654 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [February 11,1871. 
possible. These propositions were watched and com¬ 
bated from day to day by the Council, and the Act of 
1868 was the result. In that Act great privileges were 
■accorded to, and great confidence reposed in, the Phar¬ 
maceutical Society, to which, on the urgent representa¬ 
tion of the Council, that the Society itself was the only 
competent judge of what would be practicable and 
adapted to the various exigencies of trade in all parts 
of the kingdom, the Legislature committed the duty 
of arranging the detailed conditions for keeping, dis¬ 
pensing, and selling poisons. 
Hence there was a tacit understanding between the 
Council and the Government that the Pharmaceutical 
Council should frame a code of regulations to be ap¬ 
proved by the Privy Council. It became the duty of 
the Society to do that which in its wisdom should be 
consistent with this understanding,—to frame a series of 
regulations for the keeping, sale, and dispensing of poi¬ 
sons which should be practicable and easy of application 
to chemists and druggists, and, at the same time, satisfy 
the demands of Parliament and. the public. 
In doing this, the Council felt it would be impossible 
to prepare regulations which would not interfere, more 
or less, with the existing arrangements of many che¬ 
mists. But they thought if regulations could be 
framed which would be neither onerous nor impracti¬ 
cable, every chemist would feel it his duty to submit to 
some inconvenience, if necessary, to promote the public 
■safety, for the sake of unanimity, the general good, and 
the satisfaction of the Government. 
In framing resolutions, the Council have been most 
solicitous not to interfere prematurely with the subject, 
•or to encumber chemists generally with any burdensome 
restrictions in the conduct of their responsible duties ; 
but at the commencement of 1870 they felt the subject 
could not be delayed, and at that time proposed a series 
of regulations for the “keeping, selling, and dispensing 
of poisons.” That scheme was presented to the Annual 
Meeting in May last. It obtained much attention pre¬ 
viously to and at that meeting, and though an amend¬ 
ment was moved directly negativing the proposal, a 
resolution was unanimously passed in the following 
terms :—“ That the subject be taken into consideration 
by the incoming Council, and that a further report be 
made to the next Annual Meeting.” 
During the interval which has elapsed since that time, 
the subject has obtained the frequent and anxious atten¬ 
tion of the Council. They have carefully observed the 
current of opinion on the subject amongst the members 
of the Pharmaceutical Society, as shown in the perio¬ 
dical correspondence upon it, and in the memorials 
which have been received from various Pharmaceutical 
Associations in the country. They have also watched 
the expression of opinion in the press, and have been 
fully informed of the views entertained by the Privy 
Council and by members of the Legislature. Consider¬ 
ing also the obligations which the passing of the Phar¬ 
macy Act of 1868 has imposed upon them, they believe 
it their duty still to propose the same rules for the keep¬ 
ing of poisons (though in a simplified form) which they 
proposed last year, as those which appear to afford on 
the whole the most scope and simplicity, and which are 
best suited to the various necessities of chemists in busi¬ 
ness. They, however, omitted the third proposed regu¬ 
lation for the “ dispensing of poisons,”—not because they 
•considered it inappropriate, but in the endeavour to meet 
the views of members of the Society by disencumbering 
the proposed regulations of what seemed to be the least 
important of them. 
Since the meeting of Council at which these amended 
regulations were agreed upon, the Registrar of the Phar¬ 
maceutical Society has received two communications 
from the Privy Council, of which no member of the 
Council had any previous cognizance. The first of these 
expressed a desire to know whether the Pharmaceutical 
.Society intended within any specified time to propose 
such regulations as Parliament, in the opinion of the 
Privy Council, required. The reply of the Registrar to 
this inquiry, enclosing the proposed amended regula¬ 
tions, produced another letter from the Privy Council 
expressing the opinion that some regulation as to the 
sale and dispensing of poisons, “ such as the State contcm- 
plated,” were absolutely necessary for the public safety, 
as well as those for the keeping of poisons. ( Vide ‘ Minutes 
of Council,’ February 1st, 1871.) 
This letter has induced the Council of the Pharmaceu¬ 
tical Society to reconsider the whole question, and the 
decision at which they have arrived is that it will be in¬ 
cumbent on them to present to the Annual Meeting in 
May next for its approval, regulations as to the dispensing , 
as well as keeping of poisons. 
In this decision the Council have not been unmindful 
of the objections which have been raised, which, how¬ 
ever, have been directed more to the imposition of any 
regulations at all, than to the impracticability of those 
particularly which the Council propose. The language 
in which the regulations are couched is so simple that it 
would appear almost superfluous to explain further, but 
the Council have been struck by the erroneous interpre¬ 
tations which have from time to time been given. No¬ 
tably, it has been stated over and over again, that it 
would be impossible to keep all poisons in one cupboard. 
The regulations do not contemplate anything of the 
sort. A chemist may adopt the separate system for one, 
or as many poisons as he pleases; he may keep others 
on the ordinary shelves of the shop, provided either that 
the bottles or vessels containing them be distinguished 
by some peculiarity of shape, roughened surface, or 
leather or other cap. It is admitted that very many, 
probably most, chemists in Great Britain, already adopt 
them in some or all of their forms. So far, their im¬ 
portance and value are admitted. It appears to the 
Council one of the strongest arguments in their favour, 
that so many actually feel it to be a duty as well as a 
necessity to adopt them. Some of the objections raised 
are such as the Council find it difficult to take cogni¬ 
zance of; but with reference to the obligations which 
the regulations would impose, they venture to say that 
no vexatious proceedings will be adopted to inquire into 
their observance. They believe some practical advan¬ 
tages will follow the adoption of them, in the lessening 
of anxiety in the conduct of so responsible a business, 
and in the probable mitigation of penalties in case of 
accidents. They think it not unreasonable that in pri¬ 
vate and public dispensaries the same regulations as to 
the keeping and dispensing of poisons should be en¬ 
forced, but the necessity of their observance by chemists 
is not affected thereby, whilst it is well known that the 
great bulk of poisonous drugs is deposited with, and is 
used by, the chemist. The Council are not without sym¬ 
pathy with those who feel objections to the imposition 
of any restrictions, however slight, in the conduct of 
any portion of their business; but, for the reasons before 
stated, they believe that the concessions which chemists 
are now asked to make are such as it would be wise and 
prudent for them to yield, whilst there is every reason 
to believe that the regulations now framed will fully 
satisfy the requirements of the Legislature. 
REPORTS OF THE BOARDS OF EXAMINERS. 
January , 1871. 
England and Wales. 
1 ) 
2, Preliminary. 298 
Candi- 
Candi- 
Candi- 
dates 
dates 
dates 
examined. 
passed. 
failed. 
4 
4 
0 
,. 16 
15 
1 
,. 298 
210 
88 
318 
229 
89 
Preliminary Examination. — 4 Certificates approved. 
