September 3,1870.1 THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
191 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1870. 
MR. SIMON ON THE PRACTICE OF PHARMACY 
IN GREAT BRITAIN. 
In addition to tlie details of tlie working of the 
Pharmacy Act to which we last week referred, the 
medical officer of the Privy Council discusses in his 
twelfth annual report that section of the Act which 
declares that the provisions of the Adulteration of 
Food Act shall extend to the adulteration of drugs, 
and that every such adulteration shall be deemed an 
admixture dangerous to health. This section, he 
observes, has not so. far as his knowledge goes yet 
been acted on. Indeed, seeing that the Adulteration 
of Food Act is virtually a dead letter, no one, he 
t hink s, could have expected that the extension of it 
could be very effective. There is, however, cause 
for congratulation in the fact that a principle of great 
importance lias, in that section, been affirmed by the 
Legislature. The falsification of drugs he describes 
as a crime which, in the interest of public health, 
ought to be very severely punishable and very regu¬ 
larly looked after; for it so frustrates the best medi¬ 
cal skill and may so steal away life after life, that 
it is really a kind of secret poisoning. Yet in the 
present state of the law, with so many just neces¬ 
sities for the health of the country unfulfilled, and 
with such great masses of fundamental sanitary laws 
to be amended or created, it may scarcely be ex¬ 
pected that tills particular grievance can be matter 
for immediate legislation. But on this head it is 
observed that important changes must be made in 
the kind of local authority needed to protect the 
public health, before the defects of the administra¬ 
tive mac hin ery can be remedied, or the law relating 
to adulterations be brought into an efficient state. 
Finally, Mr. Simon reports to their Lordships on 
the Regulations concerning Poisons. Here are his 
words on tills delicate and important, subject:—“ I 
also regret to state that the very important power 
which the first section of the Act vests in the Phar¬ 
maceutical Society, to prescribe (with the consent of 
the Privy Council) regulations as to the keeping, dis¬ 
pensing and selling of poisons, has hitherto remained 
unexercised by the Society, and that, consequently, 
the public is still without the protection which such 
regulations might give, and which notoriously is 
much needed, against the danger of having poisons 
dispensed or used in mistake for harmless prepara¬ 
tions.” 
So much has been said on this subject already by 
readers, writers and speakers in the Society, that it 
is probably unnecessary for us here to do more than 
merely lay before our members this official statement. 
Its weight and importance are apparent. On the 
other hand, the difficulties and complications which 
surround the question have also become very appa¬ 
rent. It is now imder the consideration of a Com¬ 
mittee, and will have to be once more debated bv the 
members at large at a future time. 
In an appendix Mr. Simon gives detailed reports 
from Dr. Christison and Dr. Greenhow on the Exa¬ 
minations of the Society, of which we shall repro¬ 
duce the most important parts. 
LIVERPOOL, SEPTEMBER, 1870. 
Possessed of attractions for the teclmical chemist 
and the botanist, the geologist and the student of 
natural history, such as few districts afford, Liver¬ 
pool is eminently attractive to the hard-worked 
druggist as well as to the man of science. The local 
committee are making great preparations to receive 
their pharmaceutical brethren, and promise a wel¬ 
come which will doubtless be at least as warm as 
any previously accorded to the British Pharmaceu¬ 
tical Conference. Under these circumstances we 
are not surprised to hear that the number of visitors 
is expected to be very much greater than at any 
previous meeting, nor are we surprised that a large 
proportion of the thousand members who have re¬ 
cently joined the Conference are anxious to see what 
is done at these annual gatherings, and are not 
unwilling to be convinced of the immense value of 
this association of men of kindred pursuits. 
Let us, then, note for the benefit of those who 
contemplate a visit to Liverpool and the Conference 
for the first time, that the Honorary Local Secretary, 
Mr. E. Davies, Royal Institution, Liverpool, will be 
happy to forward every information concerning 
lodging and hotel accommodation. 
On taking a retrospect of previous meetings we 
have been struck by the absence of some well-known 
men, whose exertions in the cause of true Pharmacy 
have contributed not a little to foster that esprit de 
corps which is now (poisons and poison regulations 
notwithstanding) so largely dominant in the trade. 
The veteran Morson, and the gay, open-hearted 
Hills, after boldly crossing the Exe last year to 
make new acquaintances and find old friends with 
new faces in the fine old city of Exeter, both testi¬ 
fied in unmistakable language to the pleasure and 
profit they derived from their visit. 
Cannot our esteemed President and zealous Vice- 
President follow their example with advantage? 
The various duties they have regularly to perform in 
London are known to us, and we would not claim to 
interfere with their well-earned repose during the 
holidays, had we not a certain amount of misgiving 
that the public character and influence of the Phar¬ 
maceutical Society throughout the provinces would 
be in some degree lowered by their absence from the 
most important professional gathering of* the year. 
