April 19, 1873.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
833 
open, people would come in. His practice was to close on 
the Sunday, and he found he did not lose any of the real 
trade. In cases of emergency, people came to the side 
door. Acting upon Mr. Padwick’s suggestion, he moved 
that a committee be appointed for the purpose of eliciting 
the views of the chemists, of whom it was said there were 
sixty-five in the town. 
Mr. Cox, jun., in seconding the resolution, said that cer¬ 
tain neighbourhoods must have certain times for closing. 
Mr. Barton supported the resolution, remarking that 
they ought to have sufficient esprit de corps to arrange 
among themselves a more reasonable time for closing. 
Fourteen and fifteen hours a day was too long a time to 
be engaged in active business. 
Mr. Glaisyer, of North Street, remarked that at his 
establishment the shutters were put up at 8 P.M., and the 
shop was entirely closed at 9.30 p.m., but probably that 
course could not be made a rule for every establishment. 
With regard to the arguments which had been advanced 
that assistants wanted time to study for their examina¬ 
tions, the principals expected that they had already passed, 
and that they came to work, not to study. It was ar¬ 
ranged that they had time for recreation, and not to have 
any particular time set apart for study as if they were 
apprentices. 
Mr. Colby, jun., did not advocate early closing, observ¬ 
ing that assistants had recreation in the day time. 
The resolution was then carried unanimously, and the 
following were elected as the committee to carry it out:— 
Mr. Savage, Mr. Cornish, Mr. Barton, and Mr. Haffenden, 
and the officers of the Association. 
A vote of thanks having been accorded to Mr. Padwick 
for his paper, 
The Chairman, replying to Mr. Glaisyer, said his re¬ 
marks were strictly right in principle, but they had to 
keep themselves up to the mark, as new discoveries in 
chemical science were being constantly made. If they 
could shorten the hours it would confer a benefit upon 
the principals and their assistants, whose interests it was 
right they should have at heart. 
A vote of thanks was then accorded to the Chairman, 
and the meeting separated. 
CARLISLE CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
On Wednesday evening, April 2nd, the Carlisle Che¬ 
mists’ Association held their monthly meeting, when a 
very pleasant, interesting, and amusing evening was spent. 
Mr. J. D. Walker, chemist, kindly exhibited an excellent 
microscope, and a collection of mounted objects, many 
of them being of pharmaceutical interest. He also ex¬ 
plained the various parts of the microscope and their 
uses. A present of “Indian barks and their alkaloids” 
from Messrs. Howards and Sons was placed upon the 
table and much admired. The thanks of the Associa¬ 
tion were given to Messrs. Howards and Sons for their 
interesting donation, as also a vote of thanks to Mr. 
Walker for his instructive and interesting exhibition. 
SHEFFIELD PHARMACEUTICAL AND 
CHEMICAL ASSOCIATION. 
A monthly meeting of this Association was held on 
April 9th, Mr. W. Ward, F.C.S., President, in the chair, 
on which occasion a lecture was delivered by E. Birks, 
Esq., Lecturer on Botany to the Sheffield School of Medi¬ 
cine, on “ The Microscope, and how to use it.” The lec¬ 
turer commenced with a description of the various parts 
of the microscope, and explained how each was used in 
the investigation of any subject to which the instrument 
is applicable. 
He then proceeded to illustrate the way in which the 
microscope should be worked in the study of vegetable 
histology, or the investigation of the elementary structure 
of plants and plant life ; a full description being given of 
the. vegetable cell and its contents, also of the manner in 
which cells, are propagated and increased. The lecturer 
took occasion to state the views of those authors who 
maintain the hypothesis of the physical basis of life, as 
opposed to those who consider that life or vitality is essen¬ 
tially different from any known physical force, concluding 
a very able lecture by giving some practical hints as to 
the manner of working with and manipulating the micro¬ 
scope. 
On the motion of Mr. Maleham, seconded by Mr. Ellinor, 
a vote of thanks was unanimously tendered to Mr. Birks 
for his interesting and instructive lecture. Some general 
announcements concluded the business of the meeting. 
ASSOCIATION OF CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS 
OF IRELAND. 
The usual monthly meeting of the above Society was 
held on Monday evening, at 12, Grafton Street. There 
was a very large attendance. W. Wells, Esq., was elected 
chairman. 
The principal business was to discuss a bill promoted 
by the Apothecaries’ Company for forming a Pharmaceu¬ 
tical Society in Ireland. The bill was generally approved 
by the meeting, and with a few amendments, will be sub¬ 
mitted to the Apothecaries’ Hall for approval. 
It is expected that a bill will be introduced as soon as 
possible, as there is a perfect understanding between the 
Hall and the trade. 
SOCIETY OF ARTS. 
At the meeting of the Society of Arts on the 26th 
March, Mr. P. L. Simmonds read a paper on the Starches 
of Commerce. The chair was taken by Mr. Thomas 
Greenish, F.C.S., F.R.M.S. The following is a full 
abstract of the paper :— 
The Edible Starches of Commerce, their Production 
and Consumption. 
BY P. L. SIMMONDS. 
The production and consumption of edible starches have 
now attained very large proportions. Unlike the French, 
who have two words which they apply, with different 
meanings—fecula and amidon, or starch,—we are, in a 
great degree, limited to one, all being essentially starches 
in commerce, even with the minor classifications of arrow- 
roots, sagos, tapiocas, corn-flours, etc. 
The French confine the term fecula to the starch ob¬ 
tained from roots, such as manioc ; of stems, as the sago ; 
and fruits or seeds, as of the horse-chestnut, acorns, etc. ; 
while the amylaceous product obtained from the cereals, 
which crystallizes, on drying, into needle-like forms, they 
define as amidon, or starch. 
Very little has been published on this extensive and 
important branch of commerce,—at least in a collected 
form, for occasional papers have appeared, from time to 
time, in various scientific journals. Perhaps, however, 
the best and most carefully conducted investigation into 
all the tropical starch-producing plants, their charac¬ 
teristics, and properties, was that carried out, about a 
quarter of a century ago, by Dr. Shiers, in British Guiana, 
and published locally in a pamphlet. 
It is not my intention to trouble you with scientific 
and chemical descriptions of the special characters of the 
starches from various plants, or to treat upon the mooted 
question of how far they furnish nutritive food,— 
subjects which fall more properly within the scope of 
Societies like the Microscopical, the Chemical, the Phar¬ 
maceutical, the Medical, etc. I shall restrict myself to 
. the commercial aspect of the question. I may, however, 
