632 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[February 8, 1873. 
Mr. Williams was surprised to hear that the speci¬ 
mens were not in good order, because two years ago 
following the visit of Mr. Deane to Edinburgh, the Coun¬ 
cil authorized the expenditure of a sum of money for 
the purpose of making good these defects. He was rather 
astonished now to find it had not been done ; it was cer¬ 
tainly very false economy not to provide for the proper 
conduct of the examinations. 
Mr. Mackay said the matter had been standing over 
in consequence of the getting into the new premises. 
In fact, even the old specimens had had to he stored 
until the new rooms were ready, and they had been 
rather hoping that the President would come down and 
see them, when it might he decided what additions and 
improvements should be made. 
The President said it would he much more satisfac¬ 
tory to him if the necessary articles were provided first 
under the direction of the Edinburgh Board, so that 
when he visited them, as he hoped to do in April, he 
should see them in thorough working order. 
Benevolent Fund. 
The Report of this Committee was read, giving the 
particulars of an application for assistance by Elizabeth 
Parker, widow of Mr. James Davies Parker, upwards 
of twenty years confidential clerk to Messrs. Herrings, 
who died suddenly a short time since. 
The Secretary said he was sorry to find, notwith¬ 
standing the distressing circumstances and deserving 
character of the applicant, that, though her late hus¬ 
band had made the necessary application and was 
eligible for the Modified examination, he had not pre¬ 
sented himself for examination, and, therefore, was not 
registered as a chemist and druggist. As the Benevolent 
Fund was only applicable to registered persons, the 
Council were unable to make a grant to Mrs. Parker. 
The report was received and adopted. 
Library, Museum, and Laboratory. 
The Report of this Committee was read. It recom¬ 
mended the purchase of a new edition of Beasley’s 
‘ Druggists’ Receipt Book ’ for the library. 
The report was received and adopted. 
Provincial Education. 
The Report of this Committee, recommending a grant 
of £10 to the Leicester Chemists’ Association for the 
purchase of glass cases for the museum, was received 
and adopted. 
Parliamentary'. 
The Report of this Committee was read, giving par¬ 
ticulars of two cases in which proceedings had been 
taken against offenders under the Pharmacy Act. 
The leport was received. 
One of these cases, that against William L. Wilson, of 
142, Gfarscube Road, Glasgow, was fully reported in the 
Society’s Journal, of January 25th. In the other case, 
against James Mathieson, of 109, South Portland Street, 
Glasgow, the defendant pleaded “guilty,” and the 
penalty of £5 and costs had been recovered. 
Proposed Alterations in tiie Bye-laws. 
Several alterations in the bye-laws were proposed for 
the consideration of the Council. They were read by 
the President and discussed seriatim. 
Present. 
Section 1, clause 10. 
It shall be competent to 
the Council to restore any 
defaulter to his former 
status in the Society on 
payment of his arrears 
and any fine which it may 
be thought fit by the Coun¬ 
cil to impose,’not exceed¬ 
ing half-a-guinea. 
This was 
Proposed. 
Section 1, clause 10. 
It shall be competent to 
the Council to restore any 
defaulter to his former sta¬ 
tus in the Society on pay¬ 
ment of a fine, not exceed¬ 
ing five guineas. 
agreed to without discussion. 
Present. 
--—.— 
Proposed. 
Section 1, clause 12. 
All persons becoming 
Members of the Society, 
in exercise of the privileges 
conferred and defined by 
Sections 18 and 19 of the 
Act, 1868, shall on election 
pay an entrance-fee or sum 
of two guineas, exclusive 
of an annual subscription. 
Section 1, clause 12. 
All persons becoming 
Members of the Society, in 
exercise of the privileges 
conferred and defined by 
Sections 18 and 19 of the 
Act, 1868, shall on election 
pay an entrance-fee or sum 
of one guinea, exclusive of 
an annual subscription. 
The only alteration in this, as will be seen, was the sub¬ 
stitution of one guinea entrance fee instead of two 
guineas. 
Mr. Macicay thought this was a great mistake, and if 
a vote were taken upon it, it would be settled without 
further question. 
Mr. Owen believed, on the contrary, that a vast num¬ 
ber were kept away from the Society owing to the pay¬ 
ment of an entrance fee of two guineas. 
Mr. Urwick said he had given notice of a resolution 
to admit all chemists without an entrance fee, and 
therefore, of course, he should support the alteration. 
He did not know whether they would have many more 
or less, but he thought they should be liberal and ready 
to admit into the Society everybody, provided their cha¬ 
racter and position were respectable. It should not be 
a question of money Yvhether a man should join the 
Society or not. For his own part he should like to see 
the entrance fee abolished altogether. 
Mr. Atherton said there had been no general demand 
made for such an alteration, and ha saw no necessity 
for it. It would be doing injustice to those who had 
paid the higher entrance fee. ■ 
Mr. Shaw thought the Council were unanimous on a 
former occasion, and declined to make any alteration 
such as was now proposed. He should object most 
strenuously to the proposed innovation. If a member 
discontinued his subscription and fell into arrear, by the 
section they had j ust adopted, they reserved to them¬ 
selves the right to make him pay five guineas before re¬ 
admitting him, and what justice was there in admitting 
another man who had never paid anything towards the 
fund of the Society, on payment of one guinea only ? 
Mr. Stoddart said he should oppose the alteration. 
Mr. Schacht said it was absurd to reduce the entrance 
fee in the first instance, and at the same time to 
charge an old member five guineas for restoration. 
Mr. Betty said the entrance fee of two guineas was 
imposed in 1868 on all gentlemen who wished to enjoy 
the benefits of the Society in order to defray the great 
expense occasioned by the passing of the * Pharmacy 
Act and by other matters connected with the conduct 
of the Society. They then undertook to register, 
free of cost, all those who chose to apply, and that 
was done at a very considerable expense, and he 
doubted whether the entrance fee of two guineas al¬ 
ready received had recouped the Society the outlay 
then incurred. He saw no reason now to reduce that 
fee to one guinea. If the argument was, that more 
would be induced to join, he did not think that was 
worth consideration. Prior to the passing of the Act 
careful estimites were made as to the numb r of 
“outsiders,” a3 they were then called, avho might be 
expected to come in, and he believed that estimate had 
been pretty nearly j ustified. He did not think that the 
reduction of the entrance fee would cause any appre¬ 
ciable increase. 
Mr. Savage mentioned a case which had recently 
come under his own notice in which a gentleman told 
him that he should have joined the Society a year ago if 
it had not been for the two guineas entrance fee, which 
he strenuously objected to. 
Mr. Greenish believed that the reduction in the 
entrance fee would be the means of bringing in many 
