BENEVOLENT FUND. 
247 
With these conclusions of Dr. Richardson’s we believe that, in the main, all thoughtful 
men will concur. That the habit of smoking is most deleterious to the young; that 
excessive smoking is prejudicial even to the healthy and full-grown man ; and that smok¬ 
ing, generally, is a luxury which any nation, of natural habits, would be better without, 
—are conclusions at which we have long arrived ; but the question arises, Are there not 
thousands of men in this country and elsewhere, who are overworked in mind or body, 
or both, who are not living in a natural condition, but who are compelled to over¬ 
strain their mental faculties and bodily powers, and to whom some such a substance 
as tobacco is almost a necessity ? We believe most persons will agree with us that there 
are, and that of all substances adapted for such a purpose tobacco is by far the best. W e 
have no sympathy with the smoking youth, or with the man who smokes to kill time, or 
the one who persists in indulging the habit at all times and in all places ; but to the 
man with overworked brain or over-fatigued body, we not only sympathize, but we be¬ 
lieve that the moderate indulgence of the habit of tobacco-smoking is to be encouraged 
as one calculated to be, in the main, far more beneficial than injurious. 
Thomson’s Conspectus of the British Pharmacopoeia. Edited by Edmond Lloyd 
Birkett, M.D. Cantab., Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians ; Physician to the 
City of London Hospital for Diseases of the Chest. New Edition. Loudon : Long¬ 
man, Green, and Co. 1865. 
This is a new edition of the late Dr. Thomson’s well-known and highly-appreciated 
‘ Conspectus,’ prepared with the object of adapting that work to the British Pharma¬ 
copoeia. We quite agree with the editor, that although “one principal object of Dr. 
Thomson in issuing the 4 Conspectus,’ to reconcile the differences of the three Pharma¬ 
copoeias,” had been fulfilled by the publication of the British Pharmacopoeia, “ as the 
plan of the work also contemplates Materia Medica and Therapeutics, it is manifest 
that there is still a place unfilled, and that it is as necessary as ever to hold in conspectu 
the prominent points of Pharmacy, Materia Medica, and iherapeutics. 
Such a work should be concise, clear, and correct, and concise it certainly is, but it is 
neither clear nor correct. A casual inspection has been sufficient for us to detect nume¬ 
rous errors. Thus, we find the following in the notice of Yellow Bark: —“ Chinchona 
flaya, Calasaya of the Spaniards : the real plant is unknown ; and Pale Baik is thus 
described:—“ Cinchona pallida, Conaaminea, Cinchona Coronse Ciuerea ; (The bark 
of many species of Cinchona Under Oleum Anisi no mention is made of 1 lliciuni 
anisatum, which is one of the officinal sources, and indeed that from which it is now 
almost entirely obtained: Catechu is said to be 44 an extract of the wood of the Catechu , 
kernels of Areca Catechu; leaves of Uncaria Gambir Kino is alluded to as the 
44 concrete piece of the Pt.erocarpus Marsupium , of Erinaceus , and of other undeter¬ 
mined genera and species :” under Mezereuin, no mention is made of Daphne Laureola, 
one of the officinal plants mentioned as a source: under Papaver, the dried ripe seed- 
vessels are ordered to be used : under Valeriana, the dried wild root only is mentioned. 
Styrax is said to be derived from Liquidambar orientale , Natural Order Styracece; 
Strychnos Nitx-vomica is said to belong to Apocynacece , etc. etc. These are only a few 
illustrations of the errors, etc., we have found in this little volume, but these will be 
sufficient to show that it cannot be relied upon as an epitome of the present state of 
Materia Medica. 
BENEVOLENT FUND. 
As the election of two annuitants will take place on Friday, the 27th October, the 
following abstract from the rules in reference to votes may be useful :— 
Rule 19. Annual Subscribers to the Fund of half-a-guinca are entitled to one vote at 
each election of cases; of one guinea, to two votes ; and to increase in the same pro- 
^ Rule 20. Persons giving donations of five guineas are entitled to one vote for life; 
ten guineas, two votes for life ; and to increase in the same proportion. 
Rule 21. Firms or corporations giving donations of five guineas are entitled to one 
vote for ten years ; ten guineas, two votes for ten years; and to increase in the same 
* llule 22. One executor paying a legacy of £50 is entitled to five votes for life; a 
