THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
SECOND SERIES. 
VOL. VII. —No. XI.—MAY, 1866 . 
OUR POSITION AND PROSPECTS WITH REEERENCE TO 
LEGISLATION. 
At the conclusion of the last Session of Parliament, an impression prevailed 
that something would be done in the present Session towards settling the ques¬ 
tion of pharmaceutical legislation ; and the fact that no steps have yet been 
taken for the introduction of a Pharmacy Bill this year, may be thought to in¬ 
dicate lukewarmness on the part of those representing the interests of Pharmacy, 
or a disinclination on the part of Government to entertain the subject or to 
undertake the responsibility of introducing a Bill relating to it. We believe, 
however, that the existing state of inaction cannot be justly ascribed to either 
of these causes. The subject has occupied the serious attention of the Council 
of the Pharmaceutical Society, and there is reason to believe it would have been 
entertained by Government if subjects of a pressing nature had not intervened. 
But with the measures now before Parliament, upon the success of some of which 
the existence of the present Ministry depends, it would obviously be vain to ex¬ 
pect assistance from Government, and it has therefore been wisely determined 
not for the present to press it. This will perhaps occasion some disappointment 
and regret, but there is no reason to apprehend that the interests of Pharmacy, 
as represented by the Pharmaceutical Society, will suffer in consequence.. We 
can afford to rest upon the position we have acquired, and by continuing in the 
course hitherto pursued, we shall not only maintain, but improve our position. 
With a list of members increasing in number and gaining from year to year ad¬ 
ditional importance from the augmenting proportion of those admitted by ex¬ 
amination,'with a flourishing institution, every department of which is in a 
state of vigorous and efficient activity, with zealous supporters and ample means 
for carrying out the objects for which we have laboured successfully for a quarter 
of a century, we need not be impatient of a little delay in the accomplishment 
of this one object of enlarging the basis of our operations, and obtaining addi¬ 
tional powers from the Legislature. * 
When the fitting time arrives, and circumstances appear favourable for the 
attainment of what is desired, we feel confident that there will be no backward¬ 
ness manifested by those who represent the interests of Pharmacy. That these 
parties are alive to the importance not only of taking action at the proper time, 
but also of acting in unison, appears from a correspondence that has recently 
passed between the Presidents of the Pharmaceutical Society and the United 
Society of Chemists and Druggists, a reference to which is made in the last 
vol. vii. 2 N 
