428 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[November 30, 1872i. 
paratively innocent; perhaps some chalybeate spring is 
at the bottom of it. The investigation must be carried 
further, and evaporation, incineration, the application of 
other tests—and probably their manufacture—take up a 
great portion of the day ; for be it borne in mind that 
these delicate testings must as a rule be completed with¬ 
out interruption—they cannot be taken up and put down 
to suit convenience. 
“ Let any one who has a doubt onthe matter take a litre 
of water and evaporate it in a glass or earthenware vesse' 
to dryness, and note the time it takes—not, of course, 
requiring the constant presence of the operator, but 
necessitating frequent looking after. 
“ Besides the consideration of time comes that of appa¬ 
ratus ; and it is surprising the number of appliances such 
a simple analysis requires. 
“ But water, though probably the item most frequently 
needing investigation, is but one of a long list; and 
when the question involves the possible condemnation of 
food, implicating perhaps a tradesman’s character, one 
would feel very chary indeed of giving an opinion unless 
supported by the unchangeable evidence of scientific 
facts. 
“Inmaking these remarks, I speak from practical ex¬ 
perience ; and every practical man will, I feel, concur 
with me—that, short and easy as a simple analysis ap¬ 
pears in print, it needs apparatus, care, and time in per¬ 
formance. 
“ Now, with the general practitioner apparatus is pur¬ 
chasable ; care is voluntary ; but what about the time ?” 
The justice of these remarks will, we are sure, be 
recognized by every one at all conversant with the 
technical details of chemical analysis ; and we trust 
that the Local Government Board will not fail to 
exercise a careful discretion in confirming the ap¬ 
pointments of analysts made by local authorities, so 
as at any rate to ensure the efficient performance of 
the duties they may be called on to perform, and at 
the same time prevent the very possible misapplica¬ 
tion of the Act, as a means of persecution, 
quackery, or mere trade purposes of advertising. 
Adopting the view that this Act will be generally 
brought into operation, it seems that some greater 
attention should be paid to its prospective working 
from the tradesman’s point of view than has hitherto 
been the case, and in the first place the thorough 
fitness of the analysts appointed seems to be espe¬ 
cially important in that respect, for it would be 
impossible to over-estimate the amount of injury 
which might be suffered in consequence of frivolous 
01 unfounded charges being made. Moreover 
there seem to be very great and grave defects in 
the provisions of the bill as to procuring samples of 
food, drink, and drugs, and submitting them to 
anatysis. W e should like to see the power of “ sus¬ 
pecting entrusted to some more definite and respon¬ 
sible authority than the Act indicates, and some 
better guarantee of bona Jides on the part of “ any 
purchaser than the mere payment of a sum ranging 
from two shillings and sixpence to half a guinea? 
As regai ds the readers of this Journal more espe- 
pedaily, we may point out that the incorporation of 
the Pharmacy Act and the Act to Piegulate the Sale 
of Poisons in Ireland with the Adulteration Act, 
would seem to have some graver possible effects 
than appear on first sight of this provision, and w'e 
think this aspect of the matter well worthy the 
consideration of the trade. 
In connection with this point it is somewhat cu¬ 
rious to note what were the reasons for incorpora¬ 
ting the Pharmacy Act, given as follows by Lord 
Eustace Cecil, one of the active promoters of legis¬ 
lative enactment against adulteration. 
“A definition of articles injurious to health was> 
thought to have been sufficiently provided by the in¬ 
corporation into the Act, of the Pharmacy Act which 
contained a schedule of poisonous ingredients.” 
This would seem to leave a wide field still for 
adulterators, and fully justifies his Lordship’s sug¬ 
gestion that, if there was any difficulty as to the- 
interpretation of the statute, a case should be stated 
for the decision of one of the superior courts. The 
Pharmaceutical Society lias already adopted this 
course in regard to the question of eligibility for the 
office of analyst. In so doing it seems to have 
roused the indignation of the Executive Council of' 
the South-Eastern Branch of the British Medical 
Association, and to have induced that body to pass- 
a resolution that the ordinary dispensing chemists 
and druggists of the county are not qualified for the 
offices of analysts, as w^ell as to decide upon sending a 
deputation to Mr. Stansfeld, the President of the 
Local Government Board, with the object of impress¬ 
ing upon him the importance of this and other reso¬ 
lutions they had passed. This proceeding, which 
seems to have had in reality much of the “ hole 
and corner” character, has, however, been magnified 
into appearing as a deputation of the entire British 
Medical Association, and w r as so reported in the 
Times of Friday, 22nd inst., without this mistake 
laving as yet been rectified, so far as w r e are aware. 
It would not be difficult to point out that it is scarcely 
lertinent for a small knot of medical men to consti¬ 
tute themselves judges as to qualification for an office 
which they are admitted to be unfit to fill; but w r e re- 
rain from entering upon a tu quoque controversy oil 
this subject. We must, however, express our surprise 
hat Mr. Stansfeld should so readily have ac¬ 
quiesced in this resolution, and still more that he 
should have done so as a matter of course. We 
freely admit that under existing conditions the 
qualification for conducting analytical work is not 
universally possessed by members of the trade ; but 
we can at the same time assert without fear of con¬ 
tradiction that in its ranks there are very many who 
are in every respect qualified to hold the office of 
analyst under the Act, and to perform its duties with 
lenefit to the public as w r ell as credit to themselves. 
We trust this apparently very foolish ebullition of 
jealousy will meet with the repudiation it deserves 
from medical men in general, and that it may in no- 
w r ay lessen the mutual cordiality existing between 
tw r o classes so closely connected together. 
The next Evening Meeting of the Pharmaceutical 
Society will be held on Wednesday, December 
4th. The following papers are announced to be read 
on that occasion :—“ Note on a Macerating Stand,” 
by Mr. B. W. Giles ; “ The Extracts containing 
Chloropliyl,” by Mr. J. B. Barnes ; “ Dispensing. 
Note on Chloral Hydrate,” by Mr. J. G. Plumer;. 
“ Sulphurated Antimony, Official and Commer¬ 
cial,” by Mr. John Moss, F.C.S. 
