1031 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[June 21,1871. 
those we have named would be few indeed; and 
wholesale houses would in this case, as in others, 
find very speedily, that the only satisfactory mode of 
doing business is to supply legitimate and proper 
articles to their customers. 
THE HARVEIAN ORATION. 
On Wednesday, in the Royal College of Physi¬ 
cians, Dr. Thomas King Chambers delivered the 
Harveian oration on the “ Progress of Therapeutics,” 
a subject on which few men have a better right to 
speak than the author of ‘ Digestion and its Derange¬ 
ments,’ the * Renewal of Life,’ and of ‘ Indigestion 
Functionally Treated.’ The accomplished lecturer 
gave a rapid survey of the history of medicine, show¬ 
ing the gradual liberation of medical practice from 
the doctrine that disease is something external to 
the body — something to be expelled from it by 
various kinds of treatment. Disease, he said, was 
now regarded as a condition,—a lowered one, indeed, 
but still a condition—of vitality. Towards the re¬ 
storation of life to its normal standard, therapeutic 
aid was now directed; and the profession was be¬ 
coming more successful in this undertaking from the 
teachings of “designed experiment” on the lower 
animals, and from the aid supplied by such instru¬ 
ments as the sphygmograph. With the multiplica¬ 
tion of those aids, the lecturer anticipated a much 
more certain and satisfactory means of diagnosis, 
suggesting much more successful plans and treat¬ 
ment than had hitherto been adopted. Dr. Chambers 
brought liis oration, amid loud applause, to an effec¬ 
tive close; after which the President, in the name 
of himself and the Council, proceeded to award the 
“Baly medal” to the most distinguished cultivator 
of physiological science within the year. After a 
few appropriate observations in compliment to its 
late founder, and in reference to the encouragement 
it was calculated to give to scientific medicine, the 
medal, twenty guineas in value, was awarded to Dr. 
Lionel Beale. 
AMERICAN REGULATION OF TRADE. 
Now that “regulations” affecting trade are a matter 
of so much interest, the following account, given by 
Mr. T. Hughes, M.P., of the regulations in refer¬ 
ence to the sale of alcoholic liquors in Massachusetts 
is worth notice:— 
“ As regards the ‘ liquor laws,’ he did not stop to dis¬ 
cuss the question of absolute prohibition, but spoke fa¬ 
vourably of the stringent laws of Massachusetts, where 
a strict and direct legal supervision over the sale of 
liquor was exercised. A State Commissioner, appointed 
ever}’ year, controlled the sale of alcoholic liquors, which 
were vended by a small number of authorized agents— 
only four for the city of Boston. The agents could only 
obtain their supplies from the State Commissioner, and 
they were bound to record all their sales. All liquor 
had to be tested and certified by the public assayer. 
Persons known as confirmed drinkers might be reported 
by their friends or guardians, and it was a penal offence 
for the agents to sell to them, damages being also, in 
addition, recoverable from them by action. The prac¬ 
tical result of these stringent laws was that a drunken 
man was nowhere to be seen, and that a thirsty one 
might have to travel through many streets before he 
came to a liquor shop.” 
SPECTROSCOPIC TEST FOR BLOOD. 
We call our readers’ attention to the letter on this 
subject by Mr. Stoddart, of Bristol, for, as an expe¬ 
rienced observer, his opinion carries much weight 
with it, more especially since his remarks are free 
from any exaggeration. 
The Managers of the London Institution, in ac¬ 
cordance with the recommendation of the Annual 
Meeting of Proprietors, have resolved to afford op¬ 
portunities during the ensuing season for the reading' 
and discussion of communications on subjects of 
special interest in science, literature, commerce and 
the arts, provided they receive such offers as will 
ensure an adequate succession of suitable papers. 
It is believed that this proposed extension of the use 
of the commodious lecture theatre in Finsbury Circus 
will produce a series of attractive meetings, similar 
in character to those of the Society of Arts, but re¬ 
presenting directly the business and thought of the 
City. It is not intended to restrict the reading and 
discussion of papers to the proprietors of the Insti¬ 
tution, or to limit the range of subjects otherwise 
than by the provisions of the Ro} r al Charter, which 
preclude theology and politics. 
The Newark (New Jersey) Pharmaceutical Asso¬ 
ciation has published a formulary of elixirs and 
unofficinal preparations, and issued it to the medical 
profession of that city, together with a circular irt 
which they deprecate the prescribing of such fancy 
preparations of particular manufacturers, since many 
of them cannot contain the constituents they profess, 
to contain. The members of the Association propose 
in all cases to dispense those made according to the 
formulae agreed upon, unless a special preparation 
is indicated. 
Mr. Robert Howard, whose death we chronicle 
this week, was the head of the well-known firm of 
Howard and Sons. He was a son of the celebrated 
meteorologist Luke Howard. Mr. Robert Howard 
had been in delicate health for some time, and died 
at liis estate in Dorsetshire. He was buried in 
Abney Park Cemetery on the 8th instant. 
We much regret to learn that Mr. Francis Sutton, 
of Norwich, has been suffering from a severe attack 
of pleurisy, which has left him in a very weak state.. 
