452 
PHARMACEUTICAL MEETING. 
the proceedings of the Committee information might be given which would 
enable them more easily to arrive at satisfactory conclusions. At the last 
meeting of the Medical Council, however, the Committee had removed any 
such restraint, by not only sanctioning the publication of the reports, but even 
expressing a desire that the subject-matter of them should be submitted for 
discussion to the members of that Society. They were anxious that this and 
all matter relating to the Pharmacopoeia should be fully and freely discussed 
there, feeling, as they did, not only that great benefit had already been derived 
from the hints and suggestions given by practical pharmaceutists, but also that 
it was from the same source that they must obtain the most valuable informa¬ 
tion, such as would enable them to make the Pharmacopoeia the means of real¬ 
izing all that was contemplated in its production. Under these circumstances, 
therefore, the subject was now submitted to them for discussion. There could 
be no doubt of its importance, but he wished also to refer to what he con¬ 
sidered to be the great responsibility which rested on them, with reference to 
the manner in which they dealt with the subject. He felt certain that it 
would be treated in that spirit which would not only tend to the elucidation of 
truth, but would do this in such a manner as not unduly to weaken the autho¬ 
rity of the Pharmacopoeia. They owed allegiance to this important work, and 
must be loyal to it, even although there were little matters on which differences 
of opinion existed. With reference to a work of this description, there must 
necessarily be differences of opinion on many points, but it was not desirable to 
magnify such differences, so as to cause the instructions given to be deviated 
from without sufficient cause. In approaching the subject on the present occa¬ 
sion it appeared to him desirable to look first at the broad and general features 
of the work, at the substances described, and the manner in which they w ; ere 
described, at the processes for the production of medicines, and the characters 
referred to in the products. The question was, could they agree among them¬ 
selves as to the desirability of making any alterations in the matter of the work 
as it now existed, so as to render it more useful for the purposes for which it 
was intended. They did not come there to squabble about little minute 
matters and differences of opinion, such as must inevitably exist. He might 
remind them that before the Pharmacopoeia was published, copies of it were 
sent not only to all the members of the Medical Council, but to many practical 
pharmaceutists, whose opinions had been asked with reference to the details, and 
a great variety of opinions had been expressed, which differed on many points. 
It had been the duty of the Committee to weigh the importance of the opinions 
thus expressed, and to meet the objections urged in the best way they could. 
He could not conceive it possible, with a work of this description, to make it 
satisfy all those for whose use it was intended, but it was their duty to bring it 
as near to perfection as possible. An appeal was now made to the members of 
this Society as practical men, and they were invited to express their opinions 
and give the results of their experience on any of the points to which allusion 
had been made. He hoped that what was advanced would have reference, not 
to change for the mere sake of change, but to such as was really required, 
bearing in mind that all unnecessary changes were objectionable. It was de¬ 
sirable also, he thought, not to encumber the Pharmacopoeia with too many de¬ 
tails, but to make the descriptions, as far as they went, complete and intelligible. 
Some persons seemed to fancy that all the minutest details relating to processes 
ought to be given, so as to leave nothing to the skill and judgment of the ope¬ 
rator ; and, again, that the tests indicated should be capable of detecting every 
possible impurity. It was obvious that such details would make the work too 
cumbrous. What was intended and expected was that those who used the 
Pharmacopoeia should exercise a rational intelligence, with a certain amount of 
previously-acquired knowledge, which they were bound to apply in carrying out 
