392 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [November 12, 1870. 
manufacture of tinctures in bond for exportation has 
been commenced. The price of opium and its pre¬ 
parations continues very high, but it is, perhaps, still 
more important to note that the quality of opium 
brought into the market is even more variable than 
formerly. Mr. Morson informs me that opium sup¬ 
posed to come from Persia, and very similar in odour 
and appearance, varies in its richness in morphia from 1 
to 10 per cent. Some promising specimens from a new 
source—Australia—were shown at our recent exhibition. 
The adulteration of drugs has been curiously illustrated 
lately in respect to two imported articles, saffron and 
■cochineal, in both of which the weight of the genuine ar¬ 
ticle is largely increased by powders made to adhere to 
them. For the detection of the former we are indebted 
to Mr. Daniel Hanbury, who has shown that carbonate 
of lime is made to adhere to the saffron, with hardly any 
change of appearance, though chemical tests and also 
the microscope make it apparent. In the case of cochi¬ 
neal, a shining powder is made to adhere to the insects, 
as I can easily show you. The powder is not soluble in 
hydrochloric acid, and it may be micaceous or barytic. 
“ It will have been seen that the Council of the Phar¬ 
maceutical Society have again under their consideration 
the provisions for the regulation of the keeping and dis¬ 
pensing of poisons. This office is conferred upon the 
-Society by Act of Parliament, and every consideration of 
prudence and duty compels the Society, in my opinion, 
to attempt its discharge. It may be that some mode of 
effecting the object may be devised less obnoxious than 
that hitherto proposed, but I think that the opposition 
which the formerly framed regulations met with was a 
mistake. I should, however, be quite willing that they 
should at first be tried as a voluntary system only. 
“ In conclusion, I beg to express my hope that we may 
have a prosperous session ; that each one will contribute 
his quota to the common stock, and that amongst them 
will be some who have not hitherto read papers to us.” 
After the address the President illustrated his remarks 
about the adulteration of saffron and cochineal, etc., and 
a discussion followed. 
A very cordial vote of thanks was moved by Mr. 
Davies, F.C.S., to the President for his hopeful and 
practical address, and seconded by Mr. Bedford, who 
expressed a hope that the President would impress upon 
principals the necessity of allowing their apprentices and 
assistants time to avail themselves of the opportunities 
for study offered for them to enable them to meet the 
requirements of the times. 
The President having briefly returned thanks, the 
meeting separated. 
NORWICH CHEMISTS’ ASSISTANTS’ 
ASSOCIATION. 
The Inaugural Meeting of this Society was held in 
the new rooms, in Duke Street, on Friday evening, 
October 21st. The employers having been invited to 
attend, the majority of the leading members of the trade 
were present, including Messrs. F. Sutton (Local Secretary 
do the Pharmaceutical Society), A. J. Caley, 0. Corder, 
J. Robinson, J. R. Fitch, Cubitt, W. Searby, Gardiner, 
Cassey, F. Smith, W. S. Bird and Wilson. 
Letters were read from other gentlemen, expressing 
their inability to attend and their hearty co-operation 
with the movement. 
The room was adorned with some handsome rare' ferns 
in pots, and other botanical productions ; also magnifi¬ 
cent specimens of the crystals of the Pharmacopoeia, and 
a beautiful collection of the many alkaloids of the chin- 
chona barks. 
The President (Mr. Alfred Hill) took the chair at 
•8.30, and said:— 
Gentlemen,—My first duty this evening is to offer 
■thanks, in the name of this Association, to those of our 
.employers who have shown their willingness to help by 
their presence here to-night. Such a public expression 
of sympathy was the one thing wanting to strengthen 
our hands; all else has been most encouraging; those 
gentlemen before whom any notice of our projects has 
been laid up to the present, have expressed their entire 
concurrence with them. The limited time at our dis¬ 
posal has, however, prevented our consulting with many 
principals; I bog, therefore, to lay before you, in as few 
words as possible, the objects of this Association, together 
with the means of fulfilling the same. It will not be 
necessary for me to advocate the utility of this project. 
—no one can now open a business without first pass¬ 
ing the Examinations of the Pharmaceutical Society, 
—our object is, by mutual help, to render easier the pre¬ 
paration for these examinations. In the first place we 
desire to found a library. For some time to come we 
shall be unable to purchase, so we have inaugurated a loan 
system, and, as far as we have gone, this seems to be 
very promising. For the first fruits I bog to refer you 
to these shelves; the majority of these books have been 
lent by the members of the Council. Those principals, 
to whom we have at present applied for co-operation in 
this work, have nobly responded, and I do not doubt that 
other gentlemen will do the same. These books will 
not be allowed to circulate. In time, I hope to see the 
walls of this room covered by objects of Pharmaceutical 
interest and folios of autograph prescriptions upon the 
table. In both of these aims, I solicit our employers’ 
help, as we must principally depend upon them for the 
nucleus of our museum. 
For the use of the Chemistry Classes, Mr. Robinson 
has most handsomely presented a varied collection of 
chemicals, etc., and I now beg to thank him in the name 
of the Association. I regret that I am unable just at this 
moment to lay before you precise arrangements respect¬ 
ing the classes,—the first of which, however, will be 
held on Monday evening next, at 8.15, subject, “Ele¬ 
mentary Chemistry,” by Mr. E. Nuthall, and we hope 
by that time to have a list of all for your information. 
The classes proposed by the Council are, Chemistry, 
Qualitative Analysis, Botany, Materia Medica and 
Latin. 
I cannot refrain from noticing the kindness with which 
Mr. A. J. Caley and Mr. 0. Corder have offered to give 
lectures, respectively, on Materia Medica. 
On Monday, this room will be at your disposal for 
reading, etc., and I would recommend all those who pur¬ 
pose going through a regular course of study to come 
up then and register themselves for their respective 
classes. 
Besides the annual income, a large outlay is required 
at the start for furnishing. To this fund I hope the 
employers will subscribe liberally. We have been com¬ 
pelled to lay on gas, and are desirous of doing the same 
with water. The last, however, we fear we must omit 
for the present. 
With the exception of addressing a few words to those 
who will shortly be students, I feel my task to be ended. 
To them I would say that however complete the ad¬ 
ministration of this Association, its ultimate success rests 
with you. Unless you work with a heart and show your 
appreciation of the many advantages by getting rapidly 
through the examinations, this Association will be a 
mere skeleton without life. But if, on the other hand, 
you attend the classes regularly, supplementing this by 
home work, I feel sure that this Association will prove a 
glorious success. 
Upon the means of securing regular attendance at 
classes, I would earnestly invite discussion. There seems 
to be a strong feeling in favour of some method of making 
attendance at classes other than a matter of fancy, so 
that the tutor may be saved the annoyance of the con¬ 
stant repetition necessitated by occasional students. 
I would recommend to your consideration the system 
of entrance fees for each class, reminding you that that 
which one has to pay for one values more than anything 
