16 SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY. 
years to the change from the old to the new system, what was to become of the 
poor people who, during that time, would be subject to the penalty of forty 
shillings. For his own part, he had no desire to commit the tradespeople of the 
country to the tender mercies of common informers, and he thought that a much 
later date ought to be fixed upon for the Act to become compulsory. 
Mr. Yates said the question of time was one of the details of the Bill that 
would have to be considered in Committee, and as it did not affect the principle 
of the measure, the second reading might pass without reference to it. His opi¬ 
nion was, that the Act should not be enforced with too strict a hand. 
Mr. Waugii remarked that if the execution of the law depended on Mr. 
Yates, he should have no fear of the consequences, but he could not say so with 
reference to the class of persons who went about seeking for cases in which they 
could recover penalties. 
Mr. Morson thought if the Bill stood as it was at present, even magistrates 
would have no alternative but to inflict penalties, if it was pro^d that the old 
weights and measures were used. 
Mr. Symonds observed that the penalties were but rarely inflicted under the 
existing law, which required the use of the imperial weights and measures, al¬ 
though it was notorious that the law was often infringed. It had been remarked, 
in proof of the difficulty of effecting a change from one system to another, that 
such change was not yet complete even in France, where the new system was 
first introduced; but he thought in that country there were both political and 
religious prejudices which operated against the change. It was well known that 
the metrical system took its rise at the time of the great French Revolution at 
the end of the last century, when attempts were made to decimalize, not only 
the weights and measures and coinage, but even the days of rest, for it was pro¬ 
posed to do away with the Sabbath, and make every tenth day a holiday. This 
decimalizing tendency was intimately connected with the infidel notions which 
prevailed at that time, and hence a strong prejudice was likely to arise after¬ 
wards against all that originated from it. He looked upon the introduction of 
the metrical system of weights and measures as a very important object, and he 
thought they ought to consider the question as citizens, and not merely as phar¬ 
maceutists. If the meeting could unanimously adopt the petition, he thought 
copies of it ought to be sent to the Local Secretaries, with a request that they 
would use their influence in furthering the object in view'. 
l)r. W. S. Squire considered the objections that had been urged against the 
Bill were more apparent than real. Professor Redwood had stated nearly all 
that could be said on that side of the question ; but most of the objections, he 
thought, admitted of a satisfactory answer. The present system was not so 
satisfactory as it had been represented. Great confusion and uncertainty existed 
in many places in the use of weights and measures, and the imperial system, 
which the law required to be used, was not universally adopted. It had been 
said that this only proved the uselessness of legislation, and that any attempt to 
introduce a new system would be equally ineffective, and v r ould only add a new 
element of confusion ; but he contended that there was a great difference between 
the substitution of oue bad system for another, and the substitution of a system 
which every one admired for one which every one condemned. The metrical 
system had everything to commend it to the favourable notice of the public ; it 
was easy of comprehension and of application, and its use was calculated to save 
a vast deal of time and labour, although, to make it complete, the same principle 
should be applied to the coinage. Fancy a man having to calculate how much 
10 tons 7 cwt. 1 quarter 15 pounds would come to at 25 s. 11<7. a cwt.. It would 
take half an hour to calculate it, and then it would probably be incorrect, and 
would have to be done over again. It had been said that the advantages of the 
metrical system were theoretical rather than practical; but surely the saving of 
