821 
BOOKS RECEIVED. 
Lecture Notes eor Chemical Students. 
By Edward Frankland, F.B.S., etc., 
etc. Vol. I. Inorganic Chemistry. Se¬ 
cond Edition. London: John Van Voorst, 
Paternoster Bow. 1870. 
Half-Yearly Compendium op Medical 
Science. Part V. January, 1870. Phila¬ 
delphia: S. W. Butler, M.D. New York: 
Z. P. Hatch, Broadway. London: B. 
F. Stevens, Henrietta Street. 
Silverlock’s Chemists’ Sale oe Poisons 
Begister Book ; in conformity with 
the “ Sale of Poisons and Pharmacy Act 
Amendments,” of July, 1868, and Amend¬ 
ment, 11th August, 1869. London: II. 
Silverlock, Blaekfriars Boad, and Earl 
Street, Doctors’ Commons. 
Die Pflanzenstopfe in Chemischer, 
Physiologischer, Pharmakologi- 
SCHER UND TOXIKOLOGISCHER HlN- 
sicht. Berlin : A r erlag von Julius 
Sprenger. 1870. 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
Communications for this Journal, and books for review, should be addressed 
to the Editor, 17 , Bloomsbury Square, as early in the month as possible, and 
in no case later than the 2 Oth of the month, if intended for 'publication in the 
next number. 
Several articles on scientific stibjects, which had been prepared fur this 
number, will be given with the Index in a Supplemental Number, to be issued 
on the 15 th of June. 
The Anniversary Meeting. 
Dear Sir,—A serious misunderstanding of 
the purpoit of my question to the President 
at the annual meeting on Wednesday, seems 
to have taken possession of the minds of a few 
representatives upon the Council, notwith¬ 
standing the distinct clearness with which I 
endeavoured to lay before the meeting the 
object of that question. I therefore crave 
your indulgence in allowing a short explana¬ 
tion, that the views then expressed by the 
meeting may not be misunderstood by the 
trade generally. 
It was with no intention or desire to dis¬ 
cuss the merits or demerits of the co-opera¬ 
tive system of trading that I spoke on that 
occasion, feeling perhaps as strongly as 
any gentleman present, the undesirableness 
of having strictly trade subjects discussed 
at the meetings of our Society. We desire 
not to unite ourselves as members of this 
Society, for the purpose of raising or lower¬ 
ing prices; w T e do not desire the Pharma¬ 
ceutical Society to issue its edicts upon such 
questions. More unanimity upon these 
matters may flow forth as the natural con¬ 
sequence of a more friendly and less anta¬ 
gonistic feeling among our brethren through 
its influence, but unhesitatingly the object 
of this Society is, and must be maintained, 
essentially educational. 
The question I put to the President was, 
“ Whether the firm which he represented 
did directly or indirectly supply the Civil 
Service or co-operative stores with drugs?” 
The object of that question being to direct 
the members in their votes for the election 
of the new Council. 
Had Mr. Evans been a mere private mem¬ 
ber of the trade, no one could have chal¬ 
lenged his right to conduct his business in 
any way he pleased; but when a gentleman 
steps out of the quiet routine of business 
into the arena of public life, and accepts a 
post in which he represents a large body of 
constituents, whose interests it then be¬ 
comes his duty to protect,—I maintain it 
then becomes the privilege and the right of 
those who elect that gentleman to know 
clearly and d stinctly wdietker their interests 
are protected by their representative. 
It was on these grounds alone, I most 
emphatically assert, that my question w r as 
put, without in the least desiring to dictate 
to Mr. Sugden Evans, or any other person, 
in what way he was expected to conduct his 
own business. 
Apologizing for troubling you at such 
length, 
I am, Sir, faithfully yours, 
Edwin B. Vizer. 
63, Lupus Street, Belgravia South. 
May 20 th, 1870. 
The Patent Medicine Stamp. 
Sir,—As much confusion exists in the 
minds of vendors of patent medicines, as to 
the necessity of attaching the patent medi¬ 
cine stamp on foreign medicines and pro¬ 
prietary goods; and as many of such articles 
are subject to stamp duty, but often sold by 
druggists without the necessary stamp, we 
think it right that your readers should know 
