OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY. 
693 
Mr. Wilson (Sheffield) then moved “ That the Report now read, be received, 
adopted, and printed in the Transactions of the Pharmaceutical Society.” It 
was no little pleasure to him as a country member to come up to London and 
meet with so many brethren as he had done on the previous evening, and to have 
an opportunity of exchanging opinions with them. The thanks of the whole 
Society were especially due to the Council for the able manner in which they 
had gone through the heavy work of the past year. He himself, at the passing 
of the Act, thought that the country members had not been duly considered, 
but since talking the matter over with some of his London friends, he was fully 
satisfied that he had been labouring under a great mistake, that their worthy 
President had worked very hard, and that if the Bill had not passed in its 
present form, it would not have passed at all. They were striving in Sheffield 
to establish a school after the model of that in London, though in a humbler 
way, and seeing to what the school in London had risen they would be much 
encouraged to persevere in their efforts. 
Mr. Pedler said he felt much pleasure in seconding the motion. As one of 
the old members, he might even say as one of the founders of the Society, he 
could look back with great pleasure on the course they had taken. Those whose 
connection with it went back as far as his own, could recollect very well the 
difficulties they had to contend against and the opposition they met with from 
various quarters, both without and within the profession; but looking to the 
steady progress they had made, he was quite satisfied that they had done the 
right thing, and that the steps which they had taken were the only ones which 
could have brought the Society to its present state. They must, however, still go 
on endeavouring to improve the rising generation. He well remembered the time 
when there was not in the whole Metropolis any school or place of instruction in 
which a young man could be educated as a chemist and druggist except behind 
the counter ; indeed the young men of the present day had no idea of the dif¬ 
ficulties with which their predecessors had to contend. Thanks to the indomi¬ 
table spirit of Mr. Jacob Bell, they had persevered until they got their charter 
of incorporation, which they then thought a very great thing, and still more so 
when the second Act of Parliament was obtained for the purpose of incor¬ 
porating more perfectly the members of the Society. Now they were in a 
still better position, but they must keep up their endeavours to give their time 
and attention to raise their standard higher and higher. At one time there 
had been a feeliug of envy on the part of those in the trade who were members, 
but by degrees all the best amongst them joined the Society, and as oil would 
rise in water, so did they attain a higher status by the superior character which 
they made for themselves, and went on year by year until they had raised up a 
body of men equal to any in the kingdom. He considered the profession of a 
chemist and druggist one of the most important in the present day, and calcu¬ 
lated to do more for society than almost any other, and now that they could 
congratulate themselves on the passing of the “ Pharmacy Act,” they would 
stand even higher than heretofore in the public estimation. lie hoped now 
that the Society had attained to full manhood, some memorial would be pre¬ 
pared of its founder, Mr. Jacob Bell,—some good biography which would 
convey to the rising generation a definite idea of the life and labours of that 
good man. With regard to the report itself, he hoped they would always have 
as good a balance as on the present occasion, but the Council must not forget 
that their great work must be that of education, and he hoped that nothing 
would ever be lacking for carrying on that work more and more perfectly. 
The young men who came from time to time under their influence must be 
taught that the grand thing to aim at was not so much success in business as 
the capacity to bring a large amount of knowledge into general use. He looked 
forward to the time when chemists would have a very material influence upon 
