May 24, 1873.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
923 
Site |harmamttiml Journal. 
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SATURDAY , MAY 24 , 1873 . 
Co mmunicatio nsfo r this Journal, and books for review, etc., 
should be addressed to the Editor, 17, Bloomsbury Square. 
Instructions from Members and Associates respecting the 
transmission of the Journal should be sent to Elias Brem- 
ridge, Secretary, 17, Bloomsbury Square, W.C. 
Advertisements to Messrs. Churchill, New Burlington 
Street, London, JV. Envelopes indorsed “Pharm. Journ. 
THE ANNIVEKSAKY MEETINGS. 
The amount of space occupied by the reports of 
the several meetings which have taken place this 
week leaves no room for more than a few very brief 
remarks on some of the most prominent features of 
the week’s proceedings. 
Speaking of these in the order of their occurrence, 
it is with great gratification that we are able again to 
record the unqualified success of the Annual Dinner, 
and to add that the number of those present was 
considerably greater than last year. 
In the discussion on the Council’s Report at the 
annual meeting, Mr. Atkinson Pickering, still 
urged by that spirit of “dogged perseverance” by 
which he desires to be animated, again came forward 
in the cause of Provincial Education. While admit¬ 
ting that the trade was indebted to the Council for 
the influence it had exercised on recent legislation, 
he did not hesitate to declare his opinion that the 
executive body was wanting in its efforts to educate 
those who practise pharmacy. This he still regards as 
the primary duty of the Society. We have already 
attempted to show that he is in error in this respect, 
not only in his too literal interpretation of the 
Charter, but also in disregarding the altered position 
the Society now holds. 
Mr. Pickering complained that out of an 
income of £10,000 a year the Society gives almost 
nothing to further education in the provinces, and 
with strange inconsistency he prefaced this complaint 
by a pointed objection to the fact, that while the 
fees paid for attendance on lectures at Bloomsbury 
Square amounted to only <£193 4s., the expenditure 
on .those lectures was <£649 9s. 5d. We thoroughly 
agree with him in thinking there is here something 
radically wrong—something indeed that calls for 
speedy rectification ; but we do not think a remedy 
would be found in carrying out a similar distribu¬ 
tion of the Society’s funds in country towns, nor do 
we concur with him in disregarding the fact that this 
expenditure of some £450 per annum is incurred 
mainly for the benefit of the provinces, and of 
students coming from the country. 
We mention this fact not at all for the purpose of 
justifying the discrepancy between outlay and in¬ 
come for lectures, nor merely to show that the aid 
rendered by the Society to education of provincial 
students is really greater than it has credit for, but 
also for the sake of protesting against the continuance 
of a system which is inconsistent with the Society’s 
present status, however much it might be appro¬ 
priate, while the acquisition of competent skill by 
education, was, for the pharmacist, a purely optional 
thing. 
It is impossible now to follow this subject further, 
although Mr. Pickering’s declaration that the Society 
is not popular with the country members, because it 
compels their young men to undergo three examina¬ 
tions, and—as he says on their behalf—gives them 
nothing in return, betrays a state of mind which 
obviously renders this subject deserving of further 
earnest attention. 
The next subject of interest which occupied the 
meeting was the question as to the right of women 
to be admitted into the Society. Mr. Hampson, in 
moving the resolution of which he had given notice, 
dwelt especially on the words of Lord Brougham’s 
Act, providing that the word “ person” should include 
women, while at the same time he objected to the 
Society being regarded in any degree as a private one. 
On these grounds he contended that, as women were 
free to become chemists, and be registered as such, 
they were equally entitled to become members of 
the Society. His seconder, Mr. Bostock, based his 
support of the resolution chiefly on aesthetic consider¬ 
ations ; and Mr. Pickering, in proposing as an amend¬ 
ment that the consideration of the question should 
be adjourned sine die, did so mainly on the ground 
that when the Society was formed there was no 
intention to include women under the term “ person. ’ 
He also urged that, since the practice of pharmacy 
was so much less suited for women than many other 
occupations that were open to them, its adoption by 
women should not be encouraged by admitting them 
members of the Society. 
Several of the other speakers failed to keep in view 
the distinction between the right of women to registra 
tion as chemists and druggists, and the question actu¬ 
ally before the meeting, whether they should also be 
admitted members of the Society. Indeed it was only 
with some difficulty that the discussion was kept to 
the real point at issue. The necessity for observing 
this distinction was, however, insisted upon by Mr. 
Sandford, Mr. Giles, and Mr. Betty, while Mr. 
Flux, the Society’s solicitor, pointed out that Mr. 
Hampson, in refering to Brougham’s Act, had 
omitted the proviso as to the context of an Act 
being consistent with the extension of the term 
“ person” to women. He also expressed his opinion 
that in regard to election of members, the Society 
possessed all the privileges of a private association, 
and eventually the amendment was carried by a 
considerable majority. 
The remaining business of the meeting had refer¬ 
ence to the bye-laws which were adopted after some 
discussion, but we must defer any remarks on this 
subject. . 
The Conversazione in the evening at South Ken¬ 
sington was attended by nearly 3000 a Liters, and 
was in every respect as attractive and agreeable a^ 
has always been hitherto. 
