September 28, 1872.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
219 
fransactimis. 
NORTHAMPTON CHEMISTS’ ASSISTANTS 
AND APPRENTICES’ ASSOCIATION. 
The Monthly Meeting of this Association was held 
August 30th, 1872. The President, Mr. H. J. Masters, 
said he was very pleased the question of provincial edu¬ 
cation had been considered so fully^at the meeting of the 
Pharmaceutical Conference, and hoped they would be 
able to discuss Dr. Attfield’s paper at their next meeting. 
He then congratulated the Secretary, Mr. Druce, upon 
having obtained the prize of books which was open to all 
who had passed the Minor in honours during the 
year. 
Mr. J. Tutton read a paper on “ The air we breathe,” 
in which he explained the composition of the atmosphere, 
described the physical and chemical characters of tho 
gases of which it was composed and the impurities it 
contained, and explained in a lucid manner the law of 
gaseous diffusion, the production of ozone, and the phe- 
menon of lightning. 
After the discussion a hearty vote of thanks was 
passed to Mr. Tutton. The President said he was glad 
they were now able to carry out the plan of a circu¬ 
lating library, and the Committee would meet at the 
earliest opportunity to draw up a code of rules for its 
management, and also to arrange for the commencement 
•of the winter session. 
HALIFAX CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS’ 
ASSOCIATION. 
Sept. 19, 1872.—Mr. Stott, President, in the chair. 
A report from the Treasurer was read, showing a ba¬ 
lance in favour of the Association of £1. 9s. 7 d., after 
which the Secretary brought before the meeting the sale 
of vermin killers. A free discussion took place, par¬ 
ticular stress being laid upon the recent remarks of the 
•coroner at Leeds with respect to the non-registering of 
them. In order to be on the safe side it was resolved, 
“ That no packets of vermin killer be kept in stock of 
less value than 3 d. for the future, and that all sales be 
duly registered.” 
The system of early closing adopted by the trade last 
winter was the next subject discussed. The feeling was 
unanimous in favour of continuing the same plan for 
the ensuing winter months, viz., putting up the shutters 
at 7 o’clock, and finally closing at 8. Mr. Dyer trusted 
that before long the Society would make an attempt at 
closing somewhat earlier on Saturdays now that the 11 
o’clock Publicans Act was in force. He thought if the 
shutters were Jput up at 9 o’clock, and the shop door 
finally closed at 10, it would prove a great blessing to 
the trade in many ways. After a few remarks on the Food 
and Drug Adulteration Bill as affecting our interests, 
.the President called the attention of the meeting to 
the proceedings of the managers of the Civil Service 
Stores. They were about extending the chemical de¬ 
partment, and he thought it was time that something 
should be done. Ho saw a few days ago at the station 
a hamper of medicine from the stores directed to one of 
his customers, and he was informed that not only mem¬ 
bers of Parliament but a Cabinet minister in this neigh¬ 
bourhood were supplied by the company. Mr. Dyer 
quite agreed with the President in his remarks as to the 
injury this company is inflicting upon the retail trade. A 
friend of his the other day was quoting to him a list of 
prices of articles in the fancy and perfumery line, most 
ruinously low. What steps did the President think 
could be taken under the circumstances ? The President 
said that public opinion ought to be brought to bear upon 
it by means of the press, drawing the attention of mem¬ 
bers of Parliament to the illegality of servants of the 
Grown engaging in trade on their own account, and by 
meetings such as these. The Secretary thought that 
other trade organizations, such as the drapers, grocers, 
etc., would have to take the matter up, and thus a 
powerful support might be given to the National Cham¬ 
ber of Trade. He thought it was the duty of the 
Pharmaceutical Council to test the legality of the 
company dispensing prescriptions. The subject was 
adjourned till the next meeting. 
THE BRIGHTON ASSOCIATION OF PHARMACY. 
At a meeting of the Committee, held at the Town 
Hall on the evening of Thursday last, the proposed rules 
were considered, amended, and ordered to be printed, 
and a copy to be sent to each principal, assistant, and 
apprentice in the town; and in order that all may have 
an opportunity of joining the association, it was thought 
desirable that a personal application should be made, 
and that the following be deputed to call on the members 
of the trade in their respective district:—Messrs. Savage 
and W. H. Smith for the east; Messrs Gwatkin, jun., 
and Ettles for the north; and Messrs. Cornish and 
Mathews for the west. 
BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCE¬ 
MENT OF SCIENCE. 
Address of the President of the Chemical Section. 
One of my fellow-students in the laboratory of the late 
Professor Graham began the study of chemistry because 
he wanted to be a geologist, and he had read in some 
Geological Catechism that, in order to be versed in that 
science, it was necessary, as a preliminary step, to gain 
a knowledge of chemistry, mineralogy, zoology, botany, 
and I know not what besides. My friend became a 
chemist, and found that enough for the exercise of his 
faculties. Yet the catechism had truth on its side .; for 
so intertwined are the various branches of observational 
or experimental research, that a perfect understanding 
of one can only be obtained through an acquaintance 
with the whole cycle of knowledge. Aet, on the other 
hand, who can survey the whole field even of modern 
chemistry F There was a time doubtless, in the recollec¬ 
tion of the more venerable of my auditors, when it was 
not impossible to learn all that chemists had to teach ; 
but now that our ‘ Handbook ’ has grown so large that it 
would take a Briareus to carry it, and it requires a small 
army of abstractors to give the Chemical Society the 
substance of what is done abroad, we are compelled to 
become specialists in spite of ourselves. He who studies 
the general laws of chemistry may well turn in despair 
from the ever growing myriads of transformations among 
the compounds of carbon. We have agricultural, physio¬ 
logical, and technical chemists; one man builds up 
new substances, another new formulas; while some love 
the rarer metals, and others find their whole, souls en¬ 
grossed by the phenyl compounds. How is this necessity 
of specialization to be reconciled with the necessity of 
general knowledge ? By our forming a home for our¬ 
selves in some particular region, and becoming intimately 
conversant with every feature of the locality and its 
choicest associations, while at the same time we learn 
the general map of the country, so as to know the 
relative position and importance of our favourite resort, 
and to be able (when we desire it) to make excursions 
elsewhere. To facilitate this is one of the great objects 
of the British Association. The different, sections are 
like different countries; and, leaving the insular seclu¬ 
sion of our special duties, we can pass from one to the 
other, and gain the advantages of foreign travel. From 
this chair I must of course regard chemistry as the 
