DEBATES ON PHARMACY BILL. 
59 
Mr. Lowe: I think the clause as framed is nonsense. The idea is, that the persons 
referred to shall conform to certain regulations which, with the consent of the Privy 
Council, shall be prescribed by the Pharmaceutical Society, but by a mistake of the 
draftsman, the Privy Council are not asked to sanction the regulations, they are only to 
consent to the Society prescribing them, and my objection is against making it unlawful 
unless the persons referred to shall conform, in regard to the sale of poisons and to the 
keeping open a shop, to what the President and Committee of the Society shall call 
regulations. 
Lord It. Montagu : It will be quite lawful to keep open a shop without any regu¬ 
lations, but it will not be lawful to vend poisons without them. The verbal criticism 
can be attended to now or on the report. 
Mr. Thomas Cave : There are two things to be attended to, under this clause, in 
keeping open a shop for the sale of poisons; first, the not assuming the title of chemist 
and druggist without being registered, and the conforming to such regulations as may 
be prescribed. 
Mr. Lowe : In clause 2 I shall move to leave out the words “ the Council of the 
Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (hereinafter referred to as the Pharmaceutical 
Society) may from time to time, by resolution, declare that any article in such resolu¬ 
tion named ought to be deemed a poison within the meaning of this Act.” The object 
I have is this:—It is desirable that the public shall know the number and names of the 
poisons against which regulations have been made. The Arsenic Act is published and 
put in force, and you will want somebody to prosecute under this Act, and certainly the 
Pharmaceutical Society will be a most unfit body. The Act ought to be placed under 
the care of the police and in the hands of a department of the Government, and cer¬ 
tainly not left in the hands of those who will live by the sale of poisons ; if that be so, 
the restrictions imposed will be of little value. 
Mr. T. Cave : The right honourable gentleman is entirely wrong in his premises, as 
it is now necessary that a paper shall be signed in reference to the purchase of arsenic. 
This Bill will extend to other articles the powers of that Act. 
Mr. Lowe : Just so, and the matter ought to be left in the hands of the Privy Council. 
Mr. T. Cave : I do not see any objection to the clause as it stands. 
Mr. H. A. Bruce : I shall support the amendment, for I desire to enlarge the powers 
of the Privy Council, who have already a medical department. The clause as it stands 
will restrict the powers of the Privy Council, and I see no advantage in doing that. 
Sir John Gray : I also think the matter ought to be left with the Privy Council. 
Mr. Headlam : I object to the amendment. What is proposed is, to get rid of the 
Pharmaceutical Society in this matter, and then to enact that another gentleman, the 
medical officer of the Privy Council, for that will be the effect of it, shall by his own 
ipse dixit declare what is a poison and what is not. I think that will be most objec¬ 
tionable. 
Lord R. Montagu : It is not quite so. The point is to restrict the sale of poisons, 
and probably the Pharmaceutical Society will not publish all the necessary restrictions 
if the matter be quite left to them. I think the matter should be left with the Privy 
Council. 
Mr. Alderman Lusk : I think if the matter be left with the Pharmaceutical Society 
there will be no fear of their doing their duty. 
Mr. Thomas Cave : There has been no sound argument against the clause, and I 
think there will be a great advantage to the public if this matter be left with the 
Pharmaceutical Society. 
The Committee then divided. 
For the retention of the words.49 
Against them.25 
Majority against the amendment ot Mr. Lowe 24 
Sir J. Gray : I would suggest that nothing more should be done by the Pharma¬ 
ceutical Society than to make suggestions to the Privy Council as to what things shall 
be deemed poisonous. 
This amendment or suggestion, not being pressed, w r as negatived without a division. 
The clause as amended was ordered to stand part of the Bill. 
On clause 2, “ poisons within the meaning of the Act,” 
