70 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[July 33,ISM. 
for certain scientific interests to make themselves 
seen, or heard, or felt, in presence of their neigh¬ 
bours ; and that thus there is promoted a mutual 
respect among the sciences which goes far to neu¬ 
tralize the narrowness and self-sufficiency insepa¬ 
rable from the growing system of division of labour. 
This advantage has, of late years, been much en¬ 
hanced by the meeting, witliin a few days’ interval, 
of other scientific associations besides the British; 
for example, the Medico-Psychological, the British 
Medical, the Social Science, to say notliing of our 
own annual Conference held simultaneously with 
the British Association. N. M., the savant, whatever 
maybe the subject of his special cultivation, has thus 
been enabled to pass from meeting to meeting to 
enjoy the discussion of questions in which, though 
not directly interested, he can yet find the recrea¬ 
tion which every fresh subject, scientifically handled, 
never fails to afford. With the view of facilitating 
this pleasurable transition from Association to Asso¬ 
ciation, their promoters have generally fixed the 
scene and date of meeting within a brief space, 
whether in time or distance, of each other, so as to 
reduce to a minimum the fatigue and expense of 
making the “ scientific round.” This year, how¬ 
ever, by a singular and, we hope, accidental, conflict 
of arrangements, it will be wholly impossible for the 
visitor at one meeting to be present at another, and 
for the elementary reason that the same body can¬ 
not be in two places at the same time. The British 
Association meets at Edinburgh on the 2nd prox., 
and its sittings may be attended along with those 
of the Pharmaceutical Conference, and, by special 
arrangement, with the magnificent celebration to be 
held there on the 9th. So far so good. The attrac¬ 
tions to the “grey metropolis of the north” will be 
stronger this year than they are likely to be for the 
remainder of the century, and representatives of 
every scientific, literary or aesthetic interest will 
meet on a common ground very rarely presented to 
them. The medical man, whether his speciality be 
physic or surgery or psychology, is not likely to 
deny liimself the opportunity of enjoying within the 
first fortnight of August “ the feast of reason and 
the flow of soul ” awaiting him in the British Asso¬ 
ciation, the Pharmaceutical Conference and the 
Scott Centenaiy. But, by the want of foresight or 
worse, of the committees of the Medico-Psychologi¬ 
cal and British Medical Associations, not only mem¬ 
bers of Iris own but of other professions can do so 
only at the sacrifice of attendance at those bodies,— 
the Medico-Psychological assembling in London, un¬ 
der the presidency of Dr. Maudsley, on the 4th 
prox., and the British Medical, under the presi¬ 
dency of Mr. Whipple, on the 8th at Plymouth! 
Surely this is a great and altogether gratuitous 
fiasco. The holding of the British Association at 
Edinburgh, the Medico-Psychological in London, 
and the British Medical at Plymouth, either simul¬ 
taneously or within a few hours of each other, so far" 
from facilitating that transition from one to the- 
other hitherto so agreeable and profitable, will sim¬ 
ply lead to comparisons proverbially odious, and to- 
preferences not very flattering to the two maloppor- 
tune meetings at London and Plymouth. 
PETROLEUM TESTING. 
In an article on this subject wliich we published 
last week, Professor Attfield does good service in 
distinctly pointing out that in regard to any sample 
of the hydrocarbon oil, now popularly classified 
under the name “petroleum,” the coincidence of the- 
“ flas hin g-point ” with the standard fixed by law is 
a matter dependent on the circumstances under 
which the test is applied. This fact has long 
been well known to those engaged in testing such 
oil, and it has been equally well known that 
the result of testing would be above or below the 
standard, according to the way the test was com* 
ducted. It is to this circumstance that the trouble¬ 
some discrepancies may be referred which have per¬ 
plexed magistrates and annoyed dealers, and we are 
glad to see the fact plainly stated. To any one der 
sirous of testing oil fairly, there is no difficulty in 
obtaining a proper result, and there is no special 
virtue in any one form of apparatus. All that is ne¬ 
cessary is clear definition of the conditions under 
which the test is to be made, and uniform adherence 
to them in making the test. 
At the meeting recently held in the City it was ap- 
parent that there may be still some reason to fear 
discrepancies in the results of testing with a covered 
vessel, for a report was produced from three chemists 
declaring that the average difference between the 
results obtained with the old test and the new one 
was less than fifteen degrees, and this was imme¬ 
diately confronted with another report from three 
other chemists, declaring the difference to be over 
twenty-five degrees. 
It is much to be regretted that the production of 
such conflicting testimony from scientific men should 
be possible. 
SICK AND WOUNDED. 
The Society for the Aid of the Sick and Wounded 
in War has been vying with the medical profession 
in doing honour to to the delegation of the “ Ambu¬ 
lances de la Presse,” charged with the thanks of the 
French nation for the sympathy and support accorded 
to it by England during the late struggle and its dis¬ 
astrous sequel. At Greenwich on Saturday, Colonel 
Loyd Lindsay entertained a brilliant company as¬ 
sembled in honour of Dr. Bicokd, Dr. Demaequay, 
Cornit Flavigny, and Count Leruiee, the represen¬ 
tatives of the “ Ambulances de la Presse.” Count 
Bernstoeff was among the guests, and spoke with 
a heartiness wliich must go far to soothe the jea- 
