THE BENEVOLENT FUND.—A CHALLENGE. 
47 
suits instituted, and that in all probability other suits would be commenced,— 
for there were obviously thousands of honest tradesmen equally implicated,—it 
was decided that the defendants in these suits should offer such resistance to the 
proceedings as the interests of commerce and the public might be thought to 
require. 
Messrs. Flux and Argles, the Solicitors to the Pharmaceutical Society, were 
employed by most of the defendants to put in an appearance on their behalf, and 
a Committee, consisting not only of defendants, but of others who felt that they 
were liable to become such, was appointed; a circular was also issued by the 
Secretary of the Pharmaceutical Society to the members throughout the country, 
cautioning them against the sale of capsules not known to be of Betts’s manu¬ 
facture, accompanied by a letter from the Society’s Solicitors, Messrs. Flux and 
Argles, in which they virtually say, that the only security against the annoyance 
of suit must consist in the removal of metallic capsules from all articles at pre¬ 
sent in stock to which they are attached, and a refusal in future to receive any 
capsuled articles into stock. In addition to these proceedings, it has been thought 
advisable to convene a public meeting of all traders dealing in any capsuled 
articles, such meeting to be held in the City of London, for the purpose of pub¬ 
licly discussing the steps that should be taken with reference to it. 
Mr. Betts should weigh well the natural results of his proceedings if pushed 
harshly to extremities. In our opinion, such proceedings will only lead manu¬ 
facturers to consider whether they cannot do without metallic capsules, and re¬ 
tail dealers to adopt the safe course of not selling any capsuled articles,—illus¬ 
trating the fable of the goose and the golden eggs, and adding another to the 
many arguments against patented monopolies. 
THE BENEVOLENT FUND.—A CHALLENGE. 
In the January number of this Journal the revised regulations for the admi¬ 
nistration of the Benevolent Fund were given to our readers. It will have been 
observed that, in regard to urgent claims, the Council had resolved to devote 
once in every year a sum of money for providing a home in one of the orphan 
asylums for the destitute child of a deceased member. 
It is our pleasing duty to record the first exercise of this benevolent and most 
judicious determination. At the very formation of our Society, the kte Mr. 
Wm Bentley, of Bethnal Green, London, became a cordial adherent. Ihrough 
good report and evil report, though with very slender finances, he continued to 
support our Society by the payment of his membership fee to the year 1864, 
when the death of himself and his wife left four parentless children (a boy and 
three girls) without a home. They were received, indeed, promptly and cheerfully 
by their maternal grandmother, by whose energetic industry they have, up to 
this time, been maintained,—her earnings, however, being manifestly inade¬ 
quate to make any due or certain provision for their subsistence and education. 
The notification in this Journal of the willingness of the Council thus to pro¬ 
vide a home by purchase in a case of urgency was brought under the notice ol 
an eminent and kind-hearted solicitor who had interested himself on behalf ol 
this little family, and who, in consequence, applied to the Council on the sub¬ 
ject. His communication was promptly responded to, the merits ol the appeal 
narrowly investigated, and the result a unanimous vote by the Council ol Une 
Hundred Guineas towards the necessary entrance-fee for placing a boy some 
nine years old in the British Orphan Asylum. The rest of the ee was su 
scribed by members of the Council, and the little fellow is now an mma e o 
this valuable charity. Under such circumstances, that the Pharmaceutical 
