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BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL CONFERENCE. 
anxious to promote the earliest possible reception of all assistants within the 
terms of the Act, that we could the sooner assure the public that we employed 
legally qualified assistants only. Since the Legislature had refused to the class 
of assistants the very easy means of entrance which it proffered to all em¬ 
ployers, he trusted that the examinations for assistants would be made as 
lenient as was consistent with their object. 
Mr. Abraham had brought the question of simultaneous local examina¬ 
tion before the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society at a recent meeting, 
but had not succeeded in convincing that body of their necessity or advantage. 
It was right that assistants, who were disposed to complain of any hardship 
shown towards their class by the Act, should remember that they were the 
persons who might be expected to reap eventually the greatest benefit from 
the Act. If it were successful, either with respect to themselves or to the 
public, it was the younger members of the profession who might be expected 
to witness that result. The practical operation of the Act would have been 
very remote, if assistants and apprentices had been entirely exempted from 
its operation ; and he had not found that they were disposed to complain. 
Mr. Carteigite said that the Council did not consider that the viva voce 
and practical examination which it proposed could be carried into effect ex¬ 
cepting in London, and he believed that assistants would prefer this to any 
examination by written papers. 
Air. Evans said that the scheme of the modified examination was deter¬ 
mined on by the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society, but awaited con¬ 
firmation by Her Majesty’s Privy Council. It was of a thoroughly practical 
character, and did not demand much theoretical knowledge. Ho assistant 
unable to pass it could be fit for the responsibilities of his daily duties. 
Mr. Peynolds could not agree that simultaneous local examinations were 
impracticable,' because practical questions were required to be embraced. 
The Universities and the Department of Science and Art were able to take 
perfectly equitable simultaneous examinations in Practical Chemistry, at 
various provincial centres, in addition to their written examinations. Mr. 
Padley, of Sheffield, and other chemists, had expressed to him strong opinions 
on this point. Some years since, the Pharmaceutical Society took what was 
intended as a first step in this direction by an alteration then made in the 
Board of Examiners. The matter deserved further consideration. 
The subject was then adjourned to a future sitting. 
After a short interval, business was resumed at 2 p.m., by the reading of 
papers. 
ON HONEI, ITS EOPMATION AND CHANGES. 
BY W. W. STODDAPvT, F.G.S. 
Honey and wax, the produce of the well-known insect (Apis mdlijicd), have 
been household words with the apothecary from time immemorial. That they 
are of importance to the modern pharmaceutist is evident from their being 
essential ingredients in no less than twenty-six preparations of our Pharma¬ 
copoeia, to say nothing of the “ thousand and one” uses in domestic life. The 
consumption in England is something enormous; besides what is gathered in 
this country, more than 450 tons are annually imported. It, then, becomes of 
some importance to the dispenser that he has a good and pure article, which I 
am sorry to say is not always the case. It is bad enough that a dishonest 
tradesman can find a cheap and adulterated stock ready at hand, but it is far 
worse when an honest tradesman has to keep all his wits about him to prevent 
the unconscious reception of a spurious substance. 
