445 LAW AFFECTING THE STORAGE AND SALE OF PETROLEUM. 
medicines. Those who advocate the abolition of the present system, do so 
under the impression that by these means the use of proprietary medicines 
would be made to depend more upon their intrinsic merits, while those who 
oppose the change consider that the stamp and licence, being practically taxes 
on such medicines, act as a check, the only existing check, to their exten¬ 
sion and more general diffusion among the public, especially the less informed 
part of the public. We believe that many of those who have supported the 
proposition for taking away the tax, would promote the imposition of some 
equal or more efficacious check, if such could be devised, of an unobjectionable 
character. We have heard it suggested that in the place of the stamp and 
licence, there should be a system of registration ot proprietary medicines, 
such as exist in some places abroad, but it is very doubtful whether this 
change would be beneficial. We know what the evils of the existing system 
are, we know also that in France, where registration has been adopted, 
quackery exists to an immense extent; and until some method is proposed 
which oilers a reasonable prospect of removing the evils we have without sub¬ 
stituting others that may be more serious, wisdom would seem to indicate a 
suspension of active interference in the matter. 
THE LAW AFFECTING THE STORAGE AND SALE OF 
PETROLEUM, INCLUDING BENZINE COLLAS, ETC. 
We alluded to this subject in our last number for the purpose of putting 
chemists on their guard with reference to the liability they incur to a penalty 
for keeping and selling benzine or other volatile hydrocarbon oil, such as is 
included under the term “petroleum ” in recent Acts of Parliament, without 
having a licence and otherwise complying with the requirements of the law. 
The Government promised to introduce, and did introduce, a Bill last Session, 
to amend the Petroleum Acts, so as to relieve chemists from the difficulty in 
which they were placed in selling small quantities ot benzine, but the Bill 
was not passed, having with many others been withdrawn towards the end. of 
the Session. It was understood that it would be reintroduced in a modified 
form as soon as Government could give the requisite attention to the sub¬ 
ject, and as several penalties have recently been inflicted for infringement of 
the existing law, the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society have applied to 
the Government to know what they propose doing in this matter. The 
following letter has been received from the Secretary of State’s office in 
answer to a communication from Mr. Bremridge, the Secretary to the Phar¬ 
maceutical Society:— 
(Copy.) 
“ Whitehall, loth January, 1870. 
«Sir,—I am directed by Mr. Secretary Bruce to acknowledge the receipt of your 
letter of the 13th instant, inquiring on behalf of the Council of the Pharmaceutical So¬ 
ciety, whether it is the intention of Government to introduce any such measure with re¬ 
ference to the sale of petroleum, as will indemnify chemists from being fined for selling 
small bottles of benzine collas, etc.; and, I am to inform you that no resolution upon 
the subject has yet been formed, the question of its introduction having to be considered 
in common with many other subjects pressing for legislation ; its claims will, however, 
be carefully considered. 
“ I am Sir, your obedient servant, 
“ (Signed) S. F. 0. Liddell. 
“ To Elias Bremridrje, Esq., Secretary to the Pharmaceutical Society.” 
