July 9, 1870.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
27 
a !k Pljiinttitcaitical founml. 
SATURDAY, JULY 9, 1870. 
THE BETTS SUIT3. 
A condensed report of the proceedings before Vice- 
Chancellor James appears in page 32. Mr. Betts 
had tiled twenty-five separate Bills in Chancery 
against retailers of capsuled articles; he sought in¬ 
junctions, damages, and costs, and he has completely 
and signally failed. 
Upon the testimony of Mr. Betts and his witnesses, 
and the arguments of counsel advanced in his interest, 
the Vice-Chancellor would have refused all that was 
asked, but when the defendant’s case was entered 
upon, only so far as the reading of Mr. Betts’s evi¬ 
dence under cross-examination, the Vice-Chancellor 
concluded to dismiss the Bills with costs, and re¬ 
marked, “ I must say this case seems to me about 
the most impudent case that ever came into Court.” 
Some passages in the cross-examination confirm 
the impressions which led to the formation of a Com¬ 
mittee and to a subscription for defence; Mr. Betts 
says, 
“I have no recollection of having had any con¬ 
versation with Mr. Sandford in particular. I met a 
person of that name, amongst others, at the Phar¬ 
maceutical Society, when I do not believe the words 
twenty thousand pounds ever came out of my mouth.” 
“ I told him, and I told them all together, as the 
Pharmaceutical synod, that with their vast numbers, 
their names being legion, a pound a-piece would put 
me straight in the matter; and if the numbers were 
few, five pounds a-piece would make an atonement 
for all that had passed.” 
“ I think I said over thirty thousand pounds, but 
I did not in words say that I was resolved on being 
reimbursed; I said there must be something solid— 
something to eat.” 
The sentences quoted suggest whether, if all the 
twenty-five defendants had surrendered, the experi¬ 
ment of filing bills would not have been extended, 
and whether if ,£36,000, £30,000, or even £20,000 
had as “ something solid—something to eat,” been 
provided by the Pharmaceutical Chemists of 1865, 
the cravings of Mr. Betts might not have expanded, 
and his operation extended far beyond the limits of 
the Pharmaceutical Society. 
But who amongst the defendants, or the public, 
could have imagined that but one capsule, and that 
on a labelled bottle, would have been produced 
against each defendant, or that when Mr. Betts 
made affidavit that the capsules were not made by 
him, but were of foreign manufacture, there would 
be wrung from him , under cross-examination, evi¬ 
dence shoving that they were made by his own Paris 
house; so that under his original oath there lurked 
the subtlety about Betts a Frenchman, and the same 
Betts as an English patentee, which led the Vice- 
Chancellor to say that he was shocked at such a 
mode of making an affidavit, and hoped never to see 
it again! 
The extreme views contended for by Mr. Betts 
would, if successful, have added materially to the 
difficulties attending retail business; the Vice-Chan¬ 
cellor’s remarks deal lucidly with the question, and 
will repay careful study; we see in them rules of 
conduct for the future, and thus good resulting from 
the litigation. Certainly the Defence Committee 
have been eminently successful, and deserve the best 
thanks of all interested in trade. 
THE SCIENCE DEGREES OF THE UNIVERSITY 
OF LONDON. 
The degrees of the University of London not only 
have acquired a high reputation on account of 
the stringency of the examinations tlirough which 
they are obtained, so that they are looked upon as 
among the best tests of proficiency in the several 
departments of learning to which they relate, but 
they present to scientific men the peculiar advan¬ 
tage of including degrees relating mainly to scientific 
knowledge. The science degrees have become ob¬ 
jects of ambition with scientific men, including che¬ 
mists, geologists, and others, and we are very glad 
to observe that some of our members., associates, 
and students are becoming graduates in the Univer¬ 
sity, and taking degrees in science. At the last 
examination, the result of which has just been pub¬ 
lished, we find that one of our associates, Mr. John 
Watts, obtained the highest degree in science, Doc¬ 
tor of Science, D.Sc., in the fourth branch, in winch 
the subjects of examination were inorganic and 
organic chemistry, or mineralogy. Mr. Watts was 
a student in the Laboratory of tins Institution about 
seven years ago; he was elected Junior Bell Scholar 
in 1863, and Senior Scholar in 1864. He has also 
passed the Major Examination of the Society. 
THE POLLUTION OF RIVERS COMMISSIONS. 
We alluded in our last number to the operations 
of a Committee appointed by the British Associa¬ 
tion, “ to report on the treatment and utilization of 
sewage.” The subject which tins committee has un¬ 
dertaken to investigate has, in connection with other 
questions, occupied the attention of two commissions 
appointed by the Government, from whom three re¬ 
ports have already emanated; and one of those com¬ 
missions being still in existence, further reports may 
be expected. The first Pollution of Rivers Commis¬ 
sion was appointed by the Government in 1865, and 
consisted of Robert Rawlinson, John Thornhill 
Harrison, and John Thomas Way. That commis¬ 
sion investigated the pollution of the Thames and 
the Lea, on winch two reports were made. In 1868 
. c 3 
