42 
DINNER TO MR. M ATTS. 
try town in Ireland, the apothecary can refuse to compound the doctor’s 
prescription by saying he has not the medicines in stock, or by charging an 
enormous price for them, and he can prevent any duly qualified “ pharmaceu¬ 
tical chemist ” from so doing, who is generally more competent for the task. 
Surely this state of things requires immediate rectification, for, if allowed to 
continue much longer, it will soon end in a monopoly of prescribing as well as 
dispensing. 
I am certain the extension of the new Pharmacy Act to Ireland would tend 
greatly towards developing the natural resources of our country, and do it a 
vast amount of good in every way. Posting assured that this hint may stimu¬ 
late the proper individuals towards doing pharmacy justice in Ireland, 
I am, Gentlemen, your obedient servant, 
Thomas J. Monaghan. 
A BILL TO AMEND THE “ ACT FOR PREVENTING THE ADULTERA¬ 
TION OF ARTICLES OF FOOD OR DRINK, 1860,” AND TO EXTEND 
ITS PROVISIONS TO DRUGS. 
This Bill which was introduced in the House of Commons by Mr. Dixon, M.P., and 
read a second time on Tuesday, June 23rd, stands committed for Wednesday, July 8th. 
It contains clauses relating to the adulteration of drugs which should not be allowed to 
pass without receiving deliberate consideration from those whose interests "would be 
seriously affected by the operation of such a law. 
The following are the clauses to which we allude:— 
1. Every person who shall admix, and every person who shall order any other person 
or persons to admix, with any article of food or drink any injurious or poisonous in¬ 
gredient or material to adulterate the same for sale, and every person who shall admix, 
and every person who shall order any other person or persons to admix, any ingredient 
or material with any drug to adulterate the same for sale, shall, for the first offence, 
forfeit and pay a penalty not exceeding fifty pounds, together with the costs attending 
such conviction, and for the second offence shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and be im¬ 
prisoned for six calendar months with hard labour. 
2. Every person who shall sell any article of food or drink with which, to the know¬ 
ledge of such person, any ingredient or material injurious to the health of persons eating 
or drinking such article has been mixed, and every person who shall sell as pure and 
unadulterated any article of food or drink, or any drug which is adulterated or not pure, 
shall for every such offence, on a summary conviction of the same before two justices of 
the peace at petty sessions in England, and in Scotland before two justices of the peace 
in the justices of the peace court, or before the sheriff substitute of the county, or before 
justices at petty sessions or a divisional justice in Ireland, forfeit and pay a penalty not 
exceeding twenty pounds, together with such costs attending such conviction as to the 
said justices shall seem reasonable; and if any person so convicted shall afterwards 
commit the like offence, it shall be lawful for such justices of the peace to cause such 
offender’s name, place of abode, and offence to be published at the expense of such 
offender, in such newspaper, or in such other manner as to the said justices shall seem 
desirable. 
The Bill also proposes to make it compulsory for municipal, and other local autho¬ 
rities, to appoint salaried analysts by whom articles of food or drink, and also drugs, are 
to be analysed for small fixed fees. 
DINNER TO MR. WATTS. 
On the 15th instant a complimentary dinner was given at the Freemasons’ Tavern to 
Mr. Henry Watts, F.R.S., by several of his friends and coadjutors, in celebration of the 
completion of his ‘Dictionary of Chemistry.’ The chair was taken by Dr. Odling, and 
there were also present Dr. Roscoe, Dr. Guthrie, Mr. Hanhart, Prof. Cary Foster, Dr. 
Atkinson, Mr. F. Field, Dr. H. Muller, Mr. David Forbes, Mr. A. P. Price, Dr. M. Foster, 
