612 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[January 27, 1872. 
preparatory to its discussion by the Council of the 
Bristol Pharmaceutical Association, in compliance 
with the resolution passed at a recent meeting of 
that Society. We are glad Mr. Giles has put these 
thoughts on paper, and that thus the request of the 
Council of the Bristol Pharmaceutical Association 
for their publication has enabled us to give them the 
wider circulation which they undoubtedly deserve. 
The Pharmaceiitische Zeitung of September 23rd 
contains a very good description of the Kensington 
Food Museum, that opens with some very caustic 
remarks on English pharmacy. The writer says 
nothing makes a more disagreeable impression upon 
the German pharmacist than the quack-like manner 
in which the pharmacies are got up. In every 
third house of the principal streets, such as Picca¬ 
dilly, Regent and Oxford Streets, the shop windows 
are crammed with cases, reminding one of the sad¬ 
dler, with porcelain and glass apparatus, tea-cans 
and other articles belonging to the grocer, bits of 
flannel to warm the back, sponges, brushes, combs, 
stands with cod-liver oil, all proper articles for the 
hairdresser. This exhibition is surpassed by the stock 
inside, where may be found soap and scent-bottles, 
bandages and sanitary linen piled up mountain high. 
Behind these goods the assistants rush about, of 
whom one house in a leading thoroughfare, it is said, 
keeps thirty at about £50 a year each, and two other 
houses about; twenty each. These last two firms, 
with only two houses between them, pay the highest 
rents in London, and are recognized after dark by 
red lanterns similar to those of German beersliops. 
Just as offensive to this gentleman are the homoeo¬ 
pathic shops, which he describes as open mostly 
from 10 to 12 and from 2 to 3; and the “ horse 
pharmacies ” near Tattersall’s, at the windows of 
which the veterinary druggists exhibit aloes and 
veterinary medicines for horses and other animals. 
Warming with the discussion of the subject, he 
breaks out:—“ Or shall I speak of the cures under¬ 
taken in the pharmacies ? for pharmaceutists are 
physicians and surgeons, the Apothecaries’ Hall 
diploma entitles them to it, and the medical men are 
pharmacists, not by law, but by sufferance ; and 
thus one profession is in rivalry with the other.” 
But the writer, having given vent to his indignation 
with the “ medicinal beersliops,” rushes off to Ken¬ 
sington, where we do not propose to follow him, 
although his description of the Museum is highly 
interesting and intelligent. 
From Canada we learn that the officers of the 
Ontario College of Pharmacy for this year are—Pre¬ 
sident, Mr. B. Lyman ; Vice-President, Mr. Bickle ; 
Registrar and Secretary, Mr. H. J. Rose ; Treasurer, 
Mr. Hodgetts. 
irsitsatfinms rrf tjjt f Iprraratiral jSflxirfit* 
Erratum. —Page 588, line 7 from bottom, for 
Maurice, Charles Roberts.London, 
read 
Roberts, Maurice Charles.London 
T- .■ TT~—.—- -1- — ■ - ■■ - - 
rolHtttial frasadums. 
MANCHESTER CHEMISTS’ ASSISTANTS’ 
ASSOCIATION. 
A Meeting was held at Mitre Chambers, oa Tuesday, 
Jan. 9th, at which a paper was read on “ The Cinchona 
Barks,” by Mr. Ridley. 
After describing the various operations connected with 
the cutting, drying and exportation, a brief description 
was given of the principal barks used in the pharmacies 
of this country, their chemical composition, and the 
tests for the various alkaloids. 
An interesting discussion was maintained, especially 
with reference to the peculiar fluorescent property of 
quinine when in solution. 
At the next meeting, Jan. 23rd, a paper on “ Carbolic 
Acid and the Carbolates ” will be read by Mr. Carter. 
NORTHAMPTON CHEMISTS’ ASSISTANTS 
AND APPRENTICES’ ASSOCIATION. 
The members of the above Association held a Special 
Meeting on January 15th, for the purpose of settling- 
some important points connected with the working of 
the Association. 
There were fourteen propositions brought forward, 
the principal being an alteration in the arrangement of 
the classes. Up to this time two classes had been held 
in an evening, and this was thought too much to carry 
out properly. After some discussion, and upon hearing 
a letter read from Mr. Yewdall, Secretary of the Leeds 
Association, it was decided to have one class only, from 
half-past eight to ten, leaving half an hour for discus¬ 
sion, etc. 
It was decided that Bentley’s ‘Manual of Botany,’ 
Attfield’s ‘Manual of Chemistry,’ Cooke’s ‘ Glossary of 
Botanic Terms,’ and the Pharmacopoeia should be pur¬ 
chased, as those in present use were borrowed. Pereira’s 
Materia Medica was much wanted, but the state of the 
funds would not permit of its being obtained at present. 
The next important matter related to a recent poison¬ 
ing case in the town, and it was thought that it was a 
great pity coroners at inquests should express opinions 
amounting to censure on chemists who had strictly com¬ 
plied with the Pharmacy Act. The coroner, in this 
case, persisted in saying that the sale ought to have been 
registered, after he was told that the Pharmacy Act did 
not require it. 
The meeting hoped that the Editor of the Pharma¬ 
ceutical Journal would express his opinion on the case, 
as it was stated that it was not the only instance in 
which censure had been undeservedly passed upon che¬ 
mists who had strictly acted in accordance with the law, 
the remarks of the coroner thus misleading the public as 
to the true facts of the case. 
The balance-sheet was then read, showing the receipts 
for the year to have been £17. 19s. 0 d., the expenditure 
£12. Is. 9 d., leaving a balance in hand of £7. 17s. 3 cl. 
THE SHEFFIELD PHARMACEUTICAL AND 
CHEMICAL ASSOCIATION. 
The Third Annual Meeting was held on Wednesday 
evening, January 17 th, in the Rooms, Music Hall; Mr. 
Dobb, the President, in the chair. 
