532 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [December 31, 1870. 
They are in no way the private speculation of any 
individual collector—being in fact the free gift of the 
Pharmaceutical Society. Owing to the pressure of 
other engagements the task of arrangement lias been 
abeyance during the months of November and 
December, but once more the work is in course of 
active progress. 
It is hoped that each of the twelve volumes for¬ 
warded to the Country will represent a small library 
in itself, as no single collection will contain more 
than a divisional assortment of recipes kindly for¬ 
warded. The books have been bound and prepared 
by the Messrs. Fisher, who supply King’s College, 
London, and many artists’ firms: the insertion of 
the formulse is intrusted to skilful hands. Each 
separate compilation will if possible illustrate the 
Pharmacy of England, America, France and Ger¬ 
many. Surely when the vessel is so near the* haven 
where it would be, none will hesitate to lend a help¬ 
ing hand in order that it should pass the bar. 
An easy but questionable reputation might have 
been gained for rapid execution, had each folio been 
carelessly filled up, but this has been resolutely 
avoided. Mr. Ince asks respectfully but earnestly, 
that as only 87(5 recipes are required, he may be 
allowed to finish the original design in all its in¬ 
tegrity. The last report is as follows :— {December) 
I. Chicago—((50)II—(11) III. (6)IV.—(23)total 100. 
Aid from Italy is expected daily. 
The Examiners require a student to recognize 
objects constituting what is termed Materia Medica, 
as well as specimens illustrative of Chemistry—he 
must also show a certain familiar acquaintance with 
plants dried and fresh. To acquire this practical 
knowledge ample facilities are provided—ran attempt 
lias of late been made, in London most successfully, 
that the same aid may be within the reach of every 
learner with regard to accuracy and facility in under¬ 
standing the directions of the Medical Profession, 
How large a share these Autograph Formulae have 
in direct teaching can scarcely be conceived. 
IMPORTS. 
We venture to think that the returns of the Board 
of Trade for 1809, as published in our columns last 
week, must have contained much that was interest¬ 
ing to pharmacists generally, many of whom, like 
ourselves, in perusing the list of imports officially 
called ‘ other articles,” must have been furnished 
with material for thought and reflection. The im¬ 
port of ether in quantity of nearly two thousand 
three hundred gallons (10,550 lb.) much impressed 
us. 
Although we have little doubt that a considerable 
portion of this ether (manufactured entirelv from 
pure alcohol) was exported “ in bond,” or in other 
-words was consigned to the various depots of ship¬ 
ment under the eye of the Customs, without passing 
out of the bonded warehouses in which it was landed 
for reception into the private stores of the owners; 
—nevertheless we are aware that a large quantity 
paid the duty of twenty-five shillings a gallon, and was 
thereby made free to compete with the ether manu¬ 
factured in this country from pure spirit of wine. 
Now, let it not be thought that we purpose writ¬ 
ing against competition generally, for we fully ac¬ 
knowledge that notliing can surpass, or even equal 
it, for bringing prices to a proper average; but we do 
say that the competition produced by this import is 
not fair, inasmuch as the advantages of the parties 
concerned are unequal. 
On the Continent alcohol is (in quantity) of the 
market value of fivepence a pound. In Great Britain 
its cost, even of production, is ten times that amount. 
Now, as feAv processes are conducted without some 
loss being entailed before the final product is brought 
into a state of purity, it does not require an expert to 
see that one might safely class such a volatile body as 
ether among those manufactures likely to be con¬ 
ducted with considerable losses. 
This is of the greatest concern to the operator in 
this country, for, although he may take immense 
pains in perfecting his apparatus in order to re¬ 
duce his loss to minimum, he is still at a dis¬ 
advantage as compared with the Continental ma¬ 
nufacturer in the ratio of ten to one, for he is com¬ 
pelled to sustain a loss upon “ dut} r paid ” spirit, 
while the other has the boon of “ free spirit." The 
result is that pure ether can be offered in quantity 
in Germany at ninepence a pound, a rate at which 
ether cannot be made for the arts from methylated 
alcohol. 
If asked for a remedy, we should suggest that either 
the Legislature grant permission to make ether from 
pure spirit, previous to its duty being paid, or upon 
which a “drawback”* has been allowed, in laboratories 
under Excise supervision, the duty being finally paid 
upon the product perfected; or to put a somewhat 
higher duty than the present upon imported ether, 
taking as a precedent the extra duty of fivepence 
per gallon proof (10s. 5 cl.) imposed upon foreign 
spirit, as compared with spirit of home manufacture 
(10s.). Such an arrangement would afford a protec¬ 
tion to our manufacturers, and still leave room for 
healthy competition. 
While we write upon this subject, we cannot re¬ 
frain touching upon a kindred one ,—the manufacture 
of alcohol. The remarks of the previous case are 
equally applicable; but, in addition, the evil in the 
latter is greater and without a parallel in the former, 
inasmuch as the Excise allow anhydrous ether to be 
freely made from methylated spirit, but will not 
allow anhydrous alcohol manufactured from the 
same spirit to be made or sold. 
* A refunding' of the money paid as duty, such as is prac¬ 
tised when spirit is methylated. 
