were also elected 
last year. In writing on this subject last month I was under 
the impression that two months’ notice was necessary to be 
given of candidature for a seat in the Council, and I stated 
that as no such notices had been given there would probably 
be no election, I find on inquiry, liowever, that at present 
fourteen clear days’ notice is all that is required. 
The Candidates eok Seats in the Council. 
One only of the two retiring members of the Council, viz., 
Mr. Edward Thornton, has sent in notice of candidature for a 
•seat in the Council, and in addition Messrs. A. J. Watt and 
A. A. Rigney have also sent the requisite notice. The mem- 
bers of the Society have thus an excellent choice, and it will 
no doubt be difficult for many to decide how to cast their 
votes. Mr. Edward Thornton during his brief term of office 
has made many friends, and has shown himself a thoroughly 
good member, but probably his delicate state of health has 
prevented him from taking a much more prominent position. 
Mr. Watt is one of the founders of the Society, and has served 
several years in the Council, so that it is unnecessary to 
speak of so well-known and well-tried a member. Mr. 
Rigney would make a thoroughly good member, and will no 
doubt receive a very large share of support. Altogether the 
Society is to be cordially congratulated on three such gentle- 
men having come forward to serve its interests. 
ANNUAL MEETING. 
The annual meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society wil^ 
take place on the 9th inst., when two members of the Coun- 
cil and two auditors are to be elected. The passing year has 
been a singularly eventful one as regards the affairs of the 
Society, so that a very important and interesting meeting 
may be anticipated, and the attendance will doubtless be a 
large one. 
The Application of Messrs. C. and W. H. Soul. 
In reference to the altogether unjustifiable insinuation 
contained in the current number of your contemporary, the 
Australasian Journal of Pharmacy, to the effect that the 
Pharmacy Board is inclined to shirk the responsibility of 
dealing with the above-named application, I am officially re- 
quested to say that the matter has been three times before 
the Board. In the first case the applicatiou w’as postponed 
to enable the applicants to send in a statutory declaration of 
having been in business as chemists and druggists prior to 
the passing of the Act 40 Vic. No. 9 (1876). In the second 
instance, being a postponed matter, the application was for- 
mally brought on again in April, but three members being 
unavoidably absent, the consideration of the application was 
deferred. At the meeting of the Board in May it was further 
deferred on the same ground. 
The Artesian Mineral Water Well. — ^\Ve mentioned in our 
last issue the discovery of this well by the No. 10 diamond drill 
near the Talbrogan River, Ballimore, twenty-three miles from 
Dubbo. Later advices inform us that the water is highly 
charged with carbonic acid gas and tastes like German seltzer 
water. An analysis shows that the total fixed residue is 266* 
66grs. per gallon, consisting of 14grs. carbonate of lime, 12grs. 
oxide of iron, traces of alumina and selicia, and 199gr. of alka- 
line carbonates. 
Dr. Robert Thomson Paton has been appointed surgeon 
and dispenser to the Public Works Prison, Trial Bay, vice 
Dr. Casement, resigned. 
Drumine. — The only further information on this subject 
which has appeared, seems to be a paper read by Professor 
Alex. Ogston, C.M., of Aberdeen, before the local branch of 
the British Medical Association. Dr. Reid, the discoverer of 
Drumine, had sent to the author, a small quantity, with a 
request that it might be tested. The four per cent, solution 
in water, or in equal parts of absolute alcohol and water, was 
injected hypodermically, both in patients about to undergo 
operations and experimentally in the arms of Professor Ogston 
and a medical student named Middleton. In the case of the 
patients, no antesthesia was noticed, so chloroform was ad- 
ministered. In the experimental injection, neither of the 
subjects was aware of any diminution of sensation on or near 
the injection site, but pretty smart pain was felt, which lasted 
for several days and then disapiieared. Comparative experi- 
ments were made with cucaine, with markedly different results. 
Professor Ogston sums uj) his results as follows : — These ex- 
periences indicate pretty clearly that, as a local anesthetic, 
drumine has little, if any, effect, and certainly cannot be com- 
pared with cucaine. It is possible that the drumine supplied 
to me may have been altered in composition or have otherwise 
lost its effect during its prolonged transit from the Antipodes. 
This suspicion is, I think, strengthened by a letter I received 
(after the above notes were written) from Dr. Reid’s brother, 
who writes ; — “ The sample sent was stale through exposure ; 
another sample sent at the same time was quite decomposed.” 
Fresh supplies are, however, expected, and, if they reach my 
hands, shall be duly submitted to trial, and the results made 
public. 
