S10 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[April 8, 1871. 
readily distinguishable by touch from ordinary medicine 
bottles, and there shall also he affixed to each such 
bottle (in addition to the name of the article, and to any 
particular instructions for its use) a label, giving notice 
that the contents of the bottle are not to he taken inter¬ 
nally.” 
The arguments which had been used against the pro¬ 
posed regulations were many. Some said that a higher 
state of education would be a better safeguard. But 
they had continually seen that mistakes had occurred 
among the best educated and in the best regulated esta¬ 
blishments, and he did not think they must look to a 
higher educational standard for the sole means of pre¬ 
venting those mistakes. Besides which, some years 
must necessarily elapse before that high standard of 
education could make itself felt among the thousands 
of chemists in the country. Another objection was that 
the surgeons and medical practitioners generally, in¬ 
cluding veterinary surgeons, were not subjected to the 
same regulations as were proposed by the Pharmaceutical 
Society; but this, he thought, was not worthy of con¬ 
sideration, for ho was of opinion that if the sale of 
poisons became the subject of legislative interference, no 
person, surgeon or otherwise, would be allowed to retail 
poisons without placing himself under the regulations. 
Again, objections had been made to the mode of storing 
poisons; but this might be obviated by the adoption of 
a particular description of bottles, and taking care that 
those bottles were properly labelled and placed in a par¬ 
ticular spot. If such things as the alkaloids, strychnine, 
morphia, etc. were put into a cupboard, apart from the 
general run of medicines, it would be the means of pre¬ 
venting- many of the mistakes which had occurred. 
Looking at the correspondence which had taken place 
between Dr. Simon and the Pharmaceutical Society, it 
seemed to him that something must be done. Dr. Simon 
wrote to the Registrar of the Pharmaceutical Society to 
the following effect:—■ 
“ My Lords believe it to have been the opinion of 
Parliament that proper regulations in this matter are 
required for the protection of the public, and as more 
than two years have elapsed since the passing of the 
Act without the Pharmaceutical Society having pro¬ 
posed any such regulations, my Lords think it right to 
inquire whether the Pharmaceutical Society intends, 
within any time you can specify, to propose such regu¬ 
lations to their Lordships. They direct me, thex-efore, 
to request that you will have the goodness to give me, 
at your earliest convenience, the information required 
by their Lordships.” 
If that was so, if something must be done, they had far 
better do what they could to regulate themselves, rather 
than have regulations forced upon them by the Govern¬ 
ment. He had drawn up, and would submit for the con¬ 
sideration of the meeting, the following resolution :—- 
“ That from the correspondence between Dr. Simon 
and the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society, it appears 
that her Majesty’s Privy Council insists on regulations 
being framed for the vending and dispensing of poisons; 
and it is the opinion of this meeting that the regulations 
proposed (with the exception of the third) by the Phar¬ 
maceutical Society are such as will be the least objection¬ 
able to chemists, and at the same time satisfy the re¬ 
quirements of the Privy Council.” 
Several g-entlemen present expressed an opinion that 
the regulations would be found to work very harshly 
upon the trade, and suggested many minor difficulties 
which would present themselves, especially in the poorer 
districts. 
Mr. Dymond said he was glad of the present meeting, 
because he valued a free expression of opinion on a ques- 
1 ion of such importance as this. He had read with in¬ 
terest the reports of the various meetings which had been 
held throughout the country, and had been impressed, 
with what seemed to him, an absence of such an im¬ 
partial view of the subject as would enable chemists 
justly to appreciate the difficulties of the question. No> 
doubt chemists, like many other classes of the community, 
were mainly influenced by what was convenient^ them¬ 
selves in the conduct of their affairs. This was not 
unnatural, but they ought at the same time not to ignore 
what was passing, or had passed, outside their own circle. 
The Pharmaceutical Council, upon whom had devolved 
the duty of suggesting these regulations, contained men 
of long experience and high standing in the trade. They 
had, with special opportunities, watched the progress of 
Pharmacy Acts and legislation on poisons, and had la¬ 
boured in their behalf for many years. These men knew 
intimately what the determination of the Government 
was, that it absolutely demanded regulations to be ob¬ 
served by chemists in the use of poisons. They saw that 
the press demanded it (and Mr. Reynolds was quite mis¬ 
taken when ho declared that only two papers had spoken 
on the subject), and they knew that the public approved 
it. These various considerations must be allowed weight 
in considering the question. Regulations of some kind, 
would, no doubt, have been contained in the last Phar¬ 
macy Act had not the Privy Council, on the urgent, 
recommendation of the Pharmaceutical Council, that 
they were the best judges of what was possible and prac¬ 
ticable to chemists, surrendered to them the duty of 
framing regulations. The Pharmaceutical Council, there¬ 
fore, were bound by the highest considerations of honour 
to suggest such regulations as they conscientiously be¬ 
lieved to be just, as well as of value to the trade. Very 
little objection, indeed, had been made to the regulations 
themselves. It appeared that most chemists adopted 
them in one or more ways. What the chemists objected 
to was compulsion and interference. He believed the fear 
of interference was groundless. But subjection to law was 
not an evil. The whole of our liberties were based upon 
the restraints of law, which prevented one man from 
injuring another. It was illegal for one person to injure 
another with smoke or an offensive smell; but these 
were imaginary nuisances compared with that of one 
man poisoning another, or even with the possibility of 
doing so with an unprotected array of poisons. The 
present fact, however, before them was this,—the Go¬ 
vernment were determined that chemists should observe 
some regulations in the keeping and dispensing of poi¬ 
sons. They had now the opportunity of regulating- 
themselves. Would they accept this golden chance, or 
by waiting a little longer have to submit to Government 
regulations with results which no one could anticipate ? 
The resolution was seconded by Mr. J. Lucas, who said 
he could see no hardship in having to comply with the 
regulations. For himself he did not think they were 
necessary ; but if regulations were to be framed, he be¬ 
lieved that those proposed were as easy as any that could 
be devised for the general good. There was much mis¬ 
conception abroad as to the sale of poisons, some persons 
still believing that the sale of paregoric and pennyworths, 
of laudanum and the like, must be in particular poison- 
bottles, and not in bottles or vessels that their customers 
might bring for the articles. 
No other resolution being proposed, it was submitted 
to the meeting, and declared to be carried by a majority 
of eight votes to four votes. 
Some of the dissentients said that the resolution would 
not express the general feeling of the trade in Birming¬ 
ham. 
The Chairman' said he had advertised the meeting in 
the daily newspapers, and had sent out 120 post cards of 
invitation. Those who were absent could not find fault, 
and he thought they would be right in assuming that 
many of them were satisfied with the regulations. 
The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to 
the Chairman. 
