'May 27,1871.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
next few years. AYe can support our institution so far 
as the members are concerned as to finding rooms, 
library, chemical apparatus and a museum; but we 
•are unable to get a sufficient number of pupils to meet 
.the cost of the lectures. During the past winter we had 
twenty-four lectures on chemistry. To meet the ex¬ 
pense of those lectures the association has had to pay 
£10. 105. in addition to the pupils’ fees; and if it is to 
be repeated in the various other branches of scientific 
^knowledge it will be, as 1 have said, very difficult for us 
to maintain our position. We feel desirous to bring this 
matter before the Association generally; and, although 
the Council have done very well hitherto, we do hope in 
the coming year to succeed in getting help from them in 
this particular. A great number of our senior young men 
have’taken advantage of the Modified Examination, and, 
therefore, do not go in for the lectures to the extent 
-which all will have to do in the course of time. We 
Teel it to be desirable that, at all events, for a few years 
xve should have some monetary help to tide us over our 
•difficulties. I am quite aware of the considerations that 
.spring out of this from the number of schools there 
•are in the country; but I think the thing might be 
.met, and I trust it will be. 
Mr. Slipper : Sir, there is an error in the casting of 
the Benevolent Fund, showing a deficiency of £10 ; and 
I should like to know whether it can be accounted for in 
•any way. 
Mr. Bremridge : There does appear to be an omission 
•of £10 ; whether it be a clerical or printer’s error I do 
not for the moment know. The money has, however, 
been expended, and the total is, I am sure, quite accurate. 
At a later stage of the proceedings, Mr. Slipper an¬ 
nounced to the meeting that Air. Bremridge had shown 
.him the auditors’ account, in which the missing item 
was set out. It was, therefore, a printer's'error. 
The resolution for the adoption of the Report was then 
.put and carried unanimously. 
The Chairman : The next question before us, gentle- 
mien, is that of the poison regulations. It is a very im¬ 
portant one, and you will readily conceive my position 
in bringing the matter before you. At the last Annual 
.Meeting it was remitted to the Council in this way,— 
that the subject be taken into consideration by the in¬ 
coming Council, and that a further report be made to 
■the next Annual Meeting. I shall not attempt to waste 
your time by using any arguments whatever, either in 
favour of or against the adoption of these regulations, 
.-as } r ou know the Council a month ago decided upon pre¬ 
senting them to you as recommendations for your adop¬ 
tion. But it is quite right I should mention to you 
That it was considered by some that if they were adopted 
•as voluntary regulations, the Privy Council could put 
their seal upon them, and the Act of Parliament would 
.make them law, so that they would become compulsory. 
I also feel that I should read to you a letter received 
from Air. Simon, medical officer to the Privy Council, 
-•about twelve days ago. The letter, which is addressed 
"to the Secretary, is as follows :— 
“ Six*,—The Lords of Her Alajesty’s Council, observing 
that the Annual Aleeting of the Pharmaceutical Society 
is to be held in the course of the present month, direct 
me to refer you to my letter of the 23rd December, 1870, 
•and to say that they trust that such regulations will then 
be made (under the first section of the Pharmacy Act, 
1868) in regard to the keeping, dispensing and selling of 
poisons, as will be sufficient to secure the safety of the 
public. 
“ Their Lordships think it right to apprise the Council 
of the Society that, should no such regulations be sub¬ 
mitted for their approval after the approaching meeting, 
they will feel it their duty to endeavour to protect the 
^public by proposing to Parliament further legislation. 
“ I am, Sir, 
“ Your obedient servant, 
“ John Simon.” 
040 
I need scarcely tell you that this letter was very cour¬ 
teously acknowledged, but no further remark was made 
about it than that it would be presented to the Council 
at the earliest possible opportunity. With respect to the 
regulations or recommendations being made compulsory, 
supposing you adopt them to-day as voluntary, our Soli¬ 
citor was instructed to draw up such a resolution as 
could not very well in common sense be made compul¬ 
sory by merely adopting them as recommendations. 
These arc the recommendations :— 
“Recommendations by the Pharmaceutical Society of 
Great Britain for the keeping, dispensing and selling of 
poisons. 
“ 1. That in the keeping of poisons each bottle, vessel, 
box, or package containing a poison be labelled with the 
name of the article, and also with some distinctive mark 
indicating that it contains poison. 
“ 2. Also that in the keeping of poisons, each poison 
be kept on one or other of the following systems, viz. 
“ (ft) In a bottle or vessel tied over, capped, locked, 
or otherwise secured in a manner different from that 
in which bottles or vessels containing ordinary articles 
are secured in the same warehouse, shop, or dispen¬ 
sary; or 
“ (Jj) In a bottle or vessel rendered distinguishable 
by touch from the bottles or vessels in which ordinary 
articles are kept in the same warehouse, shop, or dis¬ 
pensary ; or 
“ (c) In a bottle, vessel, box, or package kept in a 
room or cupboard set apart for dangerous articles. 
“3. That in the dispensing and selling of poisons, all 
liniments, embrocations and lotions containing poison be 
sent out in bottles rendered distinguishable by touch from 
ordinary medicine bottles, and that there also be 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 
be taken internally.” 
It only remains now for me to put the resolution as 
drawn up by our Solicitor for your consideration, and it 
is this : “ That this meeting having considered the re- 
commen lations as to the keeping, dispensing and selling 
of poisons, prepared by the Council, desires the Council 
to propose them for voluntary adoption, but does not de¬ 
sire and does not prescribe them as or to become Regula¬ 
tions within the meaning of the Pharmacy Act, 1868.” 
Air. Burden : Can we have the first clause of the 
Pharmacy Act read ? 
Air. Flux, the Society's Solicitor, then read the first 
clause, which is to the following effect:—“ From and after 
the 31st day of December, 1868, it shall be unlawful for 
any person to sell or keep open shop for retailing, dispens¬ 
ing or compounding poisons, or to assume or use the title 
chemist and druggist, or chemist or druggist, or pharma¬ 
cist, or dispensing chemist or druggist in any part of Great 
Britain, unless such person shall be a pharmaceutical 
chemist, or a chemist and druggist within the meaning 
of this Act, and be registered under this Act, and conform 
to such regulations as to the keeping, dispensing and 
selling of such poisons as may from time to time be pre¬ 
scribed by the Pharmaceutical Society, with the consent 
of the Privy Council.” 
Air. Bourdas (Vice-President): I beg to second the 
resolution. 
Air. Giles : Sir, I think the occasions are few when 
any society, be it a society for scientific, social or com¬ 
mercial purposes, may differ on points of administration 
with its appointed governing body. But I do consider 
the present is such an occasion, not only on account of 
its vast importance, but also on account of the fact that 
the Council bring before us a matter which we know by 
their own previous information they do not in their 
hearts approve, but in obedience to an. expression ot 
opinion utterly informal, and which I consider they made 
a mistake in respecting to the extent they have done. I 
find it is necessary to deal with this question not simply 
