SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING. 
457 
Pharmacy Act; and with, regard to their going to Parliament, he considered it 
was not the right time, and that if they did, they would be defeated, and stand 
in a worse position than they did at present. The Jury Act, in his opinion, ex¬ 
plained to some extent the outcry that had been raised by those outside, because 
they were perfectly content so long as they enjoyed equal privileges as our¬ 
selves, and they looked upon the Pharmaceutical Society as a bugbear. He 
was further inclined to believe that the trade generally were beginning to 
understand that the name of a Pharmaceutical Chemist carried an amount of 
respectability with it, and an implied qualification that they placed some con¬ 
fidence in it. Could they not, he asked, let well alone ; they had gone on 
very well, and never mind the bugbear of dying of inanition? He did not 
believe in it. A reaction was taking place, from the simple fact that they 
had shown their power and influence by getting themselves recognized in the 
Jury Act. And where was the greater proof of it than in gentlemen joining 
the Society, and paying back subscriptions in order to participate in the pri¬ 
vileges given by the Society ? When Dr. Edwards announced that fact at 
Liverpool, he hardly knew the strength of the argument he was using. To 
talk of doing that which would be beneficial to the public, and to others 
who were engaged in the same trade as themselves, was all nonsense, and 
when he heard of those great changes he naturally looked to motives. He 
considered they ought to keep their position, and not go down, and pull up 
to their level those who had always opposed them ; but let them try the ex¬ 
periment of going to Parliament, and he doubted not they would soon get 
tired of it. He was one with them, and what they had to do was to watch 
over their own interests, for he felt certain Parliament would never ignore 
the existence of so respectable a body as they had now become. He had no 
doubt the gentlemen who had proposed this change were acting in good faith, 
and he believed they were doing the best for the Society in their judgment, 
by bringing together, if possible, the two bodies who were practising the 
same business ; but when they urged that the public interest required this 
change, he could not go along with them, because he knew the public were able 
under any circumstances to take care of themselves, and further, that they 
did so. If he could have supported the Council in this matter, he would readily 
vote for the resolution, but he found he could not. Mr. Hanbury, in his 
letter that had just been read, had shadowed forth a very excellent idea, 
and he recommended the Society to stand on their present vantage-ground, 
and not throw it away. He advised them to stand where they were, and pro¬ 
tect their own members. The Medical Council, the United Society, or any 
other body going to Parliament, would find in the Pharmaceutical Society a 
body capable of taking care of themselves. 
Mr. Lescher said this was a critical period for the Society. He was one 
of the requisitionists, and he had attended the meeting to hear the question 
discussed: but, he confessed, he was not then prepared to vote one way or the 
other. He therefore suggested the propriety of their adjourning the meeting 
to enable the members and the Council to well consider the matter in the 
meantime, and to hold another meeting upon the subject after the annual 
meeting in May. By that time the Council would no doubt be prepared to 
state what course they considered it would be best for them to pursue. Every 
effort had been made to induce the chemists and druggists to join the Society, 
and he was able to bear his testimony to the many efforts made by Mr. Jacob 
Bell for accomplishing that object; but they had stood aloof from the Society 
till now, and he believed it was owing to the Jury Act, which gave to 
Pharmaceutical Chemists a tangible benefit they must attribute the present 
movement. He thought it would be better for the matter to be referred to 
the Council for them to see what could best be done, with a view of extending 
