499 
BOOKS RECEIVED 
Tiie Chemists’ and Druggists’ Alma¬ 
nac and Pharmaceutical Text-Book. 
1870. London: ‘ Chemist and Druggist ’ 
Office, Cannon Street. 
Besides the information generally looked 
for in publications of this class, the present ’ 
issue contains some ably-written articles, 
the titles of which we subjoin:— 
“ The Price of MedicinesDaniel Dan¬ 
bury, F.R.S. “ Plain Directions for Test¬ 
ing Urine Prof. Attfield, Ph.D. “ Mutual 
Help;” George Frederick Schacht. “ En¬ 
glish and Foreign Formulas;” Joseph luce, 
F.L.S. “ Becord of Pharmacy,” etc. 
We would direct particular attention to 
the admirable remarks, by Mr. Hanbury, 
on that vexed question, “ The Price of 
Medicine.” 
The Journal or the Gynjecological 
Society oe Boston. Devoted to the 
Advancement of the knowledge of the 
Diseases of Women. Edited by Wins¬ 
low Lewis, M.D.: IIoratio It. Stor- 
rer, M.D.; and George H. Bexby, 
M.D. (Yol. I., Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive.) 
Boston: James Campbell. New York: 
L. W. Schmidt. London: C. D. Caze- 
nove. Old Bailey. 
The Half-Yearly Abstract of the 
Medical Sciences. Edited by William 
Domett Stone, M.D., etc. Yol. L. 
July—December, 1869. London : John 
Churchill and Sons; Edinburgh : Mac- 
lachlan and Co.; Dublin: Fannin and 
Co. 1870. 
The Body and its Health: a Book for 
Primary Schools. By E. D. Mapother, 
M.D., etc. Second Edition. Dublin: 
John Falconer. London : Simpkin, Mar¬ 
shall, and Co. Edinburgh: Menzics. 
Melbourne : liobertson. New York: 
Harpers. 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
Communications for this Journal, and boohs for review, should he addressed 
to the Editor, 17, Bloomsbury Square, as early in the month as possible, and 
in no case later than the 20 th of the month, if intended for 'publication in the 
next number. 
Medicine Stamp and Licence. 
Dear Sir,—As a country member, and one 
who joined the Society at its commence¬ 
ment, I send my protest against the resolu¬ 
tion carried by a majority of one (only) at 
the Council Meeting, Dec. 1st, in which it 
was ruled that it would be expedient to 
abolish thepatent medicine licence and stamp. 
Nearly all who voted with the majority are 
London men, and therefore have but little 
knowledge as to country business and the 
interest of their provincial brethren. Abolish 
thepatent medicine licence, and what will be 
the consequence ? Booksellers and grocers 
wdll keep patent medicines, and in many 
cases will retail them below their proper 
value, and thus injure us in no light degree, 
without doing the public any corresponding 
good. I have had many years’ experience, 
both of London and country trade, and can 
speak with some authority. 
I should fancy you will receive many let¬ 
ters to the same point. The matter is too 
serious to be settled at a meeting of the 
Council only. The trade generally should 
be appealed to on the point. 
It is all very well for proprietors of West- 
End shops, who have large dispensing esta¬ 
blishments at “ first-class prices ” to think 
but poorly of their country brethren (at 
east, I conceive that they must do so, by 
the remarks I often see in the Journal); but 
I know that, as a body, we are up to the 
mark, and that, were some of the London 
chemists put into a large country business, 
they would find out they had much to 
learn. 
A writer who signs himself c£ Utile,” in 
the last Journal, thinks it “infra dig.” to 
sell small boxes of pills. I can only remark 
he can know next to nothing of the wants 
of the country poor; and it certainly is 
better that their little requirements should 
be prepared by those whose character and 
reputation are at stake than that they 
should be supplied by the ignorant. 
Equalize the licence by all means, say 10s. 
per annum for town and country; but 
leave, in other matters, “ well alone.” 
I remain, dear Sir, 
Yours truly, 
A Country Member. 
Barnstaple, January 20 th, 1870. 
Sir,—Having sold patent medicines in 
London for twenty-five years, I have had 
many opportunities of learning the opinions 
of my brother chemists on this not unim¬ 
portant branch of our business; and there 
I are two, and only two, points which we have 
! always considered objectionable. First, that 
we should pay four times as much as our 
