SUNDERLAND CHEMISTS* ASSOCIATION. 409 
and otherwise, for raising their qualifications, and efficiently fulfilling the duties that 
devolved upon them. 
At the end of the meeting it was announced that the next paper would he read, on 
the 17th of January, by Dr. Browning, “On Some Points in the Therapeutics of the 
present Day.” 
SHEFFIELD PHARMACEUTICAL AND CHEMICAL ASSOCIATION. 
On Wednesday evening, December 8th, the second monthly lecture of the winter ses¬ 
sion was delivered to the members of this Association by Ed. Birrs, Esq., Lecturer on 
Botany to the Sheffield School of Medicine. Subject, “ How to Study Botany.” 
The President of the Association, Mr. Hill, in the chair. 
The lecturer gave a careful exposition of the leading principles of structural, physio¬ 
logical, and systematic botany, illustrating the subject, as far as possible, by living 
plants. 
It may be observed, that this was the concluding lecture of a course of twenty-five, 
which Mr. Birks has delivered to the Associates, his class having comprised nearly 
thirty members. 
He spoke highly of the manner in which his lectures had been attended. Pie also 
took occasion to impress on students in botany the necessity of making their studies as 
practical as their opportunities would permit, the science being so essentially one of ob¬ 
servation. 
A cordial vote of thanks to the lecturer, moved by Mr. Sharpe and seconded by Mr. 
Ibbitt, was unanimously passed. 
SUNDERLAND CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
The third meeting for the present Session of the above Society was held in the 
Athenaeum, on Monday, December 6th. The lecturer for the evening was Mr. J. 
Harrison, who, in a lucid and exhaustive address, particularly addressed to the students, 
explained the leading principles of elementary chemistry. 
It was also intimated by the Secretary that the Committee had made arrangements 
with a competent Professor to give a series of twenty lessons in chemistry, if twenty 
pupils would agree to attend, and the Society were prepared to defray all expenses 
beyond their five shillings subscriptions as associates. 
The meeting terminated with votes of thanks being passed to the lecturer and chair¬ 
man (Mr. H. Thompson). 
The Annual Dinner of the Sunderland Chemists’ Association was held at the Queen’s 
Hotel, on Wednesday evening, December 15th. The Mayor (President of the Asso¬ 
ciation) occupied the chair, and Mr. Harrison Thompson the vice-chair. 
About twenty-five gentlemen sat down to dinner; after the usual loyal and patriotic 
toasts were proposed and responded to— 
The Mayor proposed the toast of the evening, “Success to the Sunderland 
Chemists’ Association.” It had long been his desire to see a movement of this 
character initiated. They ought to strive to elevate their position as a trade, for 
what elevated them as a body elevated them individually. He had made three 
attempts to get a society underway, but they were like ropes of sand, and as soon as 
they were rubbed together they fell to pieces. He hoped that would not be so in this 
instance. They wanted a suitable room, and they ought to put their hands in their 
pockets and provide a suitable laboratory. They should show the public that they were 
men of intelligence, and that they were masters of their position in life; and they ought 
to lay down a code of regulations to get back what they had spent in the labour and 
toil needful to reach their present position. In the days when he first went to business 
as a surgeon, they could commence where they liked, and how they liked ; but now the 
Legislature had put a stop to that, they had now to labour hard to reach a certain 
standard and pass an examination, which showed whether a man was intelligent enough 
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