October 5, 1895 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST 
517 
he entered the ICcole Normale, and in 1847 took his doctor’s 
degree, while the following year he was appointed Professor 
of Physics at Dijon. Three months afterwards he accepted 
the post of Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Strasbarg. 
He became Professor there in 185Z, and it was here he com- 
menced the study of fermentation. In 1854 Pasteur ac- 
cepted the task of organising the newly-installed Faculty 
of Sciences at Lille, and three years later (1857) he returned 
to Paris to take the important post of Scientific Director of 
the 6 cole Normale. At this period Pasteur had already been 
married seven years to the daughter of the rector of the 
Strasbourg University, M Laurent. His eldest son, Jean 
Baptiste, at present First Secretary of the French Embassy 
at Madrid, was born in 1852. His other children, four 
•daughters, were born at the Eue d’Ulm. One of them 
married M. Vallery Radot ; the others have preceded their 
illustrious father to the grave. In 1862 Pasteur was 
nominated Professor of Geology, Physics, and Chemistry 
at the Nicole des Beaux Arts, and at the same period Mem- 
‘ber of the Institute for the section of mineralogy in place 
of M. de S6narmont. A few years later he became perpetual 
secretary of the Section, which position he resigned in 1889 
to take over the direction of the Pasteur Institute, founded 
for the purpose of enabling him to continue and carry out 
his researches. To this well-employed career may be added 
his election to the French Academy in 1881 on the death of 
Littre. Numerous honours showered on Pasteur, and it would 
be impossible to mention them all here. The Royal Society 
of London awarded him, in 1856, the Rumford medal for his 
researches on the polarisation of light. His chemical dis- 
coveries secured for him the Jecker prize in 1861, and in 
1874 a committee was formed to examine his works, with 
the result that, at the instigation of the Minister of Public 
Instruction, a law was passed by the National Assembly 
conferring on him an annual pension of 20,000 f. (800Z.) 
for life. M. Pasteur received the high distinction of Grand 
•Cross of the Legion of Honour in 1881. The celebration of 
M. Pasteur’s 70th birthday at the Sorbonne on December 27, 
1892, was the occasion of a brilliant international gather- 
ing of a very exceptional character. 
A Phaemacbutical Congress was opened on Saturday, 
September 28, at Marseilles, The meetings were held at the 
Town Hall, where the municipality had placed every accom- 
onodation at the disposal of the South-eastern Federation of 
Pharmaceutical Societies, the organisers of the congress. 
Twenty- three French societies and syndicates of pharmacy, 
numbering 3,000 members, were represented. Subjects of 
professional interest were discussed, including the proposed 
-new pharmacy law. 
Suicide OP A Chemist. — A chemist named M. Roumicher, 
■62 years of age, residing in the Rue d’ Amsterdam, Paris, 
committed suicide last week by swallowing some nitric 
acid. He had not left his rooms for several days, which 
alarmed the coiioiergey who, wibh the aid of a police com- 
missary, had his door broken. The body of the chemist was 
found on his bed fully dressed. Death had apparently 
taken place twenty-four hours before. For several days 
previous to his death M. Roumicher had shown signs of 
great distress, which was attributed to financial difficulties. 
Poisoned Wine. — During recent months malefactors have 
been distributing poisoned cakes, explosive letters, and other 
subtle means of destroying life through the post. Now we 
have a case of poisoned wine. Two music-hall artists, 
Mdlles. Louise and Lucie P , received cases containing 
three bottles of wine without labels from Amiens. Both 
sisters tasted the wine and became ill, one rather seriously. 
It was ascertained that the wine contained atropine. In the 
cases was the card of a wine-merchant at Amiens known to 
the sisters ; but they say they cannot suspect him of the 
attempts on their lives, and it can only be supposed that his 
card has been used to render the trace of the real criminal 
more difficult. The police have instituted an inquiry. 
Anti-diphtheria Sebum. — The new remedy appears to 
have taken sufficient hold on the medical profession on the 
Continent that the question of an International Institution 
of Serotherapeutics is being raised. The need of such a 
step is said to be due to the fact that the purity and 
strength of the serums supplied from different laboratories 
are found to vary greatly. The suggestion is that a standard 
of antitoxic serums should be established under the control 
of a representative committee, the members of which would 
be chosen from various nations. It is thought that if such 
a measure were adopted it might be extended to all varieties 
of therapeutical serums. Switzerland has been mentioned 
as the best headquarters for such an institution, to avoid 
jealousy amongst the physicians of the leading European 
nations, and it is thought that an organimtion of the kind 
might be gradually developed into a permanent centre, 
likely to be of great use for the development of medicine 
and science. 
Lunch at the Pharmacib Cbntrale db France. — On 
Sunday last, September* 29, M. Charles Buchet, Director of 
the Pharmacie Centrale de France, gave a lunch to his 
employes and friends to celebrate the fact that the turnover 
of the firm had reached the very respectable total of 
12,000,000f. (480.000Z.) during the past twelve months The 
menu cards bore the heading “ Lunch des 12 millions.” 
A letter accompanied the cards of invitation and explained 
that, although the transactions of the Pharmacie Centrale 
have increased, the profits remain almost stationary owing 
to competition caused by the fact that the interest on 
securities is now so small that capitalists are induced more 
and more to invest their money in commerce. Competition 
is thus increased, which brings about a redaction in both 
selling prices and profits. The management hope that this 
increase of business will enable the rate of dividend to be 
maintained. An awning was arranged for the lunch in the 
courtyard of the Pharmacie Centrale, which was once an 
old ducal residence, and, a bright sunshine aiding, the 
effect was particularly pleasing. One end of the tsnt, 
behind the table of honour, was open, and revealed an agree- 
able shrubbery with the bust, decorated with flags, of the 
late F. L. M. Dorvault, founder of the Pharmacie Centrale. 
Four hundred and thirty-nine guests sat down to the repast, 
amongst those present being MM. Jolliard (chairman of 
the committee of the Pharmacie Centrale), Fumouze (secre- 
tary). Ch. Buchet (director), De la Calle (assistant director), 
Dr. Viron (editor of the Union P]uirrnaceutique)y Astor 
Boisselier (London manager of the Pharmacie Centrale), 
Bogelot, Luscher, Crinon, Gufileminet, Lefranc, Minot, 
Gnille, Gossard, Le Den, the correspondent of The Chemist 
and Druggist, &c ; also all the chemists, pharmacists, 
employes and male workers connected with the head office 
and the St. Denis Works. While the lunch was in progress 
the large staff of female workers was entertained, by invita- 
tion of M. Buchet, to an afternoon performance of a popular 
opera comique, “ Les 28 jours de CJairette”at the Theatre 
de la Gaiete. It is worthy of note that the emploj6s of the 
various branches of the Pharmacie Centrale at Lyons. 
Bordeaux, Marseilles, Lille, Nantes, &c., were entertained to 
lunch in their various towns simultaneously with their 
Paris colleagues. The luncheon provided was a very 
elegant one, and was served in the best French style. When 
it had been gone through M. Luscher proposed the toast of 
the day, “ The Health of M. Charles Buchet, Director of 
the Pharmacie Centrale.” M. Buchet briefly responded in a 
characteristic speech, and mentioned that he owed his 
introduction to the Pharmacie Centrale to the good offices of 
M. Luscher. Speeches and recitations were also marde 
by the chairman, M. Julliard, and other gentlemen, the 
former having much success with his delivery of a 
humorous recitation, “ L’Auvergnat.” M. Le Den, one of 
the firm’s travellers, also received loud applause for the 
recitation of some original pharmaceutical verses. Tbe 
mention of M. de la Calle's name, the popular assistant 
director, as well as that of M. Georges Soenen, the Lyons 
manager of the firm, were likewise the signal for loud 
cheering. The principal decoration of the platform was a 
very handsome basket of flowers, bearing the inscription, 
“ La sucoursale A. Lyon A son Directeur Charles Buchet.” A 
feature of the proceedings was the appearance on the plat- 
form of two of the oldest employes of the firm, one of whom 
dates his connection with the Pharmacie Centrale from 
1860.^ A telegram from M. Soenen at Lyons and a tele- 
phonic message from the Bordeaux employes added to the 
interest of the proceedings, which were throughout of the 
most cordial and pleasant character. Several photographs 
were taken during the repast, and the red-letter day of the 
Pharmacie Centrale was brought to a close by an excellent 
conjuring entertainment by the Brothers I-ola. 
