PROSECUTIONS UNDER THE PHARMACY ACT, 1868. 171 
of the defendant. We mean a charge against a grocer at Church Stretton 
for selling “ Coopers Sheep-dipping Powder.” Proceedings were taken in 
this case under the Arsenic Act, and necessarily failed from the inapplica¬ 
bility of the term “ Arsenic,” as defined in that Act, to the compound in 
question; but out of it, according to report, will arise a prosecution under 
the Pharmacy Act, which, although it does not interfere with or curtail the 
provisions of the Arsenic Act, makes the sale of any “preparation” of ar¬ 
senic by an unregistered person an offence. The summonses were taken out 
by Mr. James Phillips, a chemist of the same town, who, according to his 
own statement, feels aggrieved that the trade of the legitimate chemist should 
be interfered with by “ the petty grocer, the village sundryman, the herbalist, 
and others who are dealing, not only in poisons, but in every class of drugs 
they can obtain sales for.” 
That the Pharmacy Act of 1868 will abolish this dealing in poisons by un¬ 
qualified persons, and that it was intended to do so, there can be no doubt; 
that the restriction of the trade to competent persons will be a benefit to 
those persons is equally clear, but to suppose that the Act was passed for the 
benefit of a class is simply absurd, and prosecutions like that at Church 
Stretton, accompanied by such a publication of the motives tor instituting 
them, can only tend to bring the Act into disrepute. The primary object of 
legislation is the public good, and if in promoting it some private interests 
are advanced, let the persons benefited thereby accept their advancement a3 
a secondary effect and be thankful. 
We rejoice to see that our contemporary, the ‘ Chemist and Druggist,’ de¬ 
precates the “ guerilla warfare ” of these “amateur lawsuits, and recom¬ 
mends reference rather to the Pharmaceutical Society as the legitimate pro¬ 
secutor of offenders under the Act. There can be no doubt that it will be 
the duty of the Council to take action in such cases, and it is only reasonable 
to expect, that as soon as the regulations which have been lying in the Privy 
Council Office for the last four months are agreed on and fairly promulgated, 
that duty will be commenced, and in its exercise we hope the safety of the 
public will be advanced, without sacrifice of the dignity of the trade. 
THE STANDARDS COMMISSION ON THE METRIC SYSTEM 
OE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 
x 
The second report, just issued, of the Standards Commission will be found 
in another part of this Journal. It is devoted entirely to questions relating 
to the metric system, which are treated in a very temperate and practical 
manner, the difficulties that would attend any attempt to effect a sudden 
change of systems in this country being clearly pointed out, as well as the 
advantages which in some respects would result from such a change if com- 
pletely'effected. It refutes the sweeping and groundless accusations which 
have sometimes been urged against the existing national system as established 
by law in this country, representing it as a system which meets the popular 
wants, and will not easily be expelled from popular use. At the same time, 
it admits the demand among a numerous class of the community for the in¬ 
troduction of the metric system, and the advantage that would result from 
such introduction in international communications. It suggests the adoption 
of certain arrangements for facilitating the introduction of the metric system 
and its use by those who desire it, but states that its general introduction 
“should be permissive only, and not made compulsory by law after any 
period to be now specified.” 
