808 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[April 6, 1872*. 
liave caused a slight flutter of expectation to some 
who thought they saw in it some prospects of good 
both for dispensers and patients. But if the boon is 
to come in so questionable a shape as that adopted 
by the Holborn Union, perhaps it would not do much 
more injury to the country districts to leave them as 
they are. 
THE RECOVERY OF SMALL DEBTS. 
A Bill having for its professed object the limita¬ 
tion of credit for goods sold, has been introduced 
into the House of Commons by Mr. Bass and Mr. 
Fowler, which, in consequence of a special exemp¬ 
tion from its operation contained in it, is of some 
interest to the pharmaceutical body. The Bill pro¬ 
poses to discourage the giving of credit in small 
sums, and thus decrease the number of petty suits 
in the County Courts, by enacting that “ no action, 
“ plaint, or suit shall henceforth be maintainable in 
“ any court to recover any debt or sum of money 
“ under forty shillings, alleged to be due in respect 
“ of any goods sold after the passing of this Act 
“ (other than medicines or medical or surgical 
“ appliances ), unless such small debt or sum of 
“ money shall be the balance still owing on any 
“ account which exceeded forty shillings (or shall 
“ have been bond fide contracted at one time to the 
“ amount of twenty shillings or upwards).” 
Although the principle of the Bill—to discourage 
credit by making the recovery of the debt doubtful— 
is not a new one, and these columns are not suitable 
to the discussion of the general subject, we may 
venture to remark that as the Bill stands, considerable 
hardship and difficulty would frequently arise in 
discriminating between “goods sold” and other 
service rendered. The saving clause, too, which might 
be looked upon by the pharmaceutist as securing 
his interest, would, perhaps, prove a broken reed 
to lean upon, as it would be rather too much to say, 
in the present order of things in this country, that 
“ medicines or medical or surgical appliances ” would 
cover all the items that might figure in his bill. 
The Bill, which does not extend to Scotland or 
Ireland, is set down for second reading on Wed¬ 
nesday, May 8th; we do not, however, anticipate 
its passing in anything like its present crude form. 
Last week, in announcing the Evening Meeting 
ol Wednesday, and guided by an official list of meet” 
ings from July, 1871, to June 1872, we inadvertently 
stated that it was the last during the present session, 
as has hitherto been the case. This, however, turns 
out to be incorrect, inasmuch as it has this year 
been decided that two further Evening Meetings shall 
be held in the months of May and June. 
On Wednesday last Messrs, Dows, Clark and i 
Co. placed one of their newly-devised Cabinet 
Soda-water and Syrup Machines in the Museum, 
for the inspection of gentlemen attending the Even¬ 
ing Meeting. They also exhibited specimens of a 
new clasp for securing the corks of soda-water 
bottles, in the place of the ordinary wire. This ! 
ingenious arrangement may be appplied or removed 
instantaneously, and with very little effort or 
trouble. W e purpose soon referring again to this 
subject. 
iranssrtwns jof % $jrarmaa«tol 
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. 
April 3 rd f 1872. 
MR. A. P. HASELDEX, F.L.S., PRESIDENT, IX THB CHAIR. 
Present—Messrs. Atherton, Betty, Bottle, Brown, 
Carr, Frazer, Greenish, Groves, Hills, Sandford, Savage, 
Shaw, Smith, Sutton, and Williams. 
The minutes of the last meeting were read and con¬ 
firmed. 
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION. 
The Secretary reported that the time fixed by the- 
Council at their last meeting for superintending the- 
Preliminary examination in the provinces was found to- 
bo generally inconvenient to the Local Secretaries, and. 
that the majority of them had since expressed their- 
opinion that the hours from 10 to 1 o’clock would he the 
most suitable time. 
The following is a summary of the opinions of the- 
Local Secretaries as to the time most convenient to therm 
to superintend the Examination 
:— 
Commencing at 
No. Commencing at 
No. 
8 . 
... 2 
2 . 
...49 
8*30 . 
. .. 1 
3 . 
... 8 
9 . 
...19 
4 . 
... 4 
9-30 . 
... 3 
5 . 
,.. 2 
10. 
... 75 
6 . 
... 8 
11. 
... 13 
r* 
/ .. 
. .. 1 
12. 
. .. 18 
8 . 
... 8 
1 . 
... 10 
9-30. 
. .. 3 
Any time the Council may appoint .. 16. 
Total. 210. 
Mr. Sandford thought it was not sufficiently known 
throughout the country why the alteration was made. 
It had been stated at the Council table that the ques¬ 
tions were telegraphed from one place where the exami¬ 
nation had been held to another where it had not com¬ 
menced, and it was very important that there should he 
no possibility of such a thing taking place. He was 
informed that one of the Local Secretaries stated that he 
never held his examination on the day appointed by 
the Council, and, therefore, he (Mr. Sandford) thought 
the request should be made imperative — that the 
examination should be held on the day and at the hour 
prescribed. 
Mr. Shaw asked if any positive complaints had been 
made of Twelve o’clock as the hour. 
The President said that very strong objections had. 
been made by many persons. 
Mr. Brown said he was quite satisfied by his own. 
inquiries that the telegraphing referred to did really take- 
place. 
The President said another Local Secretary had 
written to say that ho had known of such an occurrence 
taking place. 
It was then— 
Resolved—That the resolution of the Council on the- 
6 th March, appointing Twelve o’clock as the time 
for holding the Preliminary Examination, be re¬ 
scinded. 
It was further— 
Resolved—That the Preliminary Examination be held 
in London and the Provinces on the same day and 
hour simultaneously, and that Ten o'clock (a.m.) be 
the time fixed. 
The Secretary was requested to issue notice to the- 
Local Secretaries accordingly. 
