770 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[March 25, 1871. 
Parliamentary Committee, “That he would never put 
up a fence unless it were strong enough to hear leaning 
against;” and a remark of Mr. Squire, that it was 
transferring a man’s brains from his head to his fingers. 
He also alluded to a letter from Mr. Ince in the Chemist 
and Druggist^ where it was said,— 
“That any pressure from without should admire 
“ and seek to hind on others mechanical substitutes 
“ for intelligence excites no surprise; but that educated 
“ men should endeavour to be chained up as dan- 
“ gerous individuals, and should provide their own 
“ fetters, seems an attitude at once humiliating and 
“ unaccountable.” 
In the event of the regulations being made compulsory 
at the Annual Meeting, Mr. Ince suggested the pro¬ 
posal of the following resolution :— 
“ That our educational system be discontinued, hav- 
“ ing proved ineffective either as regards the training 
“ of pharmacists or the consequent safety of the pub¬ 
lic, and that the commanding premises situate in 
“ Bloomsbury Square be put up to auction.” 
He concluded by stating that common sense asserted 
the supremacy of a properly-educated mind stored with 
real solid acquaintance with the nature and proper¬ 
ties of the substances with which it deals, over any 
mere mechanical arrangements that could by any possi¬ 
bility be devised ; and he believed that had the Council 
met the very first suggestion of Dr. Simon with a 
straightforward explanation of facts, showing the im¬ 
proving educational status of the chemist, and the in¬ 
creasing desire and willingness on their part to adopt 
any practical suggestion, the rarity of accidents, and 
the natural repugnance with which such regulations 
wore viewed by an intelligent body of men, whose quali¬ 
fication their own diploma certified,—had they thus 
acted the present meeting had never been needed. 
The resolution was then put and carried unanimously. 
The second resolution was proposed by Mr. Quiller, 
seconded by Mr. Wade, “ That an Association be formed, 
to be called ‘ The Metropolitan Chemists’ Defence Asso¬ 
ciation,’ instituted to protect the London trade from 
‘ compulsory regulations for storing and dispensing of 
poisons;’ and to co-operate with Pi’ovincial Associations 
formed for the same purpose.” 
Mr. Quiller believed that both the Privy Council and 
the Pharmaceutical Council meant to do good. But poi¬ 
soning had not increased lately, and during the last ten 
years had been extremely rare. Neither was there any 
popular feeling on the question. He found by reference 
to the Calendar that already they were subject to eight 
Acts, and these were enough without any fresh enact¬ 
ments. He referred to a case recently reported in the 
Pharmaceutical Journal, which he thought would not 
have occurred previous to the passing of the Pharmacy 
Act, as no chemist would have ventured to supply so 
large a quantity of prussic acid to a stranger. But now 
he had only to produce his book and show that he had 
complied with the law. The organization proposed was 
not meant to be a permanent one. He for one would 
not lend his influence to assist in opposing the Pharma¬ 
ceutical Society. He had a great respect for it and the 
Council, and he believed that to them they were much 
indebted for the position they now enjoyed. But it was 
simply meant to keep a watch upon this present subject, 
and he thought they might do good service by uniting 
together to secure the election of good representative 
men to sit on the Council. 
Mr. Wade, in seconding the resolution, referred to 
the feeling manifested last year at the Annual Meeting 
against any such regulations, the wishes of which meet¬ 
ing he said the Council had not carried out. Never was 
there so strong opinion in the trade upon any question 
as upon this one throughout the country. Manchester, 
Norwich, Maidstone, Newcastle, and other places were 
organizing opposition, and London ought not to be be¬ 
hind. It was not intended to throw any slight upon the 
Pharmaceutical Society, but to secure the placing of such 
men upon the Council as would put on one side for ever 
all such restrictions upon their business. 
The resolution was carried unanimously. 
The third resolution was proposed by Mr. Patterson, 
seconded by Mr. D’Aubney, and carried unanimously, 
“ That an Honorary Secretary and Treasurer, an Execu¬ 
tive Committee consisting of twelve members of the As¬ 
sociation—four to form a quorum,—and a general Com¬ 
mittee, with power to add to their number, be appointed.” 
The fourth resolution was proposed by Mr. Bland, 
seconded by Mr. King, and carried unanimously, “That 
Mr. Yizer be appointed Hon. Secretary, Mr. S. C. Betty, 
Treasurer, and the following gentlemen members of the 
Executive Committee, Messrs. J. R. Collins, John Wade, 
W. W. Urwick, J. Beddard, Henry King, J. Bland, W. 
H. Froom, Geo. Pattison, Thos. D’Aubney, J. Owen, S. 
Greenish, and C. R. Quiller.” 
The fifth resolution was proposed by Mr. Lynch, 
seconded by Mr. Cawdell, and carried unanimously, 
“That every subscriber of 2s. 6d. and upwards be a 
member of this Association. 
The sixth resolution was proposed by Mr. Yizer, 
seconded by Mr. Bland, and carried unanimously, 
“That the Executive Committee be requested to make- 
choice of such gentlemen as they may consider would 
represent the correct feeling of the trade and its general 
requirements. And this meeting pledges itself to sup¬ 
port their candidature at the forthcoming election for the- 
Pharmaceutical Council.” 
Mr. Yizer stated it was very important at all times in 
electing a new Council to bear in mind that a consider¬ 
able number of the gentlemen should be resident in Lon¬ 
don. Through a strange coincidence, the result of the- 
ballot, by which seven old members are annually chosen 
to remain, had this time not left one London member ’ y 
and as the greater part of the real business of the Society 
was conducted at the Committee meetings which met 
frequently, it was of the utmost consequence that a suffi¬ 
cient number should be elected who were within easy 
access of Bloomsbury Square. He hoped therefore that 
members of the Society would not omit to support the- 
gentlemen whose election would be advocated by this 
Association in concert with Provincial Associations; the- 
list would comprise a due proportion of London and 
country representatives. 
A gentleman present rose and asked why the papers- 
issued by the proprietors of the Chemist and Druggist, 
asking for the opinion of the recipients as to the pro¬ 
posed poison regulations, had been sent to medical men ? 
He thought that it was a question that concerned che¬ 
mists and druggists alone. 
The Chairman said he was authorized to state that 
such was not the case. The issue had been confined to- 
persons on the Register of Chemists and Druggists. 
The gentleman replied that he knew of instances in. 
which they had been received by medical men. 
At the close of the meeting, several gentlemen came 
forward and paid in contributions towards the funds of 
the proposed organization. 
The Bunya-Bunya (Araucaria Bidivilh ’), a native 
of the northern district of New South Wales, is of con¬ 
siderable interest, as being the only hereditary personal 
property possessed by the natives, who greedily devour - 
the fruit, either raw, or roasted and made into cakes. 
This fruit is only plentiful every third year; and at the 
proper season the aborigines assemble in considerable 
numbers for the purpose of obtaining it. Each tribe has 
its own set of trees, and each family its particular indi¬ 
viduals among them; and these are handed down from 
generation to generation. The right of ownership is 
almost universally respected; but occasional depreda¬ 
tions occur, when a fight ensues, the sympathies of the 
bystanders going with the lawful proprietor. — Nature. 
