April 13, 1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
839 
*Xo notice can be taken of anonymous communica¬ 
tions. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authenti¬ 
cated by the name and address of the writer ; not necessarily 
for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . 
“The Mysterious Councillor.” 
Sir,—When the writer of so contemptible and scurrilous an 
article as that which appeared in the Chemist and Druggist 
last month under the above title, screens himself beneath the 
folds of an anonymous production, he cares not upon whom 
the suspicion of authorship is cast, so long as he himself 
escapes recognition. 
It has j ust come to my knowledge that the report which 
first saddled the article in question upon Mr. Ince, has, since 
his denial, been kindly transferred to my shoulders, and that 
I am now currently reported as the writer. I therefore 
desire most distinctly to deny having had the least knowledge 
even of the existence of the article, until my attention was, 
gome days after its publication, drawn to it by a friend. 
However much I doubt the wisdom of re-electing Mr. 
Carr as a representative upon the Council, I hope I 
possess too high an opinion of the responsibilities of a 
gentleman than to lend myself to such “ vulgar personalities.” 
I should have treated the rumour with silent contempt, had 
it not been that my position as Hon. Sec. to the Metropolitan 
Chemists’ Defence Association, demands my being free from 
the imputation. 
Edwin B. Vizer. 
63, Lxipus Street, Belgravia South. 
April 9th, 1872. 
[*** The fact that rumour has attributed to several persons 
Hie authorship of the paragraph referred to in this letter, 
seemed to make it advisable, to prevent the necessity for 
publishing a succession of denials; by inquiring of Mr. Carr 
whether the writer was known and as we are authorized by 
him to state that the authorship of the paragraph has been 
ac knowledged, we think no further disclaimers will be required. 
—Ed. Pharai. Journ.] 
The Cowing Election. 
Sir,—Let me at once express regret for my letter on 
Election of Council. I am as ready to admit that it was in¬ 
judicious (judged by the light of subsequent experience) as I 
am prepared to prove that it w'as not dishonest. This, how¬ 
ever, scarcely concerns your readers, and does not occasion 
me more anxiety than I am able to endure in silence. It 
does concern your readers to know whether Mr. Savory, who 
has been proposed for the Council ostensibly on grounds of 
general fitness, is in reality the representative in disguise of 
compulsory regulation views. To this I say that up to the 
present moment I do not know what Mr. Savory’s opinions 
upon this question are, that I have never had any communi¬ 
cation with him direct or indirect upon the subject, and that 
I consider his reticence in reference to a point which has 
excited so much animosity a material recommendation. 
Beyond the fact that his firm are understood to have signed 
Mr. Sandford’s circular (which was also signed by Mr. Ince, 
who is know n to be strongly opposed to compulsory regula¬ 
tions), I have no clue to Mr. Savory’s opinions upon this or 
any other question of pharmaceutical politics ; but if I knew 
his views upon special questions to be at variance with my 
own, unless they were extreme and extravagant, I should 
still feel that his election to the Council w r as desirable in the 
permanent interests of the Society. It should be remembered 
in pronouncing judgment upon my motives, that my sole 
utterance in relation to the poisons regulations since May, 
has been to counsel peace and a resumption of our ordinary 
pursuits;* and, in fact, I attach less importance to the future 
action of the Society in reference to poison regulations than 
appears to be supposed. I anticipate a grand organic 
severance w r hich will settle this question for us, but wRich it is 
not convenient to discuss here. In the meantime, I am very 
jealous of the Society’s administration being swamped by an 
ephemeral excitement; and it appears to me to be our duty at 
thip crisis to select men of such standing, character, and (pre¬ 
eminently) moderation, as may restore confidence and har¬ 
mony to our agitated community. 
In seeking to urge thess view's, I am exceedingly sorry that 
I was guilty of the indiscretion of introducing Mr. Savory’s 
name; it is due to him, though it should not be necessary, 
to say that he w T as of course ignorant of my intention, and 
I cannot help feeling that he is the only person injured, and 
that to him my apologies are due. 
Riciiard W. Giles. 
Clifton, April 8th, 1872. 
Sir,—Some of my pharmaceutical friends have done me the 
honour to think me worthy to represent them on the Council 
of the Pharmaceutical Society, and have nominated me for 
the ensuing election. 
It is fresh in my memory that rather gi*ave complaints 
have been uttered against the action of some of our repre¬ 
sentatives, founded upon a supposed inconsistency between 
their acts when members of the Council and the views they 
were understood to hold before election. This impression 
may possibly have arisen from imperfect knowledge of wRat 
those view r s really were, and the contingency points at once 
to the desirability of some public expression of opinion on 
the part of those to wRoso management the important 
interests of the whole trade are about to be entrusted. 
The Executive of the Pharmaceutical Society now wdelds 
an important power, for the proper exercise of wRich every 
member of the constituency is in part responsible. It is his 
duty to test to the utmost of his ability the qualifications of 
the candidate, and to observe their conduct when elected 
as representatives. 
Equally, as it seems to me, it is right that all candidates 
should frankly express their views upon moot points of phar¬ 
maceutical politics, and that the proceedings of the chosen 
ones should be made as public as possible. At any rate 
I will endeavour to render misapprehension about myself 
impossible. Personally, I have no craving whatever for the 
honour of a seat at the Council-board ; but I am most 
anxious that certain opinions which I hold, and wRich I 
believe to be held by a lqrge majority of our body, should be 
represented. 
Now the point upon wRich there is still the strongest 
reason to desire that the constituency and its representatives 
should be all at one is—“ Shall regulations for the storage of 
poisons be compulsorily enforced upon the trade or not ? ” 
Until this question is definitely settled, pharmaceutical pro¬ 
gress runs the risk of being much interrupted. I, therefore, 
devoutly hope that as far as the expression of opinion on the 
part of members of the Pharmaceutical Society can determine 
the matter, it may be disposed of at the coming election. 
On this topic, then, I wish to say plainly that I oppose 
in toto any further legislative interference in the internal 
management of our shops. The law already protects the 
public against the ignorant and careless public, by providing 
that all purchases of poisons shall be attended with certain 
precautions. It also protects the public against ignorant and 
careless pharmacists : against the ignorant by requiring that 
all who practise pharmacy shall be not ignorant, and against 
the careless by providing a list of pains and penalties to 
follow any serious breach of care. 
If a few officials desire to impose more than this upon 
the members of the trade, I deem it to be only consistent 
with common self-respect, that we not only abstain from 
helping them, but that we protest against their action and 
oppose it. 
Such, in a few words, are my views upon this subject. 
There are other topics upon which I am tempted to enlarge— 
notably, the very important one of education, but for the 
reason already advanced, I prefer, if possible, to take a note 
upon the issue just indicated. I, therefore, ask each voter 
to be good enough to waive for the moment every other feel¬ 
ing for myself he may happen to entertain, and, if these ideas 
are distasteful to him, to oppose my election by all legitimate 
means. If, on the other hand, they commend themselves 
to his judgment as right, then, not only do I ask him to vote 
for me, but I also ask for his active help in support of all can¬ 
didates of similar views. 
G. H. ScnAcnT. 
* See letter in Journal, some time in August, 1871. 
Clifton, April 6th, 1872. 
