October 5,1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
263 
®jje JjJaroaaatical Journal. 
- o - 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1872. 
Communications for this Journal, and books for review, etc., 
should be addressed to Editor, 17, Bloomsbury Square. 
Instructions from Members and Associates respecting the 
transmission of the Journal should be sent to Elias Brem- 
RiDGE, Secretary, 17, Bloomsbury Square , W.C. 
Advertisements to Messrs. Churchill, New Burlington 
Street , London, W. Envelopes indorsed u Bharm. Journ.” 
THE NEW SESSION. 
The ceremony of presenting prizes to the success¬ 
ful scholars of a past session, and offering words of 
welcome and advice to the intending students in 
the Society’s School of Pharmacy at Bloomsbury 
Square, is always a very pleasant occasion. And 
this was truly the case on Wednesday last. Seldom 
has the assemblage been more numerous; the gra- 
tulations which met the recipients of prizes could not 
have been heartier; while it is no disrespect to his 
predecessors to say that no more appropriate ad¬ 
dress has been delivered to the students than the 
wise and genial words of Mr. William Walter 
Stoddart. 
It was only natural that at such a meeting allu¬ 
sions should be made to topics which have special 
interest at the present tune, when the educational 
arrangements of the Society are the subject of so 
much discussion, and so great difference of opinion. 
The remarks of Professor Attfield in reference to 
the Bell Scholars who studied in the Laboratory 
during last session, formed an appropriate sequence 
to the discussion at the Council-table in the morning 
of the same day. The Committee of the Council 
in making then- report seemed to be of opinion that 
the abolition of the Senior Bell Scholarship, and 
the increase of the normal number of Junior Scholar¬ 
ships to two, would tend to ensure the instruction 
being given to a class of men likely to remain in the 
ranks of pharmacy, and that so, the immediate 
object of the Scholarships,—the advance of scientific 
pharmacy,—would be best attained. But it is very 
significant that of the three Junior Bell Scholars of 
last session, one has already entered a medical 
school, while anothfer appears only to have been 
restrained from leaving the business by the prospect 
of a desirable foreign engagement. We are afraid 
that, under the present conditions of pharmacy, this 
is only natural on the part of aspiring, intellectual 
and well-educated young men ; and that such cases 
would continue to occur whether the Scholarships 
were Senior or Junior. But now that the Council 
appears to have decided upon abolishing the Senior 
Scholarship, and instituting two uniform Scholar¬ 
ships under reconstructed conditions, it is doubtless 
desirable that these conditions should, as far as 
possible, be framed so as to secure the object in 
view. To tliis end we have no doubt that any sug¬ 
gestions from those who have well considered the 
subject will be cheerfully received by the Committee 
appointed to report as to the details of the scheme. 
One very pleasing testimony of the relations which 
exist between the teachers and the taught at the 
Society’s School, was the very beautiful balance 
which the past students have subscribed for 
to present to the late Demonstrator, Dr. Tilden. 
In him the laboratory students have sustained a 
severe loss, both as a teacher and friend. But we 
do not doubt that in the gentleman who has been 
appointed to succeed him, who has for the last three 
years acted as Assistant Demonstrator, they will find 
that the Council have provided for them a teacher 
who to experience adds the desire worthily to supply 
his predecessor’s place. 
It is gratifying to be able to add, that up to the 
present time the number of students entering is 
highly satisfactory, and there appears to be every 
prospect of a most prosperous Session. 
THE NEW ADULTERATION ACT. 
It will be seen upon reference to the report of the 
proceedings of the Council at their last meeting, that 
the doubt expressed by a correspondent and alluded 
to in these columns, as to the eligibility of pharma¬ 
ceutical chemists for the office of public analyst 
under the new Adulteration Act, has been submitted 
for the opinion of the Society’s solicitor. We are 
glad to find that gentleman is of opinion that the 
medical knowledge required is not that of the phy¬ 
sician as to the cure of disease, but such knowledge 
of the properties and characteristics of medicines as 
would be possessed by those who are in the daily 
habit of handling and dispensing them. We hope 
that so reasonable and desirable a reading of the 
words of the Act will be sustained, in accordance 
with the views we have already expressed as to the 
special fitness of pharmaceutical chemists to fill 
offices in which a practical knowledge of chemistry 
is required. 
We have been favoured by Professor Attfield 
with two letters relating to his paper on Pharma¬ 
ceutical Education, which he received too late to 
allow of their being read at the meeting of the Con¬ 
ference at Brighton. One of these is from Mr. 
Frazer, who has taken an active part in reference 
to education as a member of Council; the other is 
from Mr. Walker, who has had considerable expe¬ 
rience in educational matters. In order to complete 
the series we have great pleasure in giving them 
insertion, and they will be found printed at pp. 278-0. 
