October 7 , 1871.] 
TIIE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS 
2S5 
•-♦- 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1S71. 
Communications for this Journal, and boolcs 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- 
ridge, Secretary, 17, Bloomsbury Square . W.C. 
Advertisements to Messrs. Churchill, New Burlington 
Street, London, IK Envelopes indorsed “ Bharm. Journ.” 
FUTURE PHARMACEUTICAL EDUCATION. 
Although the Inaugural Address that is to he 
found in another part of the Journal was mainly de¬ 
voted to a retrospective view of certain prominent 
features in the past life of our Society, one point was 
briefty referred to, which needs no power of second 
sight to be recognized as one of great importance in 
regard to the future, and demanding immediate con¬ 
sideration. We refer to the educational action of 
this Society. From the first, education has been the 
fulcrum upon which the Pharmaceutical Society has 
sought to exercise its influence in raising the cha¬ 
racter of the trade; and it is certain that the main¬ 
tenance of a high educational standard is the only 
basis for advancement in the position of the pharma¬ 
ceutist. That success has attended the efforts of 
the Society, we believe it would be unnecessary to 
insist upon, but much still remains to be done in this 
direction ; and though hitherto, while the Society 1 
was a mere voluntary association, there was notliing 
inappropriate in its exercise of educational func¬ 
tions, the very success it has achieved has been of 
such a nature as to render those functions in¬ 
creasingly anomalous and their further continuance 
impossible. 
The recognition of the Society as the examining 
body by which pharmaceutical competence was to 
be tested and certified, though that legislative act 
was to a great extent only prospective in its bearing, 
was none the less to be regarded as a notice that ; 
at some future time there must be an end to that ! 
school of pharmacy which has liitlierto been the par¬ 
ticular pride and glory of the Society. Consequently 
the members of the examining body have been gra¬ 
dually taking liigher position among the Society’s 
officers, and in that respect taking precedence of the I 
professorial body. While this state of transition 
still prevails, it is imperative on all who have the 
interests of British pharmacy at heart to consider 
well what steps may be taken for securing to their 
successors that efficient means of instruction which 
will doubtless become even more indispensable than 
it is at present. 
Closely connected with the question as to the 
future of the chief school of pharmacy, is the wider 
and perhaps even more important subject of pro¬ 
vincial education, and we propose placing before our 
readers next week a paper on this subject, which we 
hope will excite an expression of opinions and criti¬ 
cism by many who have thought on the subject, and 
are able to point out the peculiarity of local circum¬ 
stances that would have to be dealt with. 
THE LONDON INSTITUTION. 
We have previously noticed the efforts being made 
by the Managers of the London Institution to make 
its resources useful in promoting scientific knowledge, 
and we are glad to learn from the announcement of 
Lecture arrangements for the coming season in the 
last number of the Journal of the London Institu¬ 
tion, that these efforts are still to be continued. A 
course of lectures, on Elementary Physiology, will 
be delivered by Professor Huxley, another course of 
eight lectures on Elementary Chemistry will be de¬ 
livered by Professor Odling, and other courses of 
six lectures on Elementary Music and Elementary 
Botany will be delivered by Professor Ella and Pro¬ 
fessor Bentley. Mr. P. L. Simmonds is also to 
give two lectures on the Ptaw Materials of our Manu¬ 
factures, and, during the Christmas holidays, Mr. 
Brougii will give a course of lectures on the Philo- 
sopliy of Magic. Another interesting feature of the 
projected arrangements is the evening class for prac¬ 
tical instruction in chemistry, under the direction 
of Professor Armstrong. This is to commence early 
in November. The course will consist of twenty - 
five lessons, from six to half-past eight, and to many 
who cannot otherwise acquire a knowledge of che¬ 
mistry, it will be an opportunity they would do well 
not to neglect. 
OIL OF ANDROMEDA LESCHENAULTII. 
Among the most interesting of the specimens pre¬ 
sented to the Museum of the Pharmaceutical So¬ 
ciety, and exhibited at the opening meeting, were 
those of the oil and carbolic acid, prepared by 
J. Broughton, Esq., the Indian Government Quino- 
logist, from the Andromeda Leschenaultii. The oil 
is almost identical with that obtained from the 
American species of Andromeda (Gaultheria pvo- 
cumbens), and we are inclined to be more hopeful 
than Mr. Broughton, that if the oil could be pro¬ 
duced at a sufficiently cheap rate it would meet 
with a sale. Certain it is that oil of wiutergreen 
has been in great request by certain manufacturers 
of late. The extract from Mr. Broughton’s re¬ 
port,kindly placed at our disposal by Dr. Forbes 
Watson, will be of interest to our readers. 
* Printed at p. 281. 
