July 2, 1870.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
11 
Drobiiuial fransiutions. 
ABERDEEN ASSOCIATION OF ASSISTANT 
CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS. 
The half-yearly General Meeting of the above Asso¬ 
ciation was held in the U. P. Hall, St. Paul Street, on 
the 13th inst.; Mr. James Thorn, President, in tho 
chair. 
Mr. W. Donald, Secretary, submitted a report of the 
proceedings of the Association for the past six months, 
showing that a number of scientific and interesting sub¬ 
jects had been brought before the Society, and much re¬ 
search and ability had been displayed by those members 
who had contributed papers during the session. The 
finances were also reported to be in a very satisfactory 
state, and the attendance of the members has been such 
as to leave no doubt of the continued prosperity of the 
Association. During the half-year, ten gentlemen have 
been elected as members, making a total of fifty-two 
since the formation of tho Society in 1868; but several 
of those, from various unavoidable causes, have left the 
Society, leaving on the roll at present forty-five mem¬ 
bers ; but as that includes representatives from almost 
every shop in town, we have every reason to feel grati¬ 
fied at the success already attained. 
Classes have been formed in connection with the So¬ 
ciety under the tuition of Mr. Roy, the subjects taught 
being those embraced in the preliminary examination of 
the Pharmaceutical Society, and thirty-seven members 
have already availed themselves of the opportunity thus 
afforded them of preparing for examination. 
Messrs. Thorn and Donald received hearty votes of 
thanks for their exertions on behalf of the Society, and 
the following were then elected office-bearers for the en- 
suing six months, viz.:—Mr. W. Donald, President; Mr. 
J. Bertie, Vice-President; and Mr. J. Thom, Secretary and 
Treasurer. 
LIVERPOOL CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
Fifteenth General Meeting, held May 13th, 1870 ; the 
President, Mr. J. Abraham, in the chair. 
Messrs. W. L. Fewster and W. Hope were duly 
elected members of the Association. 
The President read an extract from the ‘ Scotsman ’ 
relative to Sir James Simpson’s obligations to Mr. D. 
Waldie for the suggestion of chloroform as an anaes¬ 
thetic. Mr. Waldie had prepared it to make chloric 
ether of constant composition. 
Mr. Redford said that chloral seemed to act best 
when given in small doses. It was not of uniform qua¬ 
lity, some having a fetid smell, which may explain the 
unsatisfactory results sometimes following its adminis¬ 
tration. 
The Secretary read a paper recently published on 
“ Crab-oil,” a sample of which had been shown at a pre¬ 
vious meeting. It is a vegetable oil obtained from the 
fruit of the Carapa Guianensis , and is said to be useful 
in rheumatism. 
Mr. Jones gave the results of some experiments on 
the use of chloral in photography. He found that it 
gave considerably greater sensitiveness. 
The meeting then adjourned to the tea-room, where 
the remainder of the evening was spent in the examina¬ 
tion of microscopic objects. 
Sixteenth and concluding Meeting, held May 26th. 
In the absence of Mr. Abraham, the chair was taken by 
the Vice-President, Mr. J. T. Robinson. 
A letter was read from Dr. Symes, recommending that 
the Association should provide four or five books for 
autograph prescriptions, and offering to fill one of them 
himself. 
Air. Shaw proposed that the thanks of the meeting 
should be given to Dr. Symes for his generous offer, and 
that the question be referred to the Council to consider 
the best means of carrying out the suggestion. 
Mr. Robinson seconded the motion, which was carried 
unanimously. 
Mr. Mason exhibited a sample of artificial alizarine, 
beautifully crystallized, manufactured by Dr. Calvert; 
and Mr. Davies showed two pieces of print dyed with it. 
Mr. Tate suggested that copies of the list of subjects 
proposed for papers at the Pharmaceutical Conference 
should, if possible, be distributed among the members. 
He thought that apprentices and others actually en¬ 
gaged in making preparations might give some valuable 
information. 
Mr. Redford said that the meetings of the Associa¬ 
tion were the proper times for such communications, 
and that at the Conference the results of men of expe¬ 
rience were wanted rather than first efforts. 
Mr. Tate then read a paper, entitled, “Notes on 
Pharmacy,” Part 2. The paper contained a short resume 
of the principal discoveries or improvements in phar¬ 
macy since the beginning of the year. Referring to the 
“Adulteration of Food and Drugs Bill,” Mr. Tate 
pointed out that probably medical men would be almost 
exclusively appointed analysts under the Act. He con¬ 
sidered Pharmaceutical Chemists to be far more com¬ 
petent, and thought that the Pharmaceutical Society 
should carefully watch such legislation. 
After a few remarks from Messrs. Robinson, Shaw, 
and Davies, 
Mr. Robinson closed the session with some valedic¬ 
tory remarks. He said that as he had only known that 
day that he would have to supply the place of the Pre¬ 
sident, he had not prepared an address, but he wished 
strongly to urge upon the members the necessity of 
greater earnestness in contributing papers for the meet¬ 
ings. Unless young men would exert themselves, and 
come forward in the place of those whose years entitled 
them to rest, the Association would die out, and it 
would serve it right. The Pharmaceutical Conference 
was coming, and he hoped that, by seeing and hearing- 
men who had made a position for themselves by hard 
work, new life would be infused into the younger mem¬ 
bers of the Association.- He concluded by expressing 
the pleasure which he had felt in listening to some of 
Mr. Davies’s lectures, of which he spoke in complimen¬ 
tary terms. 
Mr. Tate proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Robinson, 
and said that he hoped to hear fuller and freer discus¬ 
sion at the meetings. 
Mr. Redford seconded the motion, and agreed tho¬ 
roughly with Mr. Robinson’s remarks, thanking him for 
his frank strictures on the results of the session. 
The vote was carried by acclamation, and the session 
closed. 
MIDLAND COUNTIES CHEMISTS’ 
ASSOCIATION. 
The First Annual Meeting of the above Association was 
held at the Temperance Hall, Birmingham, on May 27 ; 
the President, Air. W. Southall, in the chair. 
There was not a large attendance of members. 
The Hon. Sec. read the Report of the Council and 
Statement of Accounts, which show that the Association 
is of service to its members, and has a balance in hand 
of upwards of £12. 
Report presented by the Council of the Midland 
Counties Chemists’ Association, May, 1870. 
The Council in presenting their first Annual Report to 
the members of this Association, prefer giving simple 
statements of their proceedings for the past year, and 
submitting tho same without comment, either congratu¬ 
latory or otherwise. The object of this Association being 
the general advancement of the interests of the trade, it 
will be perceived how far the Council have kept that ob¬ 
ject in view. 
