922 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[May 24 , 1S73. 
which, he trusted, had again been a success, and gratify¬ 
ing to them all. Although he took no credit to himself 
for the establishment of this dinner, yet he felt greatly 
pleased that it had been established whilst he occupied 
the presidential chair. 
Mr. T. H. Hills, in proposing the toast of “ The 
North British Branch of the Pharmaceutical Society,” 
said that, as he assumed every one there present was in 
the habit of reading the Pharmaceutical Journal, it 
would be unnecessary for him to enter into any particulars 
as to the labours of their friends in the north, since they 
would already have read the annual report which appeared 
in last week’s Journal. But he could not propose this 
toast without making special reference to some of those 
who had been prominent in their endeavours to promote 
the objects of the Society in Scotland—Mr. Macfarlan, 
Mr. Mackay, and Mr. Frazer. Of Mr. Macfarlan, who 
was gone from them, he need only say, Peace be with 
his memory. Mr. Frazer also was most active in carrying 
out the best interests of the Society, and he regretted his 
absence that night. He also deeply regretted the absence 
of Mr. Mackay in consequence of domestic affliction, but 
he would take the opportunity thus afforded him to speak 
with more freedom of the great services rendered by Mr. 
Mackay for so many years as Honorary Secretary of the 
North British Branch. It was no exaggeration to say 
that John Mackay had done in Scotland what Jacob Bell 
had done here. However, there was a most worthy repre¬ 
sentative from Scotland in the room, Mr. Baildon, who had 
always taken the greatest interest in the Pharmaceutical 
Society, and therefore he begged to couple with the toast 
of “ The North British Branch of the Pharmaceutical So¬ 
ciety ” the name of their esteemed friend, Mr. Baildon. 
Mr. Baildon, in responding to Mr. Hills’ toast, said 
that he was very much pleased by the way it had been 
proposed by Mr. Hills, and for the very kind reception it 
had met with from the large assembly of pharmacists 
present. He remarked that the interests and objects of 
the North British Branch were one and the same with 
those of the parent Society, and that the Board of Exa¬ 
miners in Scotland were most anxious to conduct their 
examinations in strict accordance with the suggestions and 
regulations of the Council in London. Their students 
had now ample facilities for acquiring a scientific know¬ 
ledge of pharmacy by attending the classes of the pro¬ 
fessors in the university, or by attending the lectures in 
the medical school, and he had pleasure in stating that 
they were availing themselves of these classes in increasing 
numbers every year. He regretted very much that owing 
to a domestic affliction his friend Mr. John Mackay was 
not present. The North British Branch were greatly in¬ 
debted to him for the valuable services gratuitously ren¬ 
dered by him for a long period of years. 
Mr. Betty next rose to propose “ The British Pharma¬ 
ceutical Conference,” “ an association bearing the closest 
relation to the Pharmaceutical Society, and possessing 
the machinery to meet increased requirements for orga¬ 
nizing and systematizing research.” As our individual 
organisms depend for their healthy development upon 
conditions materialistic and intellectual, so must the due 
advancement of pharmaceutical culture ever be essential 
to pharmaceutical institutions. In speaking of the 
British Pharmaceutical Conference one of the great 
results flowing from its free and expansive genius might 
be referred to. It was not, and never was, an association 
exclusively of the Pharmaceutical Society, of any division 
of the United Kingdom, nor even of a continent: it had 
formed a bond of brotherhood between thinking labourers 
*n science. In its earliest gatherings this catholic feeling 
found expression in the conviction that the Pharma¬ 
ceutical Society had a mission, which was to become 
the representative of the interests and of the unity of 
their calling, and a mission in which it should brook no 
rival; and now that the Pharmaceutical Society had 
received its powers and its privileges, and had accepted 
together with them the responsibility of maintaining its 
position as an educated and examining body, it was to 
such an association as the Pharmaceutical Conference it 
could point to furnish proof truly of its progress and its 
influence, but essentially of its vitality. And whilst they 
might say, Long live the Pharmaceutical Society, they 
might add, May the Pharmaceutical Conference be co¬ 
existent with it,—that Conference which, born of their 
exigencies, might be said to have stepped forth, like 
Minerva from the brain of Jove, equipped for its task as 
the champion to do battle for the intellectual life of 
present and future pharmacy. The officers of the associa¬ 
tion included in their number some of the most illustrious 
names which adorned the ranks of pharmacy; but time 
only allowed of mentioning Mr. Brady, the present Presi¬ 
dent, who, he regretted to say, was not present that 
evening. So long as addresses such as he and his pre¬ 
decessors had delivered were continued at the annual 
meetings, so long would the interest of the Conference be 
sustained, and of this he had no fear. He begged to 
couple with the toast the name of one of the officers of 
the Society, who had so zealously and with such talent 
laboured to place the Conference in the position it now 
held—the Secretary, Professor Attfield. 
Professor Attfield, on the part of the President and 
other officers of the Conference, thanked those present for 
their generous wishes for the success of the Conference, 
and acknowledged the compliment paid him by the asso¬ 
ciation of his name with the toast. Every one of the 
present and past officers, he would venture to say, had 
been actuated by two motives—first to encourage an 
onward march into the untrodden regions of pharmaceuti¬ 
cal research, and next to foster friendly feelings amongst 
pharmacists, and it was pleasing to know that very great 
success had resulted. But this state of prosperity was 
only in part due to the efforts of the officers. They must 
not forget the twenty pioneers who first cleared the way for 
the Conference ten years ago on the banks of the Tyne, nor 
the two hundred who enrolled themselves under its banners 
at the first annual meeting at Bath, nor yet the six hundred 
who joined its ranks in the ensuing years, before anything 
so tangible as the ‘ Year-Book ’ could be offered in return 
for support. Nor must the authors of papers be forgotten, 
for without them the annual meetings could not be carried 
on. Much of their success was also due to the labours of the 
local officers of the Conference in the towns where it held 
its meetings, and acknowledgement must also be made of 
the encouragement they had always received from kindred 
associations, especially from the Council and leading mem¬ 
bers of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, and 
the pharmaceutical press both of Europe and America. 
To these things as well as to the energies of the executive 
must be attributed the fact that their numbers had in¬ 
creased from twenty to twenty hundreds. As to the future 
success of the Conference he did not believe there was a 
gentleman present who felt the least doubtful on that 
point. The influences which had brought it to its present 
position were as vigorous as ever, if not more so. Any 
difficulties which might be met with by members in carry¬ 
ing out expensive researches were removed by the muni¬ 
ficence of a gentleman whose name he need not mention, 
who had lately given the Association £200 with which to 
aid original workers. And with regard to the supply of 
such workers, he felt perfectly sure, that so long as the 
Pharmaceutical Society continued to promote that high 
class pharmaceutical education which it had provided for 
the last twenty-five years, there would be no lack of men 
who would engage in original investigations. Lastly, 
with reference to general support, he would say that the 
officers of the Conference would never rest satisfied until 
they knew that their annual volume, the ‘ Year Book,’ 
was to be found on the shelves of every pharmacy in the 
British Empire. 
Dr. Ramsey proposed the health of the Stewards, which 
was briefly acknowledged by Mr. Carteighe, and this con¬ 
cluded the list of toasts, the remainder of the evening 
being devoted to friendly conversation. 
