November 4,1871.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
371 
%ransartwns if f|c fijaraweatol Sotitiir. 
MEETING OF COUNCIL. 
November l.s t, 1871. 
MR. A. F. HASELDEN, F.L.S., PRESIDENT, IN THE CHAIR. 
MR. EDWARDS, VICE-PRESIDENT. 
Present—Messrs. Atherton, Betty, Bottle, Carr, Frazer, 
Greenish, Hills, Mackay, Sandford, Savage, Shaw, Smith, 
Stoddart, Sutton, Williams and Woolley. 
The minutes of the last meeting were read and con¬ 
firmed. 
The Report of the Finance Committee was presented, 
showing on the General Fund Account a balance in the 
Treasurer’s hands of.£1098. 1(L. 4 cl. 
And submitting for payment sundry 
accounts, amounting to.£613. 19.?. od. 
On the Benevolent Fund Account a 
balance of.£202. 1«. lid. 
Resolved—That the Report of the Finance Committee 
be received and adopted and payments made. 
The Report of the House Committee was presented, 
received and adopted. 
The Reports of the Library, Museum and Laboratory 
Committees of the 13th and 19th October, recommending 
additional cases for the museum and stoves for warming 
the laboratory wore presented, received and adopted; 
and the Committee was instructed to carry out the work. 
Moved by Mr. Smith, seconded by Mr. Bottle,— 
Resolved—That the attention of the Library, Museum 
and Laboratory Committee be directed to the reco¬ 
very or replacement of the books missing from the 
Library, and that a complete catalogue of the books 
in the Library being desirable and necessary, the, 
Committee be requested to ascertain the cost of 
printing it, and report to the next meeting of 
Council. 
Report of the Special Committee appointed on the 6th 
September to consider and report on Mr. Deane’s letter 
in reference to the condition of the Museum, Library and 
Specimens for the use of the Board of Examiners in 
Scotland. 
“ It is the opinion of this Committee that it is the 
duty of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain to 
provide better rooms in Edinburgh for carrying on in a 
satisfactory way the examinations, and for the general 
use of the Society in Scotland; also to augment the 
Library and Museum there. The Committee further 
think that a paid officer should be appointed to perform 
Secretarial and other duties for the Society, under the 
direction of the Honorary Secretary.” 
Moved by Mr. Carr, seconded by Mr. Greenish, and 
Resolved—That the Report of the Committee be re¬ 
ceived. 
Mr. Bottle asked that Mr. Deane’s letter should be 
read, and the Secretary read it accordingly:— 
“ ClapJtam, 4th September , 1871. 
“ To the President and Council of the Pharmaceutical 
Society. 
“ Gentlemen,—Having recently visited Edinburgh, 
and having availed myself of the opportunity for visiting 
and inspecting the rooms occupied and used by the 
North British Branch of the Pharmaceutical Society for 
conducting the examinations and for other purposes, I 
was much impressed with the inefficiency of the arrange¬ 
ments, as evinced more especially in the extent of our 
library and museum. For any really practical and 
useful purpose of study, and more especially for the 
proper conduct of the examinations as by law now re¬ 
quired of the examiners in Edinburgh, they are quit© 
inadequate. 
‘‘At the present time we occupy two rooms at No. 16, 
Princes Street, situated along a narrow lobby and up two* 
flights of stairs, which are available for one day only in 
the week ; thus precluding the majority of the members, 
and associates from making proper use of either books oir 
specimens. No collection, however extensive, could 
avail much under such conditions. Although the rooms, 
can only be claimed by the Society one day in each, 
week throughout the year, yet arrangements are in 
existence by which volumes ai’e given out or taken in at 
any hour throughout the entire week ; but this does not 
meet all the requirements of the case. 
“ The library consists of about 300 volumes only; and 
the museum of drugs, chemicals, etc., excellent and 
carefully kept as they are, comprises but 450 speci¬ 
mens ; a number far below what a museum for study- 
should be, belonging to such a Society as the Pharma¬ 
ceutical Society of Great Britain, if it is desirable, as I 
presume it is, to sustain a high status amongst our- 
brethren in the North, as -well as amongst the medical 
profession in general. 
“ As to the collection of specimens used for the pur¬ 
poses of examinations, they are so defective and poor,, 
that I can only characterize them as simply disreputable- 
and totally unfit for the end to be attained. In stating- 
this, I cast no reflection on our northern colleagues ; they 
have evidently done the best with their very limited 
means. They most anxiously desire do be placed in a 
better condition, but they and I justly feel that it is not- 
a mere local question for themselves to rectify, but one^ 
vitally affecting the interests and reputation of our body 
from one end of the country to the other. 
“ Under the existing conditions, uniformity in our 
examinations cannot exist, and a temptation is held out. 
to our young men in the North of England to go where 
they might fancy they were least likely to be puzzled by 
a multiplicity of specimens. 
“It should matter little whether young men went, 
north or south of the Tweed for examination, and would. 
not, if the conditions were the same, for one set of exa- 
minci's is as well qualified as the other. It is therefore^ 
highly important that the Council of the Society should 
at once take active steps to remedy this defective state= 
of our library, museum, and examining arrangements in. 
Edinburgh. 
“ The suggestions I would make on the subject arc as- 
follows:—• 
“ In the first place, suitable apartments should bo 
taken, and properly fitted up. A flat of four rooms in. 
some suitable locality where the library and museum- 
should be available daily between certain hours seems- 
desirable. 
“That all duplicate books which can be spared from, 
the London library, which the Edinburgh library does 
not already possess, should be forwarded as soon as the- 
Council in Edinburgh is prepared to receive them; and 
that a sum not less than £ nor exceeding £ should 
be at once voted for the purchase of suitable books for- 
the northern branch of our Library. 
“ That all duplicate specimens of drugs and chemicals, 
which can bo spared from the London museum, and 
which the Edinburgh museum does not already possess,, 
should be forwarded as soon as the Council in Edinburgh 
is ready to receive them; and that a sum not less than. 
£ bo voted for the purchase of desii-able specimens; 
and suitable vessels for their reception. 
“ That a suitable selection of drugs and chemicals be¬ 
at once selected and forwarded for the use of the exa¬ 
miners, who have a cabinet and drawers, merely re¬ 
quiring a few trays, ready to receive them. 
“ As an old examiner, and as an old member of 
Council, having taken a deep interest in the welfare of 
the Society from its foundation, I venture to place this- 
subject before you, believing it to be one of the greatest. 
