•Jane 3, 1571.] 
TIIE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 9S1 
•dcrnicre vue, le nom do Feu, de matiere du soleil, de la 
lumiere et de la chaleur, lui convient particulierement. 
Pour lors, e’est une substance que l’on peut considerer 
comme composee de particules infiniment petites, qui 
■sont agitces par un mouvement tres-rapide ct continuel, 
par consequent esscntiellement fluide. Cette substance, 
■dont le soleil cst comme le reservoir general, s’en emane 
perpetuellement, et est repandue universellement dans 
toils les corps quo nous connoissons; maisnon pas comme 
principe ou essentielle a leur mixtion, puisqu’on peut les 
en priver, dumoins en grande partic, sans qu’ils soutfrent 
pour cela la moindre decomposition. . . . Cependant les 
phenomenes que presentent les matieres inflammables 
lorsqu’elles brulent, nous indiquent qu’ellcs contiennent 
xeellement la matiere du Feu comme un de leurs prin- 
■cipes. . . . Examinons done les proprietes de ce feu fixe, 
■et devenu principe des corps. C'est lui auquel nous 
donnerons particulierement le nom de matiere inflam¬ 
mable, du soufre principe, ou de Phlogistique, pour le 
•distinguer du Feu pur.” 
Again, much the same tiling is to be found in Baume’s 
x Manuel de Chymie,’ 1765 : as for example :— 
“Nous considerons le feu sous deux etats differens. 
Lorsqu’il est pur, isole, et qu’il ne fait partie d’aucun 
■compose .... Lorsqu’il est combine avec d’autres sub¬ 
stances, et qu’il fait un des principes constituans des 
corps composes .... On n’est pas certain si le feu est 
jpesant. II y a des experiences pour et contre. . . . 
“ Pendant la combustion des substances, le feu com¬ 
bine se reduit en feu eleincntaire, et se dissipe a mesure. 
Le celeb re Boerbaave n’est cependant pas de ce senti¬ 
ment ; il dit que si cela etoit, la quantite de feu elemen- 
taire devroit augmenter a l’infini dans la nature. . . . 
Mais il est facile do repondre a cette objection, en disant 
comme on est en droit de le presumer, que le feu ele- 
mentaire, degage des corps, se combine a mesure avec 
dlautrcs substances, et qu’il perd toutes ses proprietes do 
feu libre, en devenant principe constituant des corps, dans 
la composition desquels il entre. . . . Le principe dont 
nous entendons parler ici, est celui que Stahl a nomine 
gphlogistiquc ” 
In interpreting the above and other phlogistic writings 
by the light of modern doctrine, it is not meant to attri¬ 
bute to their several authors the precise notion of energy 
"that now prevails. It is contended only that the phlo- 
g'istians had, in their time, possession of a real truth in 
nature which, altogether lost sight of in the intermediate 
period, has since crystallized out in a definite form. “ I 
trust,” said Beecher, “ that I have got hold of my pitcher 
by the right handle.” And what he and his followers got 
hold of and retained so tenaciously, though it may be 
fihiftingly and ignorantly, we now hold to knowingly, 
definitely and quantitatively, as part and parcel of the 
grandest generalization in science that has ever yet been 
established. 
BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL CONFERENCE. 
Meeting of Executive Committee at 17, BLOOMS¬ 
BURY SQUARE. 
Mag 1 6th, 1871. 
Present—Messrs. Williams (in the chair), Brady, Car- 
ieighe, Groves, Mackay, Martindalc, Matthews, Schacht, 
Attfield and Reynolds (Secretaries), and Collins (Assis¬ 
tant-Secretary). 
‘ Year Book of Pharmacy for 1871.’—Arrangements 
were made for printing and publishing the second an¬ 
nual volume in the autumn of the present year. 
Distribution of the 1 Year Book .’—After due delibera¬ 
tion, and the consideration of opinions expressed by se¬ 
veral local secretaries, the Committee resolved to distri¬ 
bute the next ‘ Year Book ’ by post only. The Secretaries 
were instructed, in collecting the annual subscription 
•of five shillings, to ask for an additional sixpence to 
cover cost of delivery of the volume, and to request all 
members to accept this rule in order to avoid the expense 
of salaries to clerks and messengers. The Committee con¬ 
sidered that by thus devoting nearly the whole of the 
funds to the production of the ‘ Year Book,’ a complete, 
efficient and inexpensive manual would be obtained, 
which would always be found to be indispensable as a 
desk companion for the year, and an invaluable perma¬ 
nent work of reference for every chemist and druggist. 
Presentation Copies of the ‘ Year Book'- —The Secretaries 
reported that sixteen books had been sent to the leading 
lil >raries and journals of pharmacy in Europe and Ame¬ 
rica. Resolved, that a copy be forwarded to every 
English provincial Pharmaceutical Association possess¬ 
ing a library. 
The “ Bell and Hills ” Fund. —The Secretaries stated 
that ten guineas’ worth of books had been presented to 
the library of the Chemists’ Association at Liverpool, 
and had been duly acknowledged. 
Few Members. —In view of the continuous annual 
publication of the ‘ Year Book,’ the Secretaries were 
ordered to issue a circular, requesting every member to 
obtain one or more new members, and otherwise to endea¬ 
vour to increase the numerical strength of the Con¬ 
ference. 
Candidates for Membership— The following were elected 
members of the Conference :— 
Anderson, J., Edinburgh ; Babtie, J., Dumbarton ; 
Baker, A. P., London; Baker, F. B., London; Barratt, 
J., London; Berry,W., Bristol; Birch, H. C., London; 
Brearey, W. A., Isle of Man; Brodie, R., Glasgow; 
Buchanan, D., Greenock; Buchanan, Dr. J. D., Glas¬ 
gow; Butten, J., Rangoon; Clarke, A. Id., London; 
Colclough, W., London; Collett, C. B., Exeter; Cowan, 
Professor, Glasgow.; Cuff, R. C., Bristol; Dunn, J., 
Selkirk; Evans, I). 0., Halstead; Evans, W., Liverpool; 
Fairgricve, T., Edinburgh; Fowler, W. R., Spilsby; 
Fiaser, J., Inverness ; Gilmour, W., Edinburgh ; Grif¬ 
fith, R., Slough; Hammond, C. T., Hull; Hart, J., 
Manchester; Hart, W., Bolton ; Hartley, W., St. An¬ 
drews ; Henderson, W. P., Dundee; Hewitt, G., Kid¬ 
derminster ; Hodgkinson, AY., London; Hothersall, J., 
Bolton; Hughes, J. T., Altrincham; Hurst, J. B., 
Louth; Jackson, A. II., Manchester; Jackson, J. P., 
London; Johnson, A., Rotherham; Jones, M., Flint; 
Laird, G. II., Edinburgh; Leigh, J. J., Bishop Auck¬ 
land ; Longley, G., Stockport; Mackenzie, —, Glasgow; 
Mackenzie, J.,Edinburgh; Mackey, —,London; Mackill, 
R. C., Hamilton; Macpherson, A., Stornoway; Maitland, 
J. E., London ; Maxwell, G. N., Northampton ; Mitehin, 
F., London; Moffatt, Dr. R. C., Glasgow ; Napier, A., 
Edinburgh ; New, T. C., Manchester; Niven, AY., Edin¬ 
burgh ; Paine, C., Wrexham ; Palmer, A. N., Bury St. 
Edmunds; Parkin, C., Doncaster; Pasmore, G., Ports¬ 
mouth ; Peake, II. F., Twickenham; Peters, J., London; 
Pond, B. C., London; Porrett, G. W., Scarborough; 
Pote, S. R., Exeter; Prince, A. G., Longton; Procter, 
Dr. W., York ; Sang, E., Edinburgh; Selkirk, J., Edin¬ 
burgh ; Slater, AY. II., Romsey ; Smith, A., Edinburgh; 
Stewart, J., Hamilton; Swift, F., Spalding ; Symons, W., 
Barnstaple ; Taylor, C., Liverpool; Taylor, AY., Hey- 
wood; Taylor, AY. G., Nuneaton; Vennall, G., Cran- 
leigh ; AYarrior, II., Northallerton ; AVilliams, R., Man¬ 
chester ; AYoodburn, Dr. J. C., Glasgow; AYoolley, G., 
Nottingham; AYynne, E. P., Stratford-on-Avon; Young, 
P., Dundee. 
CHEMICAL SOCIETY". 
Mag 18 th. —Professor Frankland, F.R.S., President, 
in the chair. Messrs. T. Greenish and J. E. Mayall 
were elected Fellows. The following papers were read :— 
“ On a New Double Salt of Thallium,” by R. J. Friswell. 
The author, wishing to prepare platinocyanide, mixed 
hot solutions of thallic carbonate and potassic platino- 
cyanide, and obtained, on leaving the mixture to cool, 
masses of splendid crystals, which appeared by trans- 
