34G 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
INorember 2, 1872. 
with, the moisture of the pituitary membrane, which 
seizes them, and in the presence of the delicate nerve 
fibres gives rise to the most varied sensations. 
The great diffusibility and divisibility manifested by 
certain odorous substances is worthy of notice. Amber¬ 
gris freshly deposited upon a bank spreads a perfume 
which assists the collector in his search, and the sources 
of petroleum are to be smelt at a long distance.. A single 
grain of musk will perfume an apartment during a year 
without sensible loss of weight. Haller records that he 
preserved for forty years some papers which had been per¬ 
fumed by one grain of ambergris, and at the end of that 
time they still retained their odour. He calculated that 
each inch of surface had been impregnated by ysuTo^Tooo 
of grain of ambergris,which had sufficed to perfume during 
all that time a layer of air at least a foot in thickness. It 
is impossible to conceive how small was the actual 
quantity of the odorous principle present in a given 
quantity of this air, and such examples are cited by 
physicists to illustrate the divisibility of matter. The 
presence of oxygen, as well as of the odorous principle, 
appear to be the express conditions of the phenomenon of 
smelling ; but whether the oxygen exercises any chemi¬ 
cal influence upon the particles, or even whether the 
sensation is due to a mechanical action or to a decomposi¬ 
tion that takes place is not known. In a recent work, 
Mr. Piesse has shown considerable ingenuity in tracing 
a harmony of perfumes analogous to that existing be¬ 
tween colours and between sounds. 
[To be continued.) 
PRESENTATION TO MR. HAMPSON. 
The purpose for which the Chemists’ Defence Associa¬ 
tion was instituted having been fully accomplished, and 
its labours brought to a successful termination, it was 
felt by the committee that before the association was 
finally dissolved, some acknowledgment ought to be 
made to Mr. Robert Hampson the late honorary secre¬ 
tary, whose unwearied exertions and untiring devotion 
contributed so materially to its success. 
Subscriptions were accordingly solicited from the 
members, in order that a suitable testimonial might be 
procured; and sufficient funds having been collected, the 
committee decided to purchase a silver inkstand, with a 
gold pen and holder, as being the most appropriate 
articles for presentation to one whose pen is ever ready 
in the service of pharmacy, either to advance its interests 
or defend its cause. 
Itwas originally intended that the presentation should 
be made to Mr. Hampson at a public meeting of the sub¬ 
scribers, but that being found impracticable, the testi¬ 
monial was exhibted at the October meeting of the Man¬ 
chester Chemists’ Association, and afterwards forwarded 
to him, with an address on vellum, as follows:— 
“ To Robert Hampson, Esq., Pharmaceutical 
Chemist. 
“ Dear Sir,—The desire of a Government Department 
to apply to chemists and druggists vexatious and imprac¬ 
ticable regulations upon the storage of poisons, shaped 
itself into the so-called Pharmacy Bill of 1871. 
“ Circumstances which need not further be recalled 
gave a dangerous probability to the passing of the 
measure, in spite of the indignant protests of those who 
were most nearly concerned. The largest of the various 
Defence Associations was fortunate in having you as its 
honorary secretary. To your earnest, incessant and 
self-sacrificing labours at this time, the success achieved 
by our cause was due to a very large extent. We desire 
to record our sense of the deep obligation thus incurred. 
“ We know that your action was founded upon a con¬ 
scientious sense of the responsibilities of our profession, 
and was supported by an unflinching faith in your 
principles. Like ourselves, you endorsed the opinion of 
John Stuart Mill, who says, ‘Speaking generally, 
there is no one so fit to conduct any business, or to de¬ 
termine how or by whom it shall be conducted, as those 
who are personally interested in it. This principle 
condemns the interferences, once so common, of the 
Legislature, or the officers of Government with the ordi¬ 
nary processes of industry.’ Like you, we recognize a 
high sense of individual responsibility as being a better 
safeguard to the public interest than the addition of 
penalties to the Statute-book. 
“ We look back upon our late struggle as being accom¬ 
panied by much that is for the good of pharmacy, besides 
the reward of success. The self-reliance of our body 
was never so fully developed, and many friendships have 
been established amongst those who worked together for 
a common cause. 
“ Will you do us the favour of accepting the accom¬ 
panying silver inkstand, subscribed for by members of 
the late Chemists’ Defence Association, as a small me¬ 
mento of their friendship and esteem, and as an expres¬ 
sion of their gratitude for your great services to their 
cause. 
“ Signed on behalf of the late 
“ Chemists’ Defence Association, 
“ W. S. Brown, Chairman , 
“ W. Wilkinson, Hon. Secretary. 
“ Manchester , October 21 st, 1872 .” 
To which Mr. Hampson sent the following reply :— 
“ 205, St. John Street Road , JS.C. 
“ My Dear Sirs,—I feel it very difficult to acknow¬ 
ledge as I wish the expressions of friendship and com¬ 
mendation, much beyond my due, which your very kind 
address conveys to me, and which I see reflected in the 
elegant gift accompanying it. 
“ There was no need for the committee or members 
of the late Chemists’ Defence Association to single me 
out that they might thus mark the little work I did, 
when so many laboured for the good cause with an 
ardour equal to, if not greater, than that which I gave 
to it. 
“ But I must confess that I feel deeply your kindness, 
that I value your esteem, and the tangible memento 1 re¬ 
ceive from you I shall treasure with genuine gratification. 
The friendships gained during our contention for prin¬ 
ciple will be to me a life-long pleasure, and have fully 
repaid any labour expended in the work. I only wish 
that I had had greater strength to devote to the cause. 
“ The battle of the ‘ Poison Regulations ’ is happily 
over, and we may fairly congratulate ourselves that we 
do not wear the trammels of unnecessary legislation. 
The words of John Stuart Mill, which you so aptly 
quote, give the pith and significance of the opposition 
carried on by the Chemists’ Defence Associations. 
“Now that the needful educational test is required, 
I believe that pharmacists will be so united as to be able 
successfully to oppose any interference which detracts 
from the sense of personal responsibility in the conduct 
of their business. 
“ Will you convey to the members of the late Che¬ 
mists’ Defence Association my sincere thanks for their 
useful gift, and for their many expressions of kindness. 
“ I am, my dear Sirs, 
“ Yours faithfully, 
“ Robert Hampson. 
“ October 2 ith, 1872 . 
“W. S. Brown, Esq., Chairman, 
“ W. Wilkinson, Esq., Hon. Secretary of the late 
Chemists’ Defence Association.” 
On the inkstand the following inscription was en¬ 
graved :— 
“ Presented to Mr. Robert Hampson by a few mem¬ 
bers of the Chemists’ Defence Association, in recognition 
of his services as Hon. Secretary, and their successful 
result. 
“ Manchester , October , 1872 .” 
