LEEDS CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION, 
56 $ 
be difficult to give even an abstract of the discourse without detracting from its merit, for 
the lecturer’s clearness of definition and descriptive painting is peculiar to himself. The 
appreciation of these qualities was frequently manifested by the loud and hearty applause 
of the audience. 
After the the lecture concluded, the President offered a few remarks, reviewing the 
evening’s entertainments and their respective merits, expressing his obligations, as well 
as those of the Council, to the gentlemen who so kindly contributed to the success of 
the conversazione, and to the company for the patience and good feeling they manifested. 
He concluded by proposing a vote of thanks, to be carried by cordial acclamation, to 
those gentlemen, and especially so to Mr. H. Sugden Evans, Dr. Edwards, and Professor 
Hunt. The proposal was warmly responded to, after which the proceedings terminated 
at half-past ten o’clock. 
LEEDS CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
The Sixth Meeting of the Session was held in the Library of the Philosophical Society, 
on the evening of March 14, 1886; the President, Mr. Haigh, in the chair. 
Mr. Samuel Taylor read a paper, entitled « Hints to Dispensers,” of which the fol¬ 
lowing is an abstract:— 
The subject naturally divides itself into two parts, viz. Hints to the Head, including 
all those qualifications of mind and temperament which fit a man for becoming a good 
dispenser ; and Hints to the Hands, under which head a few suggestions may be offered 
touching the general manipulation of a prescription. 
Under the first of these divisions, it will be well to observe that a good general edu¬ 
cation is perhaps the most essential qualification. A dispenser’s writing should be clear, 
distinct, and neat, at least; so that no blame may attach to him, for mistakes in reading 
his directions. His orthography and acquaintance with “ Murray ” should be unim¬ 
peachable, so that patients may not have their faith in his medicines rudely shaken by 
any fault of his on this score. A good practical knowledge of figures, especially the 
multiplying and dividing of fractions, will be of great service to himself, and is neces¬ 
sary to the safety of those who have to take strong preparations coming from his hands. 
Under existing circumstances, i. e. whilst the Pharmacopoeias are wholly or partially, 
and physicians’ prescriptions almost entirely written in Latin , it is important that the 
dispenser be at least well grounded in that language. The stigma so often laid upon us 
as a class, that ours is a system of “ Dog Latin,” is owing to a deficiency in this branch 
of education amongst us, and is one that comes within the province of associations like 
this to remove, by establishing classes for the better instruction of the younger portion 
of the profession in the Latin language. 
The next qualification, under this division, necessary to a dispenser, is a good know¬ 
ledge of chemistry and materia medica ; of which two subjects, the more he knows, the 
pleasanter will be his duties, and the higher the position he is likely to attain amongst 
Ills professional brethren and in the world. 
Posology is another branch of information in which the dispenser should be well up, 
as medical men are not infallible, but, like the rest of humanity, sometimes liable to err. 
He should therefore be able at a glance to detect an overdose, and thus act as a check 
betwixt the doctor and the patient. These are qualifications of mind which can only be 
acquired by assiduous attention, but which must nevertheless be attained ere the dis¬ 
penser can practise his calling either with comfort to himself or safety to his clients. 
There are, however, certain other mental qualifications, which, though not absolutely 
essential to the compounding a prescription, are yet highly important, and deserving 
attention. The most important of these perhaps is caution, from the want of which 
so many sad accidents have occurred, spreading dismay throughout the profession and 
the country. This caution or care need not interfere with dispatch in dispensing ; for 
many dispensers, by the power of concentrating their thoughts upon the one object then 
in hand, have been remarkable for their quickness as well as correctness in dispensing. 
A few aids to correctness may here be mentioned that of copying prescriptions prior 
to making up the medicines or writing the labels, whereby the general meaning and 
composition of the prescription is impressed on the mind; that (where practicable) of 
having all medicines prepared by the dispenser, checked and sent out by either the 
