678 
PHARMACEUTICAL MEETING. 
dates could at any given juncture enter the ranks of what are called historic 
houses: neither books nor museums substitute the office of the teacher—they 
are aids,—let them as far as possible be efficient. But in the case of those to 
whom exceptional facilities have been denied do not inflict the grievous wrong 
of forbidding the help at our command and of thus offering another illustration 
of wisdom at one entrance quite shut out. 
We have amongst us a class of excellent private instructors. I cordially 
believe in this system of education and recognise its importance. These gentle¬ 
men teach, in order to gain a living, and the labourer is worthy of his hire. 1 
feel sure however that to none is the addition of any public source of education 
more a matter of rejoicing, for their personal reward is the success of those 
whom they have endeavoured to instruct. There may be those, and such will 
exist as long as the world stands, to whom pecuniary advantage is the one con¬ 
sideration and to whom therefore the success or failure of the taught is of 
secondary importance. 
What honest private tutor would not prefer to have his endeavours seconded, 
supplemented and rendered infinitely more useful by known standards of refer¬ 
ence ? 
I must at once enter on the statement of the Society’s collection of pre¬ 
scriptions. 
There are five books and one extra is in course of completion. 
I. Contains about 70 prescriptions—there is room for 47. 
II. A very nice collection, contains 50 prescriptions : there is room for 33. 
III. A larger book—contains about 150 ; 98 additional formulae are required. 
IV. Contains over 70 prescriptions : 120 are needed. 
V. Contains 61 prescriptions: there are about 300 wanted. This dirty, ill 
arranged assortment, is the special volume of the Society, not likely to extend 
its influence nor to inspire reverence in the student’s mind. Over its pages 
hovers the halo of autiquity: it suggests the memories of Pharmacists, long 
since dead and buried, and exhibits abundant traces of what chemists term or¬ 
ganic matter, but to express which common people use a shorter name. Various 
theories have been entertained with regard to its construction. The popular 
impression is that it was compiled by the great-grandfather of our excellent 
secretary when he was a very little boy—but Mr. Orridge, up aloft one of his 
usual steeples has thrown light upon the subject. He regards it valuable as an 
illustration of scripture, for it was the Pharmacopoeia used in the Ark, and 
kindly lent by Noah. 
• Addenda. 
I would direct attention to the Portfolio of the late Jacob Bell. The shape 
is perfect and the tinting of the paper (buff-demy) seems desirable. White 
paper soon becomes soiled—blue paper, fades in colour. Also, though in a 
portfolio the leaves are guarded, which saves great after toil and trouble. This 
wauts 92 characteristic Prescriptions, inserted; (that is pasted,) and 50 loose. 
I propose with the permission of the Members of the Society to fill this book 
solely with noted specimens of the Prescribing art. 
My own selection, unfinished and not included in the list, wants 200 
formulae. 
We have therefore 406 Prescriptions from which two months ago, about 200 
might have been deducted. To complete the existing Collection of the Society, 
t 940 recipes are required. Copies are useless. I shall not be charged with ex¬ 
aggeration wheu 1 say, that 400 recipes cannot represent Pharmacy, nor equal 
the demands of our Examinations. 
Finish these books first, and then add as a Library of Reference 5000 more 
and we shall have the beginning of a fair collection. 
