562 
TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY 
Mr. Heanley (Peterborough) moved that the Report be received and 
adopted, aud printed in the Transactions of the Society. He had nothing to 
add beyond congratulating the members generally and complimenting the 
Council particularly on the success of the past year. 
Mr. Kent seconded the motion, and thought every one connected with the 
Society must feel a degree of pleasure and pride at the steady progress it had 
made. He remembered when he first became connected with it, many of his 
friends said it was but a little creature which would soon terminate its exist¬ 
ence, and there was no credit whatever in being a member of it, but he was 
glad to say that the Members of the Council and some other gentlemen whom 
he saw present, had stuck to the ship right manfully, and the late Mr. Jacob 
Bell especially had never flagged for a moment in endeavouring to further 
the interests of the Society. During the last few years the Society had made 
itself felt by the Government and appreciated by physicians, and even the 
public were now beginning to distinguish between a Pharmaceutical Chemist 
and an ordinary druggist not so qualified. He believed that physicians were 
now beginning to recognize the Pharmaceutical Chemist as an important person; 
for whatever might be the physician’s ability and skill, if his prescription got 
into the hands of the wrong man, his reputation would be injured and his 
success retarded. No young man who in the present day was apprenticed to 
the business ought to neglect the opportunity of becoming a member of the 
Society, at any rate if he wished to obtain the status in society which of right 
belonged to the exercise of his important calling. He only wished there had 
been such a society in existence when he was a young man, and then he 
would have striven to obtain all the honours, which he was happy to say a 
son of his had received, so that he had almost thrown his father into the shade. 
Still he was pleased to add that the Society’s charges were so moderate that 
he had not been ruined by the course of education which had done such 
great things. He hoped every young man who was apprenticed to the busi¬ 
ness would study the Journal, which he thought contained more interesting 
and valuable information than formerly. The Chairman had alluded to the 
Benevolent Fund, and although he hoped no one present would ever be in a 
position to require its assistance, he did not think a society of such import¬ 
ance and magnitude would be fulfilling the whole of its duty unless it made 
some provision of this character, which was a great advantage, not only to 
every member, but would be, he believed, to those whom they at present de¬ 
nominated outsiders. In former years chemists were constantly in alarm 
and if some Bill being introduced which would injuriously affect their interests, 
about the Society had done nothing else it was worthy of support for allowing 
tradesmen to attend to their business in peace and quietness, feeling satisfied 
that all these things would be carefully watched, and that proper steps would 
be taken in each case. He had no doubt but that in good time they would 
obtain their Bill, but they must not be in too much haste, for when anything 
was obtained too easily, it was very often undervalued. 
Mr. Alfred Payne Balkwill (Plymouth) supported the resolution, and 
begged leave to make a few general remarks respecting the Society and the trade. 
On the whole the Report was very encouraging, the financial position having im¬ 
proved to the whole extent of the examination fees; and though these fees might be 
rather less than in 1866, it might result from many persons not taking advantage 
as he had done of the special examination for gentlemen in business, but waiting 
to see what the new Pharmacy Bill would do for them. No doubt in this 
they were unwise, but still it was in accordance with human nature. He had 
heard of a foreigner who had travelled a great deal, aud who was asked what 
was the most prevailing characteristic he had met with, his reply was— 
“ Me think all men love lazy.” And, surely, when they considered the long 
