314 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[October 11,1871. 
lions throughout the country, and that their combined 
/action had the effect of causing the Council of the Phar¬ 
maceutical Society to withdraw the compulsory part of 
Ihe regulations. This, however, did not complete the 
.agitation on the question. At the Annual Meeting of the 
Pharmaceutical Society, held in Slay last, at which your 
President attended to watch our interest, the question 
was again brought up, and but for the determined efforts of 
Air. Mackay, of Edinburgh, and some other leading gentle¬ 
men in connection with the Society, it was just possible 
■they might have been forced upon us by a “ side wind.” 
But the defeat the advocates of compulsory regulations 
sustained at this point did not put an end to the ques- 
lion; either through some misleading idea of the medical 
'Officer of the Privy Council, backed, we are sorry to say, 
ffiy some influential and respected gentlemen connected 
with the Pharmaceutical Society, or, perhaps, a determi¬ 
nation on the part of some leading members of the pre¬ 
sent Government to lay down certain rules for our 
.guidance, a Bill was inti-odnccd into Parliament, the 
history of which is no doubt known to all. Suffice it to 
■say, that in Glasgow we had two very successful meet¬ 
ings of the trade, attended by both town and country 
members, at which no uncertain sound was given regard¬ 
ing this question, and out of which sprang the “ West of 
^Scotland Chemists’ Defence Association.” This body 
-sent a deputation to London, also a petition to Parlia¬ 
ment against the Bill, signed by sixty-five Registered 
Chemists within the city in eight hours’ time, besides 
'Circulars, addresses and memorials to the trade in Scot¬ 
land, members of Parliament and to the Government. 
The thanks of the whole trade are due to the executive 
of this Association, to the members of the trade in Scot¬ 
land who subscribed so liberally to its funds, to the 
London and Manchester Defence Associations for their 
invaluable aid, to William Graham, Esq., M.P., for 
-taking charge of the petition in the House of Commons, 
•niul to the other members of Parliament who exercised 
what influence they could with Government in inducing 
them to withdraw' the obnoxious Bill. We sincerely hope 
that compulsory regulations for the storing of poisons are 
.among the things of the past; but should they come up 
again, our opponents must know that we are ready to 
tight the battle over again if need be. 
In referring to these matters, we have departed from 
the usual course of giving simply a record of the transac¬ 
tions of the Association; but they are so intimately con¬ 
nected with ourselves as individuals, that we thought it 
would be out of place not to refer to them on this 
.occasion. 
Returning to the business of the session, we have next 
to refer to the botany class, commenced in the spring of 
the year, and conducted by Professor Henneday. Twenty- 
-eight members came forward and joined the class; and, 
;so far as they have gone, Mr. Henneday speaks favour¬ 
ably of them. The class will be resumed on the first 
Monday of November, for preparation for the Science 
;and Ait examinations. But, until these examinations 
.come off in May next, we cannot speak confidently of the 
progress that has been made. 
We have no record at present of the numbers con- 
•nected with the Association who have passed the various 
.-examinations of the Pharmaceutical Society in course of 
the year. We know, however, we are still behind many 
■of the larger towns in England in this respect, but we 
■hope ere long to stand on a par with our brethren of 
Liverpool and Manchester; and the fact that a large 
■number of employers in and around Glasgow became 
members of the Pharmaceutical Society in course of the 
year, and that we have now a representative in the 
London Council in the person of Mr. Frazer, augurs well 
for our future prospects. 
The dispensing price-list issued by your Association 
•at the beginning of the session has been freely circulated 
to both town and country members of the trade, and we 
are glad to notice that very many have adopted both 
price-mark and prices ; but there are still some who 
have not yet done so, and we would earnestly urge upon 
them the necessity for helping us in this good work by 
their example. Our trade-mark, “ Mel Boracis,” is well 
known throughout the trade; and there is no reason why 
every chemist in the kingdom should not adopt it, so 
that a universal price-mark and prices might be the 
rule. 
We have to acknowledge the receipt weekly of the 
Pharmaceutical Journal , also the Chicago Pharmacist 
and the Chemists and Druggists' Advocate; and the best 
thanks of the Association are due to the proprietors of 
these journals. They are open to any member of the 
Association who may wish a perusal of them, by apply¬ 
ing to the Secretary. 
We have also to acknowledge the receipt of the book 
of autograph prescriptions prepared by Mr. Joseph Incc, 
of London, for your Association; and your Council re¬ 
commend that a special vote of thanks be awarded that 
gentleman for his courtesy and kindness to us of late. 
The delegates from your Association which attended 
the British Pharmaceutical Conference meeting at Edin¬ 
burgh report a successful meeting, and your Council wish 
all success to the Conference. 
As regards the prospects for the ensuing session, they 
are very bright indeed. The commencement of a che¬ 
mistry and a materia medica class may be announced 
shortly; and it is hoped that the members will support 
and encourage this educational movement by every means 
in their power. The changing of the Treasurer in course 
of the session was a source of grief to your Council, but 
it is hoped that you will select gentlemen for the various 
offices in future who are likely to keep office for at least 
one full session. It is expected that Mr. Stanford, of 
the British Seaweed Company, will deliver the opening 
address; and several members have already offered to 
read papers. Several discussions will take place on 
pharmaceutical matters upon which there exists a dif¬ 
ference of opinion, and it is hoped that, when the sub¬ 
jects are announced, members will prepare themselves to 
take part therein. The long business hours in many of 
the establishments have long been felt a great barrier to 
any real progress being made, either in educational or 
other pharmaceutical matters. The Committee appointed 
in course of the session to endeavour to bring about some 
improvement in this respect, went heartily to work at 
first, but through the agitation on the poisons question, 
and other circumstances over which your Association 
had no control, no active measure was able to be carried 
out; one point, however, was elicited in course of the 
canvass made, viz. that very many employers are most 
anxious for some reformation in this direction. We want, 
however, unanimity, and we are sure the excellent ex¬ 
ample set by the larger places of business in the central 
part of the city is worthy the serious consideration of 
all; and let us hope we may yet have the much-desired 
short-hour movement carried on as a whole, not only in 
this city, but throughout the whole country. 
In conclusion, we would offer a word of advice to the 
younger members of the Association, and while doing so 
we would express regret at the fact that, dming the ses¬ 
sion, the papers delivered by members were not so nu¬ 
merous as in some former years of the Society’s existence. 
But when we remember that members have now compul¬ 
sory examinations before them, which formerly they had 
not, we can see that they will be apt to think they do 
very well if they prepare themselves for their respective 
examinations, without turning their attention much to 
testing for adulterations, or the best mode of preparing 
particular preparations. We would respectfully remind 
you, however, that this is as much part of your education 
as that of being able to detect unusual doses in prescrip¬ 
tions, or being able to translate a Latin recipe correctly ; 
and further, that our Association meetings are as much a 
training-school for students in pharmacy as the class¬ 
room or the laboratory. We earnestly urge you, 
