November 30,1S72.3 THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
431 
is well as in the Malay peninsula. The leaves yield 
ltrge quantities, for what is in the bottle came off six 
haves. One day, being in the jungle, I observed the 
same kind of leaves, but very much destroyed by being 
fu 1 of round holes, and as I was wondering what could 
ham produced such an effect, I saw an insect come and 
cut a piece out of a leaf and fly away, probably to build 
a house for itself; so that the hairy down is useful to 
insects, whether it is or not for animal life.” I submitted 
these leaves to Professor Balfour, who, however, was 
unable to classify them, although he took great pains to 
do so. I then forwarded them to Professor Bentley, who, 
in reply, writes, “ I am sorry I can give you no positive 
information as to the plant yielding the leaves you for¬ 
warded to me. I did not recognize the leaves, but 
thought) they were derived from a species of Ficus. I 
therefore went to the British Museum, and submitted 
them to Mr. Carruthers and his assistants, but no one 
could identify them. Mr. Carruthers thinks they are 
derived from Ficus tomeutosa, but as there were no spe¬ 
cimens of this plant in the British Museum herbarium, 
no positive data existed by which they might be traced 
to that plant. Unless, therefore, some botanist from 
India could recognize them at sight, the only way to 
trace their botanical source would be to obtain specimens 
of the flowers, etc., with the leaves of the plant. Judging 
from the down from the leaves, it seems to be probable 
it might be useful.” Since receiving Professor Bentley’s 
letter I requested Professor Archer to examine them, 
and he has pronounced them to be the leaves of Ficus 
lasiopliylla, from a young plant. The hairy down de¬ 
creases with the age of the tree. 
Mr. Jamie takes great interest in our Society, and he 
fully expected to have made a very interesting contri¬ 
bution for the opening of last session. He wrote me, 
“ You will be sorry when I inform you that I am unable 
to forward you an article to read when you are president, 
which is disappointing to myself, as I made every effort 
and went to considerable expense to be able to send you 
something both new and rare. It was to be on essential 
oil as an article of perfumery ; but not getting a sample 
of it made through not knowing the nature of the 
flowers, I thought it useless to write an account of it 
without being able to place before the Society a sample 
of the oil. Now that I am on the subject I shall just 
mention the plant of which I thought the oil would be a 
valuable product. The natives here call it Champaka 
Putch. ‘ Putch ’ is Malay, and means white. There is 
another kind called Champaka Kiming (yellow), the 
flowers of which have a strong and not unpleasant 
smell, and are very much used by the natives in the 
East for the perfume, for which they pay a high price. 
The white flowers are still more valuable, and give a far 
pleasanter perfume. In ‘ Gray ’ you will find a very 
short account of it under the Sanskrit name, and in 
the ‘Treasury of Botany,’ under the botanical name 
Michelia champaka, you will find a condensed account of 
it. In these I think the yellow is meant. The yellow is 
propagated from seeds, but the white is cultivated from 
grafts. I had collected about 50 lb. of flowers of the 
white, and expected a beautiful sample of oil; but 
before I could get them distilled, fermentation began and 
completely destroyed the whole. I hope better success 
will attend my endeavour next time if I should again 
venture on the same experiment. I do think it would 
be worth the while, and shall try to keep it in mind. 
The Ilang-Uang of Manilla, in my opinion, cannot be 
compared to it.” 
Mr. Jamie, in his last letter, writes, “ I am very sorry 
to say that I have had no opportunity of again trying 
the flower of the Champaka for the oil, as this year we 
have had no flowers, nor has anything occurred to my 
observation worth communicating through you to the so¬ 
ciety. I suppose the museum is not to be confined 
entirely to one branch, but that every branch of the 
animal and vegetable kingdom will be represented 
as well as inorganic specimens. In' the expectation 
that minerals will be acceptable, I have bespoke 
a specimen of galena found on the east coast of the 
Malay peninsula, between Sangora and Patani, from 
the gentleman who brought me the tree-fern. He was 
successful in discovering three mountains of galena 
(sulphide of lead), rich in silver. It is said on very good 
authority that ten years will not take away one of them, 
though wrought night and day. A gold company also 
has been formed in Malacca. The assay of gold to the 
ton is 4i oz. I shall try to obtain a piece of the quartz. 
A tin mining company' has been formed also near to the 
gold. When once they 7 have begun I shall try to obtain 
a specimen of it. Should y r ou think the tree-fern and 
the hairy down and leaves worth presenting to the 
museum, by all means do so.” 
Thus far Mr. Jamie : I am sure y r ou will agree with 
me that it is very gratifying to find a zealous worker in 
so distant a place as the Malay 7 peninsula. I shall no 
longer trespass upon ymur time, but ask our honorary se¬ 
cretary to read his paper on “Pharmaceutical Education.” 
At the close of the address Mr. Mackay 7 proposed that 
a hearty vote of thanks should be tendered to Mr. 
Jamie at Singapore, who, though so far distant, yet had 
remembered the Society’s museum here, and that Mr. 
Baildon should be asked to transmit the same on the 
first opportunity when writing to Mr. Jamie. This 
was carried by acclamation, and the President said he 
would have much pleasure in acceding to the wish just 
expressed. 
Mr. John Mackay 7 then read the following paper on 
“ What course ought the Society to follow in reference 
to Pharmaceutical Education ? ” 
There is no subject of more importance at the present 
time than the question of pharmaceutical education. 
So much has been said and written regarding the 
best means of giving an impetus to the educational de¬ 
partment of pharmacy 7 , that it occurred to me as a right 
and proper thing, on this the opening night of our ses¬ 
sion, to give the members of our society an opportunity 
of expressing their opinion in connection with what has 
been for so long a keen object of discussion. 
I do this all the more readily that while so much has 
already 7 been written, printed, and circulated, no fixed 
plan has, up to the present sime been received, adopted, 
or recommended by the London Council. 
My 7 remai'ks will not extend to any great length, be¬ 
cause my 7 desire is chiefly 7 to draw the attention of those 
hearing me to the leading facts in connection with this 
question, and by 7 so doing induce a discussion, in the 
course of which some new views may be evolved, and 
thus add to the existing and expressed ideas as to the 
best mode of improving the means of educating those 
whose daily work is connected with pharmacy 7 . 
In very shortly 7 reviewing our position, let me remind 
y 7 ou, that the primary object sought for in establishing 
the Pharmaceutical Society was that of advancing, che¬ 
mistry and pharmacy 7 , and thus promoting an uniform 
system of education among those who carried on the 
business of chemist and druggist. With what energy 
this has been done, and what amount of success has re¬ 
sulted from the anxieties and labours of the founders 
and their successors, is known to many of you. I am 
one of those who think the Society has done its work 
ably and well. But I also believe that the time has 
now come, when the system hitherto pursued ought to.be 
modified and changed. At the opening of the session 
last year in London, I ventured to hint that ere long 
our Society would cease to be an educating body, and I 
fancy that prediction will ere long be fulfilled. 
Glancing at the Acts of 1852 and 1868, and the by 7 e- 
laws formed in accordance with them, we have very 7 
specific and stringent clauses, not only 7 regarding the 
appointment of examining boards, but also indicating 
the nature and extent of the powers so conferred. Now, 
