980 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[June '{, 1873. 
"benefit may accrue to tfie public in consequence. 
Ancl if we may judge from wbat is publicly stated 
on the subject, there does not seem to be much hope 
of any advance. Thus, for instance, our contem¬ 
porary, Food, Water, and Air, offers the following 
explanation of the present stagnation in respect of 
the Act:— 
“ It is notorious that a large number of these appoint¬ 
ments have fallen into the hands of persons who are 
totally unacquainted with analytical chemistry, and who 
are therefore entirely incompetent for the responsible and 
difficult duties which, in some cases, have been thrust 
upon them through the interested but short-sighted policy 
of many of the Local Authorities, and which in others 
they have foolishly or greedily undertaken. Again, it is 
also notorious that the remuneration attached to very 
many of these appointments is of the meanest and most 
paltry description, and utterly inadequate to insure the 
efficient performance of the duties of the office.” 
Quite consistent with these remarks are the ex¬ 
pressions of opinions heard on all sides from those 
competent to judge, and if further evidence were 
needed, it may be gathered from the fact that persons 
recommended and actually appointed as chemical ex¬ 
perts under the Adulteration Act are endeavouring 
to learn the art of which they ought to have been 
thorough masters previously to their appointment. 
It is by no means encouraging to find that in regard 
to this point and in answer to the inquiry, what our 
Food Analysts are about ? such statements as the fol¬ 
lowing can be put forward with good reason. 
“We can certify that many of them are engaged in the 
endeavour, vain and futile in some cases, to obtain a smat¬ 
tering of the knowledge requisite to enable them to even 
attempt to fulfil their duties ; others, again, are endea¬ 
vouring to find persons who, knowing something of analy¬ 
tical proceedings, are willing to act as their unacknow¬ 
ledged deputies, and to make the requisite analyses for 
them, upon which their official reports can be founded. 
It is in this way, therefore, that the inaction of our ana¬ 
lysts and the consequent present failure of the Adultera¬ 
tion Act are to be explained.” 
If this statement be a true one, and we know of 
no reason for doubting it, what has become of the 
careful consideration of fitness before sanctioning an 
appointment promised by the Local Government 
Board ? 
THE NEW OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY. 
If the Council election this year has been wanting 
in that strong interest which prevailed on some pre¬ 
vious occasions, there can be no doubt that the first 
proceedings of the new Council will excite a lively 
feeling of satisfaction throughout the whole trade. 
First, as regards the election of Mr. Thomas IIyde 
Hills to the office of President, we are sure the unani¬ 
mity with which it was carried in the Council will be 
similarly responded to on all sides. The fact that he 
has been for three successive years returned at the 
head of the poll, as a member of Council, might alone 
be regarded as constituting a solid claim to the 
Presidential chair without reference to other con¬ 
siderations, and we doubt not it will be generally 
thought that, in electing Mr. Hills the President? 
his colleagues have manifested a graceful and well 
earned recognition of the high esteem in which he 
is universally held. 
The election of Mr. Bottle as Vice-President will 
also, we believe, be received with unqualified satis¬ 
faction, by reason of his long connection with the 
Society and his zealous labour as a member of 
Council for so many years. 
And if any regret were felt that Mr. Hills no 
longer holds the important office of Treasurer, it 
perhaps could not have been mitigated more 
thoroughly than by the appointment of Mr. 
Williams as his successor, for there is no member 
of the Council who excels him either in ability as a 
man of business, in earnest interest for the welfare of 
the Society, or in the desire to encourage all that 
tends to promote the advancement of pharmacy. 
THE STATUE TO BARON LIEBIG. 
At a meeting of the German Chemical Society 
recently held in Berlin, it was resolved to erect a 
statue at Munich in honour of the late illustrious 
chemist, Baron Liebig, and to invite his pupils and 
friends, as well as chemists of all nations, to contri¬ 
bute towards the-funds necessary for that object. In 
order to carry out this resolution a committee was 
named; and the English members of the Committee, 
Messrs. Warren De la Ree, E. Frankland, J. H. 
Gilbert, W. Odling, John Stenhouse, and A. 
Williamson, have issued a circular inviting contri¬ 
butions. It is requested that communications on the 
subject be sent to Dr. Hugo Muller, 110, Bunhill 
Row, E.C. 
EARLY CLOSING IN HULL. 
The principal pharmaceutical chemists and che¬ 
mists and druggists of Hull, at the request of their 
assistants and apprentices, have agreed to close their 
establishments at 7 p.m. (Saturdays excepted) on and 
after Monday, June 2nd, 1873. 
THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS. 
It will be observed by the report of the meeting of 
the Council that Mr. George Edwards, of Dartford, 
has not been reappointed as a member of the Board 
of Examiners. We understand that much regret was 
expressed by the members^gff the Council that 
through the operation of the bye-]aw limiting the 
age at which an examiner can be appointed, the 
Board will lose the services of a gentleman who hcs 
for so many years held an official position in the 
Pharmaceutical Society as member of the Board of 
Examiners, member of the Council, and Vice-Presi¬ 
dent of the Society. At the same time we cannot 
but congratulate the Board that the vacancies have 
been filled by the appointment of Messrs. Haselden 
Schweitzer, and Umney. 
