40 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[July 8,1871, 
A Conference Question. 
Sir,—The many and varied attractions of Edinburgh and its 
neighbourhood will doubtless be sufficient to induce many 
pharmacists to attend the meeting of the Conference in 
August next. 
All those who know the kind feeling prevalent on the other 
side of the border are fully persuaded that everything which 
can be done to ensure the success of the meeting, and add to 
the comfort of the visitors, will meet with the attention of 
their Edinburgh brethren. 
In looking through the prospectus recently forwarded to 
the members with the invitation to the Conversazione, one 
cannot help noticing the absence of an arrangement made j 
upon previous occasions with the best results, and to which 
the unprecedented success of the Liverpool meeting of last 
year was mainly due. 
It is said “ that information will be given concerning hotel 
accommodation.” 
Would it not be much better to make a special arrange¬ 
ment with a first-class hotel to provide for such a number as 
would in ail probability be present ? 
The members, then, instead of passing their evenings in 
small groups in the various hotels of the city, would be en¬ 
abled to join together in those friendly greetings for which 
pharmacists when abroad are noted, and thereby carry away 
with them many pleasant recollections of their last merry 
meeting. A Conference Man. 
the governing powers, and there can be little doubt that a* 
poison Bill of some sort will, ere long, be produced and car¬ 
ried into operation, notwithstanding the objections of 10,000- 
chemists and druggists. 
The only cogent argument that is likely to produce any 
effect is, that the public are not uninterested spectators of the 
conflict. I believe that were the following address got up 
and laid upon the counter of every chemist and druggist in. 
the kingdom, it would be signed by every one of our cus¬ 
tomers, from the greatest to the smallest, producing arl ag¬ 
gregate of signatmes amounting to, not tens, but hundreds 
of thousands, whose confidence in the skill and care of their 
chemists remains unshaken ; and who would not wish to see- 
an intelligent class degraded to the level of publicans, cab- 
drivers and marine-store dealers. 
R. Goodwin Mumbeay. 
Richmond , S.W., June 27th, 1871. 
Proposed Form of Address. 
To-. 
We, the undersigned, inhabitants of-, regard with aver¬ 
sion any attempt to interfere with the business of chemists- 
and druggists, as now carried on in these realms, believing 
that as a body of intelligent men, they possess not only the- 
right, but the ability conscientiously to discharge the duties- 
connected with the sale and art of dispensing medicines of 
any kind whatsoever, to the safety and advantage of her 
Majesty’s subjects. And etc. etc. 
[We are unable to add anything further to the circular 
which has been issued, but we would suggest that our corre¬ 
spondent should communicate with the Local Secretary in 
Edinburgh.— Ed. Pharm. Journ.] 
Druggists’ Prices North of the Tweed. 
Sir,—If my remarks on the Scotch price list had called 
forth any reply, I fully expected that it would have taken 
the form of a challenge, to prove the northern origin of the 
list in question. 
Happily, however, I am relieved from what would, under 
the circumstances, have been a somewhat difficult task, two 
correspondents from the North having come forward, the one 
to repudiate, on behalf of the Glasgow Association, the 
unique production, the other to avow and defend the anony¬ 
mous emanation from “your committee.” 
Admitting my oversight of the note, “ All prices exclusive 
of bottles,” in this list, my statement holds none the less 
good, that fourpence is there entertained as an adequate | 
price for a 5j mixture (a3 a rule eight doses of medicine), and 
so on in proportion through a great part of the dispensing 
portion. The retail portion is, as I suppose, a more dignified 
department, made vastly more remunerative. 
Eor admirably-planned dispensing price lists, commend 
me to those bearing respectively the names of the Manches¬ 
ter and Bath Chemists’ Associations, each of which, being 1 
based upon a moderately-elevated view of the profession of, 
pharmacy, entertain not fourpence (?) but one shilling as the - 
lowest fee for dispensing a bottle of medicine. 
Great efforts will be required to effect anything like a 
general augmentation of the wretched pittance routine and j 
petty rivalry have assigned the chemist as the price of his 
labour; and those who look forward to such a consummation 
will, on inspecting the result of the labours of our Northern 
reformers (?), find it difficult to repress the exclamation, 
“ Save us from our friends!” 
Bradford , June 13 th, 1871. R. G. H. 
The New Pharmacy Bud. 
Sir,—The days of class legislation and protection are vir¬ 
tually ended. The policy of Government is to legislate for the 
many, regardless of the interests of the few. It is in this 
spirit that the Bills lately introduced, and still before Parlia¬ 
ment, have been framed. The Poisons Bill, it is said, is “ in- ! 
tended to protect the lives and health of the public,” who, it i 
is also stated, are “supremely indifferent to the subject.” 
The same attitude was assumed in respect of the matchless 
match-box measure, which, had it not met with a decided 
condemnation, would have now become a vexatious and un¬ 
just law. The axiom “men are but sorry witnesses in their 
own cause,” receives a quiet illustration in the department of 
“ A Drumstick.” —We must refer you to the rule concern¬ 
ing anonymous contributions. 
“ Ignotus” is recommended to consult a good work on 
arithmetic. 
“ Spes.” —The question has been answered recently in the- 
“ Notes and Queries” column. 
R. H. C. A 7 .—You would have to pass the Preliminary' 
Examination. 
31. P. C. —We have handed your note to the Board of Ex¬ 
aminers, where it will produce more effect than in our pages. 
R. O. —It would seem that you must have had some im. 
purity in your ingredients or in the water used. 
U. Oldfield. —Legally, we believe, a sweet-wine licence- 
would be necessary, though there maybe some uncertainty on 
the point. 
AT. Y. Z. —The following formula is given by Squire 
Precipitated Chalk, 1; Spermaceti Ointment, 4; mix. 
Botanist —The plant forwarded is Polygala vulgaris , with 
blue and white flowers. 
Pliyto. —The specimen sent is correctly named by you. We- 
know nothing of the occurrence of Iluscari comosum. 
R. 3Ianlove. —The specimen is very bad, but it is certainly 
not Chrysosplenimn oppositifolium. It appears to be Saxi~ 
fraga tridactylites. 
“An Old 31. P. S .”—See an article on the Adulteration of' 
Oils, by Mr. E. C. Calvert, Pharm. Journ. 1st Ser. A r ol. XIII. 
p. 356. 
“ J. S.” —In a case recently reported in this Journal (3rd 
Ser. Yol. I. p. 775), the Bench held that all tooth-powders- 
came within the meaning of the Act as patent medicines. 
T. Cooper. —See a paper by Professor Abel in the Pharm. 
Journ. 1st Ser. Yol. XVII. p. 556, for methods of treating 
the suspected paper-hanging, after which, if arsenic be pre¬ 
sent, it may be detected in the usual manner. 
Pilula. —Use manna or the following paste 
Tragacanth .... 5 s s 
Glycerine.5tj Misce. 
A. C. Coles. —You will find a formula for syr. ferri hypo- 
pliosph. in Pharm. Journ. 2nd ser. Yol. IX. p. 461. Syr. 
sodoe hypophosph. 3 grs. to the drachm. We do not know 
that the physician referred to has any special form. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Mr. C. Inch, Mr. P. Squire, Mr. E. M. Rimmington, Mr. G. 
Brown, Mr. Abbot, Mr. B. Keen, Mr. J. Booth, Mr. R. D. 
Mitchell, Mr. H. Pocklington, Mr. J. Birt, Mr. R. Palmer, 
Mr. L. T/Ashwell, A. M., J. S., W. H. B., S. W. N., A. W.» 
“ Calyx,” “ Beta,” “ Ckemicus.” 
