672 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [February 18 , is?i. 
"before tlie eclipse a snowstorm set in ; half an hour after 
the eclipse was over the weather was most beautiful, the 
sun shining forth in all his brilliancy. There was no 
doubt that the corona did belong- to the sun. The light 
from the corona gave a spectrum containing bright lines, 
one of which was observed by an American astronomer 
during the eclipse last year. This line does not coincide 
with any of those found in the spectra of other known 
elementary substances. A similar bright line is, how¬ 
ever, found in the spectrum of the auroral-borealis. 
Whether they were connected could not be said at pre¬ 
sent ; that is a point for future observers to clear up. It 
had been enough for them, during the last eclipse, to fix 
the corona as an absolute entity, and show that it was 
not merely something produced in the eyes of the ob¬ 
servers by irradiation of any glare, but a portion of the 
solar body. Professor Roscoe concluded his lecture by 
thanking his audience for the attention with which they 
had listened to him, and resumed his seat amid loud 
applause. 
A cordial vote of thanks was presented to the Pro¬ 
fessor for his lecture. 
Later in the evening, Mr. Edward Davies, F.C.S., 
Vice-President of the Association, gave a short but in¬ 
structive lecture, with experiments, upon modern explo¬ 
sive compounds, including the different kinds of gun¬ 
powder, gun-cotton, nitro-glycerine, dynamite, picrate 
of potash, j^ercussion shells, time fuses, and percussion 
fuses. 
MANCHESTER CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS’ 
ASSOCIATION. 
An Ordinary Monthly Meeting was held in the Memo¬ 
rial Hall, Albert Square, on Friday afternoon, February 
■3rd; Mr. G. S. Woolley in the chair. 
Messrs. Berry, Eckcrsley and Warton, all of Oldham, 
-were elected members ; and Messrs. AVoodcock, Spence- 
ley and Bowsfield, associates. 
A donation of three guineas, to form a prize in one of 
the classes selected by the Council, was announced from 
a member, Mr. T. G. Gibbons, and a resolution convey¬ 
ing the best thanks of the Association to Mr. Gibbons 
was carried with acclamation. 
Mr. Robert Hampsox then read a paper “ On the Im¬ 
portance of Some Knowledge of Anatomy and Physiology 
to the Pharmacist.” The following is a brief abstract:— 
The pharmacist is expected to be fully alive to the 
requirements of the physician, and conversant with the 
modus operandi of remedial agents. The production of 
pharmaceutical preparations suited to the varied mani¬ 
festations of disease necessitates some knowledge of the 
construction and functions of the human organism. 
Such knowledge would greatly tend to impress upon the 
dispenser the absolute importance of accuracy in com¬ 
pounding medicines, and the danger and disadvantage of 
using adulterated drugs, or drugs not reaching the official 
standard of potency. The deiinition of a poison, and 
the perils of an excessive dose, and the necessity for the 
use of all suitable safeguards to prevent error or disas¬ 
trous misadventure, would assist in putting to flight 
the mistaken notion, that the rigid machinery of law, its 
penalties and needless rude encroachments are required 
to ensure the safety of those who deal with us. 
It might be argued by some that this kind of know- 
ledge 'would extend the practice of prescribing by drug- 
gists , he (Mr. Hampton) entertained an opposite opinion, 
founded on the conviction that this particular informa¬ 
tion v hich re% eals to us that our bodies are indeed 
feaifully and wonderfully made,” has a tendency to 
prevent, rather than foster the rash assumption of duties 
foreign to our special business. 
Mr. Hampson illustrated his subject by some remarks 
on the minute anatomy of the skin and mucous mem¬ 
brane, and their use in the animal economy, and also on 
the various methods of introducing medicines into the 
circulation. 
In conclusion he advocated that a short introductory 
course of lectures, embracing a clear outline of anatomy 
and physiology be given to pharmaceutical students. 
A cordial vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Hampson 
for his interesting paper. 
Some discussion then took place on the latest phase of 
the poison regulations question, and a resolution pro¬ 
posed by Mr. Siebold and seconded by Mr. Mumbray, 
was carried, “ That the consideration of this subject be 
referred to the Council of this Association, and that they 
be requested to take action thereon.” 
The Secretary called attention to a copy of the Year- 
Book issued by the Pharmaceutical Conference, which 
he had placed upon the table, and reminded those pre¬ 
sent that all apprentices and assistants, as well as men 
in business, were, on payment of the annual subscription 
of os., eligible for election as members of the Conference, 
by which they would be entitled to a copy of this valu¬ 
able work. 
A paper on Dispensing, by Mr. Halliday, was an¬ 
nounced for the March meeting, 
BRISTOL PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION. 
A General Meeting of the Association was held on 
Friday, February 10th, for the purpose of taking into 
consideration the subject of the proposed “ Regulations 
for the Storing of Poisons.” 
The President, Mr. Stoddart, briefly introduced the 
subject, pointing out that the poison clauses in the Phar¬ 
macy Acts were really all that the public and the Govern¬ 
ment cared about, and that they had shown a remark¬ 
able confidence in the pharmaceutical body in trusting 
to their hands the carrying out of their provisions. He 
thought the pharmacists were bound in honour to fulfil 
the implied pledge to adopt some compulsory regulations 
as to the storing of poisons, and that those suggested by 
the Council wore sufficiently elastic to be easily applied 
to all kinds of pharmaceutical businesses. 
Mr. Giles said he had endeavoured to approach the 
subject with a perfectly unbiassed mind. He had hither¬ 
to identified himself with neither side in this controversy, 
feeling a good deal disposed to trust the judgment of the 
Council, and to follow their leading. Looking at the 
question in the abstract, and having regard to the history 
of the sad cases of accident that all present would recol¬ 
lect, he thought the public had a distinct right to some 
security against such accidents beyond those provided 
by the best professional education; and this view natu¬ 
rally issued in the imposition of compulsory precau¬ 
tionary regulations. Those that had been put forth by 
the Council, with the concurrence of the Privy Council, 
he considered, were very sensible and very easy of appli¬ 
cation, and their adoption would, he was sure, act as a 
great relief to many an anxious dispenser. Moreover, 
by thus offering a further pledge of safety to the public, 
the pharmaceutical body would be adopting the course 
most calculated gradually to draw the bulk of dispensing 
into their own hands. Mr. Giles then read a circular he 
had that day received from Mr. Bremridge, which de¬ 
tailed the history of the Council’s action in the matter, 
and explained its present intentions, and ho concluded 
by declaring that ho utterly failed to discover any 
ground for objection to the course it had taken. 
Mr. Boucher (Ferris and Co.) confessed he felt no 
very great faith in the efficacy of “compulsory regula¬ 
tions,” as he thought most establishments already prac¬ 
tised such precautions as were best adapted to then’ own 
particular circumstances; and looking at the exceeding 
infrequency of accidents in the houses of pharmacists, he 
did not think they were required. But as something of 
the kind appeared to be demanded by a portion of the 
public, and by the Privy Council, he would by no means 
oppose them. 
Mr. Schacht said he had always noticed that those 
