* May 13,1871.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
909 
%\i $ounraI. 
SATURDAY, MAY 13, 1S71. 
Communications for this Journal, and boohs for review, etc., 
should be addressed to the Editor, 17, Bloomsbury Square. 
Instructions from Members and Associates respecting t ic 
. transmission of the Journal should be sent to Elias Lkem- 
eidge, Secretary, 17, Bloomsbury Square, W.C. 
Advertisements to Messrs. Churchill, New Burlington 
Street, London, TV. Envelopes indorsed “ Fharm. Journ. 
THE COUNCIL ELECTION. 
The approaching Annual Meeting of the Society 
r hicls fair to rival that of last year in importance, 
: though we trust it will he free from its disagreeable 
i features. If we may judge from the letters of Mi. 
: Balkwjll and Mr. -Ell wood, there is likely to he 
.HO small difference of opinion as to the policy of the 
course taken by the Associations formed in reference 
to the question of Poison Regulations; and it is 
probable that those who are in favour of compulsory 
regulations will not he altogether silent when that 
question is brought forward. 
As regards the election of Council, there is one 
point which we would earnestly press on the con¬ 
sideration of the Society at large, and that is the de¬ 
sirability Of avoiding even the appearance of any 
fee lin g of personal antagonism. We do this because 
it is a thing that happens readily, though uninten¬ 
tionally, in discussion among earnest men who are 
really interested in the question at issue, and another 
reason why we do so is, the noteworthy fact that, 
. although there were originally 45 nominations foiytlie 
14 vacancies on the Council, there are only 22 cancli- 
r dates for election. 
We need not urge upon our readers the importance 
of having at command the services of competent and 
influential men for conducting the business of this 
Society, and the fact just referred to that so few 
have been found willing to accept office is, we think, 
one that should be regarded as a warning against 
manifestations of intemperate zeal, and as a cogent 
reason for the suppression of any proceedings calcu- 
’ lated to render the office of a councillor one that is 
in any degree disagreeable or invidious. It is not 
long since that the Council of the Society v as col¬ 
lectively denounced by a self-constituted authority, 
as being “ unworthy to occupy the position which 
lias been delegated to it, while more recently the 
same anathema has been launched against an indi¬ 
vidual member of the Council because he dared to 
defend the opinions he held. But though such 
rhetoric may seem to outside factions a fitting means 
of obtaining influence, we trust the deliberations of 
. the pharmaceutical body will always be animated b\ 
«a more rational spirit. 
THE CONVERSAZIONE. 
After the notices that have appeared in our ad¬ 
vertising columns during the last few weeks, it is 
scarcely necessary to remind bur readers of next 
week’s entertainment at South Kensington. Each 
member of the Society is entitled to a card of ad¬ 
mission for himself and a lady. Each Associate and 
Apprentice of the Society, and each Chemist and 
Druggist on the Register, may, on application, ob¬ 
tain a card of admission for himself. Cards of ad¬ 
mission may be obtained on application to the 
Secretary, at 17, Bloomsbury Square. Some cor¬ 
respondence has reached us in reference to the dress 
that should be worn on the occasion, but we do not 
anticipate there will be any such difficulty on that 
score as to call for special directions. We may, 
however, state that it will probably be conducive to 
the comfort of visitors if, on this occasion, they lay 
aside the conventional “chimney-pot” hats, since 
the authorities of South Kensington decline to pro¬ 
vide for their custody during the evening. 
THE BENEVOLENT FUND. 
The publication in this number of the Journal of 
a list of contributions received towards the Benevo¬ 
lent Fund of the Society affords an opportunity qf 
Calling attention to the great inequality that exists 
in the amounts received from different parts of the 
kingdom. Of the total sum acknowledged, more 
than one-third has been contributed from London,, 
which is greatly in excess of the proportion existing 
between the trade there and in the country. 
That this does not altogether arise from indiffer¬ 
ence on the part of country members, but apparently 
rather Rom the absence of organization in many 
towns, would appear from the fact that while a few 
small places make a creditable return, some of the 
largest towns in the kingdom have contributed but a 
nominal sum. We must also take this opportunity 
of suggesting that contributions to this Fund, the 
benefits of which are available to the whole trade, 
should be very much more general than would appear 
to be the case, judging from the list of subscriptions 
which we now publish. Taking the tiade in round 
numbers at ten thousand, the sum subscribed does 
not represent one shilling a head. This is a subject 
that might well engage the active attention of the 
Local Secretaries of the Society. 
Professor Bentley will commence his Demon¬ 
strations on the parts of plants and the Natural 
Orders, at the Gardens of the Royal Botanic Society, 
on Friday morning next, at 8 o’clock. Students 
must apply to the Secretary, 17, Bloomsbury 
Square, for cards of admission. 
