PLYMOUTH ASSOCIATION OF CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS. 
361 
Mr. J. C. Radford, the President of the Association, occupied the chair. There was a 
large attendance, the audience not being confined to the trade. Among those present 
were Mr. H. S. Evans, Vice-President, and one of the Examiners of the Pharmaceutical 
Society, who had kindly consented to come from London to support the Association, 
Dr. Prance, Messrs. J. Bourne, C. Croydon, R. S. Down, Shapton, Herron, J. H. Filmer, 
aud Dr. Woolcombe. In opening the meeting, the President observed that the last time 
they met there the room was crowded with things which were rare and beautiful, and 
it was filled with a brilliant assemblage of persons of rank, talent, and learning. That 
might probably be regarded as their holiday ; now they began their work, and he 
hoped that as they were successful in keeping a good holiday they would not be found 
wanting when they came to their work. He desired to call attention for a moment to 
a section of a tree which was lying upon the table. At one of the learned societies of 
Liverpool a question arose as to the salubrity of the climate of Liverpool, and it was 
stated that a magnolia-tree had lived in the winter in the neighbourhood in the open 
air, one individual stating that the tree was six inches in diameter. The section of a 
tree he alluded to was part of a magnolia-tree which grew and died in that neighbour¬ 
hood, and in its broadest point the diameter of the section was just eighteen inches. 
Now, it would be a curious thing to know whether the other trees of the same nature in 
this and the adjoining country died at the same time, or were still living,—whether that 
which caused the death of the whole of those trees in the neighbourhood was local, or 
whether it extended to any considerable distance. He mentioned those facts because, 
seeing a reporter present, they might be able to get information from different parts of 
the country; and he would suggest to the members of the Association that it would be 
desirable for them to endeavour to ascertain the fact. He desired also to draw attention 
to a very interesting and a very valuable case which stood upon the table, containing 
specimens of various articles in the materia medica, and which had been presented to 
the Association by Mr. Evans. 
Mr. Hill then read his paper on “ The Pharmacy Act and Dispensing,” pointing out 
the importance to Pharmaceutical Chemists of its provisions, and the responsibility 
attaching thereto. 
In consequence of the indisposition of Mr. Codd, Mr. F. Balkwill kindly consented to 
read the paper on “ Spectral Analysis.” The subject, although it was generally sup¬ 
posed to be a new one, really it was not the case, as it was recorded that Sir John Her- 
schel used the method, in a crude form, so early as the year 1822. Yet it was only 
within the past ten years that spectrum analysis had reached its present important po¬ 
sition in the scientific world, having been first applied in its present form by Kirchhoff 
and Bunsen. Spectrum, or by some called “ spectral,” analysis was the art of analysing 
coloured flames, bodies, etc., by means of a prism, and the principal branches of science 
to which it was now applied were, first, “solar and stellar chemistry;” secondly, “as 
a most important assistant to the analytical chemist;” and thirdly, “ in a modified 
form, in conjunction with the microscope, it was used in order to detect the presence of, 
and difference between, certain coloured liquids, solids, etc., otherwise undeterminable.” 
It was to the latter two divisions of the subject that the lecturer drew the attention of 
his hearers, being the more interesting to them because the more intimately allied with 
their professions; and, after having explained the foundational principle of the method, 
together with the mode of applying that principle to the building of the spectroscopes, 
he proceeded to examine the subject “as applied to qualitative analysis,” observing that 
it had long been known that many substances were readily recognized by their property 
of colouring a colourless flame, but this method was available only when those sub¬ 
stances were in an unmixed state. Now that defect was remedied to a surprising extent 
by using the spectroscope ; for, from the fact of each base possessing its own peculiar 
position and appearance, however numerous the salts might be in a compound, all their 
bases were readily recognized by the practised eye, aud with a certainty beyond doubt, 
thus giving results iu a few seconds which could formerly be obtained only, if at all, in 
hours or days. As instances of the extreme delicacy of the test, he stated that the 
250,000th part of a grain (a scarcely estimable quantity) of sodium was easily detected ; 
also that this metal existed in the atmosphere in sufficient quantity to give an almost 
constant spectrum. Other examples were cited, but, as a proof of the great value of the 
method, it was mentioned that, in addition to having determined the widely-spread pre¬ 
sence of metals, etc., formerly considered very rare, four new metals, viz. caesium, rubi- 
vol. x. 2 c 
