•Suly 22, 1871.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
GO 
®[ic |Hjann:t«ufintl founral. 
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SATURDAY, JULY 22, 1871. 
Communications for this Journal, and books for review, etc., 
should be addressed to the Editor, 17, Bloomsbury Square. 
Instructions from Members and Associates respecting the 
transmission of the Journal should be sent to Elias Brem- 
eidge, Secretary, 17, Bloomsbury Square, W.C. 
Advertisements to Messrs. Churchill, New Burlington 
Street, London, TF. Envelopes indorsed “ JPharm. Journ.” 
THE PHARMACY BILL. 
Although tlie withdrawal of this Bill was received 
with general approval in the House of Commons 
on Monday evening, we cannot avoid expressing 
regret that it was not then dealt with more defini¬ 
tively than by withdrawal, to which even impor¬ 
tant measures are subject at this stage of the Session, 
.and more especially under existing circumstances. 
We regard it as a misfortune that this question 
should still be left unsettled, for the letters and other 
documents we publish to-day in reference to the sub¬ 
ject of poison regulations sufficiently show that the 
result will be a continuance of conflict. Those who 
are more or less favourable to compulsory regula¬ 
tions are evidently aggregating together, and mailing 
use of the example set by the opponents of the Bill. 
Jf they continue to do so with anything like the 
energy and activity manifested by those who have 
•opposed the Bill there is every reason to anticipate 
-that the contest is by no means at an end. We 
■cannot hope to take leave of this Bill by endorsing 
.on its .history requiescat in pace , and must be con¬ 
tent to regard the next few months rather as an 
armistice, during which it will be the duty of 
eveiy one connected with British Pharmacy, whether 
directly or indirectly, to consider well and seriously 
how much he may be disposed to yield of that which, 
in the heat of controversy, may have seemed to him 
indispensable. 
We would suggest that the time for discussion is 
now past and that its continuance might only serve 
to aggravate an antagonism, which is far from being 
■conducive to the advancement of pharmaceutical 
interests. It is, we think, rather by individual 
reflection on all the circumstances bearing on the 
object of the Bill, and by conference between the 
several members of the trade, that we should be 
disposed to hope for such a result being arrived at 
as would satisfy all, and admit a possibility of 
united action between the Society and the Privy 
Council in reference to the very difficult question of 
poison legislation. 
Above all tilings we would urge upon those who may 
not hitherto have adopted the precautions recom¬ 
mended by this Society in regard to the storing of 
poisons, that they should at once remove all ground 
for complaint on this score, and that according to 
their particular circumstances, they should give 
the fullest possible effect to the recommendations 
issued by the Council. 
THE SCOTT CENTENARY. 
The members of this year’s Pharmaceutical Con¬ 
ference will find their place of meeting unusually 
attractive. In addition to the natural beauty of 
Edinburgh, and its attractions, particularly in early 
autumn, the Scott commemoration will afford them 
an altogether exceptional opportunity, not only of 
seeing and listening to some of the most distin¬ 
guished noblemen, statesmen and litterateurs of the 
land, but also of witnessing a collection of works of 
art unique in its kind. On Saturday, the 15th inst., 
was opened, under the auspices of Sir William 
Stirling Maxwell, the Scott exhibition of pictures 
and art treasures illustrative of the novels, poems 
and miscellaneous works of the “ great wizard of the 
North.” Probably no one but Sir William could 
have commanded, from the numerous possessors of 
these treasures, such a hearty and simultaneous 
response to his appeal for a month’s loan of them. 
The catalogue, just issued, will give some notion of 
the variety, rarity, and beauty of the collection. A 
finer or more effective commentary on the works of 
a man of creative genius was never brought toge¬ 
ther, except perhaps the Dante exhibition during 
the commemoration at Florence in 1865. And if, in 
addition to their inspection of these art treasures, 
the members of our Conference attempt a “ raid ’* 
into the “land of Scott,” whether on the borders or 
in the highlands, they will have more than ordinary 
reason to congratulate themselves on the errand 
which brought them to Edinburgh in August, 1871. 
We learn there is now every prospect of Parlia¬ 
ment House being obtained for the reception-room 
of the British Association. Soirees will be held on 
the evenings of Friday, August 4, and Tuesday, Au¬ 
gust 8; on Thursday evening, August 3, there will 
be a discourse by Professor Abel, On some recent 
investigations and applications of explosive agents ; 
and on Monday evening, the 7th, there will be an¬ 
other discourse by Mr. E. It. Tyler, on The rela¬ 
tion of primitive to modern civilization. 
It is proposed to have excursions on Thursday, 
the 10th, to the coast of East Lothian and Berwick¬ 
shire, under the superintendence of Professor Geikie ; 
to the top of Ben Ledi, under Professor Balfour, 
and a dredging expedition to the Bass Rock, under 
Professor Wyville Thomson. Other excursions 
are proposed to Dalmeny and Hopetown House—to 
Roslin and Hawthornden—to Abbotsford, Melrose, 
and Dryburgh, and to the Pentlands, including 
Messrs. Cowan’s paper works. 
SCIENCE AT CROSS PURPOSES. 
It has long been alleged as one of the chief ad¬ 
vantages of such annual reunions as the British 
Association that they bring together representa¬ 
tives of every department of the same field; that 
they afford opportunities, not otherwise available, 
