688 
EDINBURGH MEETING. 
will be given out any day after 10 o’clock a.m^ by making application to the Curators 
at 119, George Street, and we hope that many will avail themselves of this privilege. 
The President then read the report of the Council. 
Annual Eeport. 
The Council have, as usual, to make a few remarks at this, the close of another 
session. It must be admitted by all that the year of 1869, recently closed, will ever be 
memorable in the annals of the Pharmaceutical Society as the first year following the 
one in which the Pharmacy Act was passed, and during which the enactment came into 
full operation. From the 1st of January of the past year, the practical working of the 
new Act became imperative, and during these twelve months it cannot be denied that 
there have been a few cases of apparent hardship. No Act of Parliament can ever be 
passed without such a result; and while sympathy may be readily extended to some, it 
must be allowed that many, indeed the majority of the complaints, were made without 
any sound foundation or just reason. During 1869 the Board of Examiners in Edin¬ 
burgh have had before them 153 candidates, several of whom were, however, rejected. 
With one or two exceptions, it is gratifying for the Examiners to report, that 
when young men have been sent back to their studies and afterwards reappeared 
before the Board, they expressed themselves grateful that the decision of the Examiners 
had entailed upon them a certain amount of additional acquirement in pharmaceutical 
knowledge, which they felt assured would prove useful to them in their future career. 
From the rule now in operation, and adhered to most rigidly, that all (with the excep¬ 
tion of those registered and entitled to undergo the Modified Examination) must un¬ 
dergo the Preliminary Examination, the Council believe much good will ultimately 
result.; as it must be confessed that many young men have hitherto been sadly deficient 
in fair classical attainments. 
The scientific meetings have not been so numerous this session as the Council would 
have desired.; but they hope, from promises already made, to make up for this deficiency 
next winter. Two or three valuable communications have, however, been made, and 
to those gentlemen who have so kindly come forward, the Council beg, in the name of 
the Society, to tender their best thanks. 
The Council take this opportunity to refer to the proposed regulations for keeping 
and dispensing poisons. The whole question falls to be discussed before the general 
Annual Meeting of the Society, to be held in London next month; but as the subject 
was very fully discussed at one of the evening meetings here, the Council think it right 
to express the feeling entertained by a majority of their number, that it is not expedient 
to make these regulations compulsory on all chemists and druggists. They are aware 
that many have already adopted some of the very regulations now proposed by the 
London Council; and while, therefore, they would be well pleased to find a strong recom¬ 
mendation emanating from the head centre of the Society for the general adoption of some 
of the protective measures already published, they believe it would be more satisfactory 
to let the adoption of these regulations be permissive, and not compulsory. While ex¬ 
pressing this feeling, the Council here will decline to take action in positively opposing 
the proposition of the London Board ; and if it be decided at the May general meeting 
that such regulations are to come into full operation, they will unite in endeavouring to 
carry out what they will then look upon as the decision of a majority of the Society, 
and will do what they can to assist in fairly trying the system now advocated, with a 
view to its ultimate adoption by all registered chemists and druggists. 
The museum has now been remodelled, relabelled, and catalogues of the whole 
printed. Any one, therefore, wishing to contribute specimens can be furnished with a 
list of all these articles at present possessed by the Society, and thus avoid sending du¬ 
plicates, while they may in this manner do much to increase both the interest and the 
• value of the Society’s Museum at Edinburgh. 
The library receives additional volumes from time to time; but the Council have 
again to express their regret that greater advantage is not taken of this privilege, as an 
arrangement has been made by which, at any time, books will be given out by the 
curators, who will always be found at 119, George Street. 
In conclusion, the Council beg to refer to the satisfactory and liberal arrangements 
which were made at the commencement of last session for admission to the lectures of 
Dr. Stevenson Macadam on Chemistry and Dr. Angus Macdonald on Materia Medica. 
