470 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [December 14,1872. 
AWARD OF PRIZES BY THE FRENCH ACADEMY. 
On the 25tli November the Academie cles Sciences 
held its annual public meeting, on which occasion 
the Tprizes for the last two years were awarded. 
3VI. Faye, the Vice-President for 1871, delivered an 
address in which he alluded to the disasters from 
which France had suffered, and said that, neverthe¬ 
less, the sittings of the Academy had been uninter¬ 
rupted, except on one occasion, when one of the per¬ 
petual secretaries having left his home for the 
Academy was obliged to return in consequence of 
the erection of barricades and the imminent danger of 
his house being destroyed by fire. M. Faye also 
congratulated his hearers upon the fact of the French 
metre having been recognized in Great Britain and 
the United States, and adopted in Germany. 
Amongst the prizes awarded, numbering 34 in the 
two years, were—(1870) the Jecker Prize, 1700 
francs each, to Messrs. Clermont, Gal and Gri- 
maux, for researches in organic chemistry ; the 
Barbier Prize (in the absence of a botanical com¬ 
petitor) to M. Personne, for his researches on 
chloral; (1871) the Jecker Prize of 5000 francs to 
M. Schutzenberger for liis labours in organic che¬ 
mistry; the Barbier Prize, to M. Duquesnel, pliar- 
macien and author of a work entitled ‘ De 1’Aconitine 
Cristallisee;’ * the Monty on Prize, in experimental 
physiology, to M. Raulin, for a treatise entitled 
‘ Etudes Chimiques sur Vegetation.’ 
The system of giving prizes for original research, 
which is such an important feature in connection 
with the French Academy, is one that is undoubtedly 
successful, net only in promoting scientific investi¬ 
gation, but in influencing generale ducation. Many 
suggestions have recently been made as to the most 
profitable disposal of the presumed surplus funds of 
the Pharmaceutical Society, and it would, perhaps, 
be worthy of consideration whether a portion might 
not advantageously be applied in a similar manner 
to assist in the development of pharmaceutical re¬ 
search in this country. 
THE ADULTERATION ACT. 
At a recent meeting of the Association of the 
Medical Officers of Health, Dr. Letheby brought 
forward the subject of the payment of analysts ap¬ 
pointed under the above Act, with the object of ob¬ 
taining the sense of the Association upon the ques¬ 
tion. He estimated that an average of 250 analyses 
would be required from each analyist appointed, and 
he suggested that if paid wholly by salary, each 
analyst should receive T175 per annum; if partly by 
salary and partly by fees, then at the rate of £ 1. Is. 
each for the first 100 analyses, and 10s. 6 d. each 
for the remainder; if paid wholly by fees, then the 
scale should range from 2s. Gel. to 10s. 0 d. per 
analysis, that being the scale of fees required by 
the Act to be paid by any purchaser of articles of 
* See Piiabm. Joubn. [3] vol. ii. p. 602. 
food, etc., desirous of having such articles analysed 
The suggestion was approved by the Association. 
Dr. Whitmore has been appointed public analyst 
for the parish of Marylebone, and Dr. Bernays, of 
St. Thomas’s Hospital, for the parish of Camber¬ 
well. So far as we have been able to ascertain, the 
tendency of the bodies in whom is vested the ap¬ 
pointment of analysts under this Act, has, hitherto, 
been to appoint medical officers of health of tlieir 
districts, and there is little doubt but that this ten¬ 
dency is encouraged by the Local Government 
authorities. 
DISINFECTANTS AND DISINFECTING. 
In our correspondence columns we have inserted) 
a letter from Messrs. M‘Dougall Brothers, in re- 
fere nee to our remarks upon this subject recently 
The preparations referred to by Messrs. M‘Dougall 
are known to us, but we have no positive evidence 
as to their practical utility as compared with carbolic 
acid. As bearing upon this question, it may be 
mentioned that the authorities of the Smithfield 
Club Cattle Show have this year resorted to the use 
of Sir William Burnett’s Disinfecting Fluid. 
A society has been formed under the title of the 
National Health Society, which is to have for its 
object to help every man and woman, rich and poor, 
to know for himself, and to carry out practically 
around him, the best conditions of healthy living. 
The steps at present proposed are the holding of 
monthly meetings for the reading of papers; the 
establishing of classes for instruction in various 
branches of sanitary science; the delivery of free 
popular lectures; and the formation of a reference 
library and an information office. 
On Monday last, Mr. J. K. Lord, the naturalist 
and superintendent of the Brighton Aquarium, died 
after a short illness. Two days previously the first 
public illumination of the Aquarium took place with 
great success. 
A meeting of the representatives of the Italian 
Pharmaceutical College has been recently held in 
Rome, having for its object an examination of the- 
status of the body, which was found to be satisfac¬ 
tory. Messrs. Rolli, Peretti, Cicconi, Marignani, 
and De Cesarisi, of Rome; Colleoni, of Venice; 
Garofoletti, of | Milan ; De Vecchi, of Umbria; 
Kernot, of Naples; and Monteforte, of Palermo, 
were nominated as a committee to inquire into the pro¬ 
gress of pharmacy in the west of Europe, and apply 
the same to Italy ; also to draw up a pharmaceuti¬ 
cal code of laws and a single tariff. 
