ANNUAL MEETING. 
770 
pleasure of viewing the valuable collection of paintings bequeathed to the 
nation by the late Jacob Bell. _ 
The Conversazione will be held there on the evening of the Annual Meeting, 
and the President, Vice-President, and Council hope that all Members who 
can make it convenient, will honour them with their company, in response to 
the official intimation. 
The Registrar placed on the table the following 
Register of Members, Associates, and Apprentices of the Society. 
Register of Pharmaceutical Chemists. 
Register of Assistants. 
Register of Apprentices or Students. 
Under the Pharmacy Act, 1852. 
Register of Chemists and Druggists. 
Under the Pharmacy Act, 1868. 
The Chairman then said: Gentlemen, assuming that the annual report has been read, 
I will now move its adoption; and, in so doing, I must ask the indulgence of the meet¬ 
ing whilst I make a few observations on some of the topics referred to in that Report, 
and upon some kindred subjects. The avowed objects of the founders of this Society 
were the amelioration of the condition, and the elevation of the character, of those pro¬ 
fessing pharmacyand the means suggested for carrying out these objects were, first, to 
unite the whole of the chemists and druggists into one body, and, secondly, to organize 
a system of education, and claim for the qualifications thus obtained certain privi- 
leges. We are now entering upon our thirtieth year. A whole generation has passed 
since the leading minds which called this Society into existence were in the heyday of 
their fame, and it is interesting and pleasing to note how completely in the course of 
that generation the objects of the founders have been carried out. W e are now a united 
body. The whole of the chemists and druggists of Great Britain are united into one 
band; a system of pharmaceutical education has been perfected ; the necessity for 
education has been legally recognized, and within the custody of this Society is the 
regulation and test of pharmaceutical education. Drawing your attention to the 
annual report, the first subject which seems to me to call for comment is that with 
reference to the Board of Examiners and the examinations. In looking to the balance- 
sheet, it will be observed that the expenses of the Society have been greatly increased 
under the head of Board of Examiners, and this arises from several causes. . It arises 
from the increased labours which have been thrown upon the Board of Examiners, and 
the reduced number of that Board, causing a large number of meetings to be necessary 
in order to get through the business which had to be performed. The number of per¬ 
sons who have been examined in the different sections have been very large, amounting 
in the whole to over 1000; but, although the expense to the Society on this head has 
been greatly increased, the receipts have been also enlarged, and the fees from candi¬ 
dates have resulted in a benefit to the credit of the Society of something like £8000. 
The report refers to certain changes which have been made in the constitution of the 
Board of Examiners. Hitherto it has consisted of members drawn alike from the 
general body of the Society and from members of the Council; but under the new bye¬ 
laws, and the Act, this state of things can no longer exist, and any future Boaid of 
Examiners will be drawn exclusively from those members of the Society who are not, 
and have not been for twelve months previously, members of the Council. This is an 
element which, I believe, will be very salutary in its results, as it will give the Boaid 
a greater independence and freedom of action than heretofore. But in connection with 
this change I must notice one fact,—whieh I personally cannot but regret, and that is 
this, that it will withdraw from your future Council two gentlemen whose wisdom and 
advice have been of the greatest value. Whilst regretting, however, that your future 
Council will be deprived of their assistance, I must say it is a subject of congratulation 
to this Society, and to the members at large, that the Board of Examiners will have the 
opportunity of retaining the valuable services of Mr. Carteighe and Mr. Ince. Ihe 
Report refers to certain changes made in conducting the examinations. It is found that 
the old method of conducting the preliminary or classical examination was impeitect; 
