October 26, 1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
S3S 
to the society, to help in ever so small a way. This 
feeling has doubtless been fostered by formal papers 
being the only means which they have recognized as 
proper ; and as they perhaps could not aid in this way 
they never think to aid at all. Yet how much might 
be done if a new preparation were made known, or a 
new drug described, some quaint passage read from an old 
book, or prescription read presenting points of difficulty 
or interest, or some discovery in scientific or practical 
•chemistry explained ? It is deserving of thought 
whether it might not be desirable to have at least one 
evening in the session occupied by a lecture by some 
eminent stranger; but as this would involve an applica¬ 
tion to our treasurer, I forbear. 
I would make one other suggestion, namely, to have 
an informal conversazione and microscopical meeting, 
not a dress affair, or, at the risk of being thought un¬ 
gallant, open to ladies. The illustrations at this should 
be purely technical, and the object distinctly under¬ 
stood to he mutual intercourse of opinion on our noble 
science. 
Our regular work at the ordinary meetings should 
not, in my opinion, be rudimentarily educational. Know¬ 
ledge which can be derived from ordinary text-books is, 
I think, best got from them or from a competent teacher. 
This brings me to the consideration of the association’s 
relation to its young members and associates. 
Primarily, the idea in opening the association to these 
was to afford the aid which a valuable and well-selected 
library and museum could give to form a well-instructed 
mind; and thafiby listening to men of experience, they 
might learn in time to take their father’s place as members. 
As examination has become compulsory, and young men 
must in some way qualify themselves for passing this, it 
becomes a matter for consideration what the. association 
•should do under these new conditions. Direct aid to 
•education your association does not give ; it does not 
pay teachers or provide apparatus or lecture-room. The 
advancement of chemical and pharmaceutical knowledge, 
mot raising scholars to the present standard, is its end 
and aim. Yet, as a subsidiary object, I do not know 
how the energies of the association could be more use¬ 
fully applied than in this direction. What line of action 
will be adopted I cannot say; and, as your President, I 
feel loth to say anything which might seem to commit 
your Council to any steps which they had not well 
weighed and deliberated. A suggestion that a box 
should be provided for the reception of queries to be 
answered by myself or any member most thoroughly 
acquainted with the special subject, met with the hearty 
approval of your Council, and has been carried out. 
Henceforth the receptacle will stand on the table, and 
any one may before the meeting insert the question, or on 
sending them to the secretary he will do so. 
Another plan suggested, is to provide a place where 
students may meet and study, availing themselves of the 
aid which those more advanced can give. As this has not 
been discussed by your Council, I do not at present express 
any opinion upon it. One thing only I would say to 
any young fellow-student (for I am myself still a stu¬ 
dent) as one who has not yet forgotten his younger days 
and early struggles with the difficulties of knowledge, 
-depend mainly on yourselves; do not believe that mental 
work can ever be replaced by anything in theworldbesides. 
What you find out you will remember, what you are 
fold you may. You may get faster over the ground by 
the aid of a coach, but to know the country, its beauties 
and its riches, you must walk on your own legs, see with 
your own eyes, and know with your own head. 
Perhaps the subject which wall now occur to you as 
my next, is the general use of pharmaceutical education. 
I shall refrain, however, as it will be the subject of our 
next meeting, and my views have been expressed to the 
association in a former address. On one branch— 
namely, chemistry—I would offer a few remarks. We 
all claim the name of chemists, [either pure, simple, or 
combined with “ druggist.” In the former case there i3 
no need to speak of the necessity of the study of che¬ 
mistry, scientific and practical; it is the business of our 
workday lives. But how far, in the other case, are the 
members of our association willing or desirous to 
abandon the title altogether, and as “pharmacists,” or 
by any other name, drop the standing proof that at one 
;ime their predecessors were the chemists of the day ? 
This should be done, if the knowledge of chemistry is 
to be thought a slight matter, or, indeed, anything but 
a primary requisite. You may fancy that I am guilty 
of the “ nothing-like-leather ” fallacy; that because it is 
important to me I think it must be good for everybody, 
but I don’t think that I do. 
I know that many who wish to become chemists wish 
to get the minimum of information which will just pass 
;hem, and avow their intention of then letting it drop. I 
fear the modern monomania among the heads of the 
scientific part of the profession for speculating on the 
hidden mvsteries of a molecule, and the fearful pictures 
recalling the Chinese puzzles of our youth, are answer- 
able for some of the distaste which seems growing. It is 
good to study these, as all theories with a sufficient basis 
jive some help to an advanced student; but I confess to 
a sympathy with Professor Bunsen, who would not let his 
pupils use symbols for three or four months, and Gay- 
Lussac, who pursued the same course. Truly one may 
debate on the manner of expressing a fact until the 
fact itself sinks into comparative insignificance; and if 
students would remember that an intelligent knowledge 
of the facts of chemistry may be made a possession 
which will lead to the explanation of the theories if they 
wish, but which in itself is practically most valuable, 
they would cease to despise it. I strive when teaching to 
express the facts in the simplest possible form— H 2 S0 4 for 
sulphuric acid involves no theory, and not until a student 
has mastered a fair portion of the field of chemical 
knowledge would I willingly put S0 2 j i n his way. 
If there be any disposition to demand this abstract know¬ 
ledge from pharmaceutical students, I would most strenu¬ 
ously oppose it, whilst any fair quantity of knowledge of 
chemical reaction or operations may be demanded as 
an absolute requirement. To turn from the subject. to 
one to which I alluded last year, that of adulteration 
of food and drugs, I have no change to make in 
my faith. Another pottering with the question has oc¬ 
cupied the attention of Parliament; and now, if a dealer 
says that an adulterated article is pure,, and. you can 
prove that he knew it was not, you can punish him. I do 
not know if you are in the habit of asking when you 
buy anything whether it is pure. I must own that I do 
not, and in getting a week’s grocery, for example, it 
would be a pleasant operation to put the question in each 
instance. As far as regards the adulteration.of drugs, 
our public analyst, I see, is left to his own discretion ; 
and if he should think with one of our daily papers that 
he is bound to show a reason for his official existence, 
you may expect a descent upon you. My own expe¬ 
rience would lead me to believe that he will not find 
much prey amongst pharmacists. Still 
“ If there’s a hole in a’ your coats 
I rede you tent it; 
A chiefs amang you taking notes, 
And faith he’ll prent it.” 
The past year, taking the period in its official sense, 
s not been marked with great pharmaceutical novcl- 
ss. In scientific chemistry another great discovery has 
en made. By a scientific investigation, which for (liffi- 
Ity and complexity is almost unequalled, the colouring 
itter of indigo, indigotine has been added to the fist 
natural products now made artificially. . Nitro-aceto- 
L enon, obtained by the action of nitric acid of 
etophenon, itself a product from the dry distillation ot 
nzoates and acetates mixed, only differs from indigotine 
