558 
TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY 
may not be sufficient to cause any serious apprehension, but a slight deprecia¬ 
tion in the amount received for Lecture fees has also occurred, and the Council 
of a Society formed primarily to promote the advancement of Pharmacy, would 
not fulfil its duty if it failed to draw attention to any circumstance likely to 
retard that advancement. The diminution in the Laboratory fees must not be 
taken exactly as a falling off in the attendance, inasmuch as owing to the sys¬ 
tem of making up the accounts of the Society for the year, and not for the 
session, the statement does not show the present condition of the class, and it is 
satisfactory to be able to state that the number of students there in the session 
of 1867-1868 surpasses that of late years. Many have taken advantage of the 
opportunity now open to pupils who have only certain days of the week avail¬ 
able for study, and all are reported by Professor Attfield to have attended 
diligently. 
As a general result of the financial proceedings of the year it is gratifying to 
find the investments gradually increasing. The Council were enabled to aug¬ 
ment the “ General Fund,” which stood at £4000 at the end of 1866, to £4600 
by the close of 1867, and still to leave a balance in the Treasurer’s hands twice 
the amount of that of the former year. 
During the past year the Council considered it expedient to appoint a Cu¬ 
rator for the Museums who should be in constant attendance in the exercise 
of his duty. A collection of specimens so important and extensive, interesting 
to Pharmaceutists and valuable to students, requires, and is undoubtedly de¬ 
serving of, continual supervision. The work of renewal and re-arrangement 
has been satisfactorily performed to a certain point, and no effort will be spared 
to maintain and increase the high character of this branch of the Society’s 
establishment. The Council feel assured that the extra outlay applied to this 
purpose will be regarded as a wise expenditure. 
The Pharmaceutical Journal still continues a source of revenue. To increase 
its value the Council decided, some time since, to offer payment, under cer¬ 
tain regulations, for such contributions as might appear to the Committee of 
Publication worthy of remuneration. This is the common usage among jour¬ 
nalists, and calculated to attract writers whose papers will be of general interest. 
The importance of this publication cannot well be over-estimated; it may be 
said to have been one great means of building up the Pharmaceutical Society 
from its earliest foundation, and it should ever be sustained in full efficiency as a 
medium for the communication of Pharmaceutical facts hmd experiences among 
fellow-workers in the same field of science. 
The Benevolent Fund is an institution which should appeal to every member 
and Associate whose name is registered at Bloomsbury Square. All should 
contribute to increase the means of relieving the distress which from time 
to time appears. The need may never be ours individually, hut if it fall not 
to our own lot, it may come under our notice, and cases of urgent want 
are brought before the Council almost monthly. Happily a much greater 
interest has been taken in this fund during the last three or four years, and 
the Council are now enabled to point with pleasure to the rapid advance 
recently made towards the loug-talked-of investment of £10,000. The dinner 
in aid of this fund, in February, 1867, realized much more than the most 
sanguine of its promoters anticipated, and by its means the amount secured in 
Consols up to Christmas last- had reached £9023. 10s. lid. (it has since been 
augmented to £9500). This shows what combined energetic effort can accom¬ 
plish, and it should be enough only to point to the small sum still wanted to 
complete the £10,000 to assure its completion before the present year expires. 
The dinner not only brought a large sum in donations, but a good increase in 
annual subscriptions,—a form of contribution which is perhaps even more 
important. Two more annuitants were added to the pensioners on this fund 
