896 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[May 4, 1872- 
it was not so with, others, and mentioned an amusing 
instance that had occurred in his own experience. 
Mr. Betty, referring to the position of the future 
pharmacist, said that, in his opinion, very much would 
depend upon the education he received. If a sound pre¬ 
liminary education were secured, and this followed up 
hy earnest and persevering study, he believed pharma¬ 
cists might lay claim successfully to a very high position 
in society. 
Mr. Walter Hills said that as to the position che¬ 
mists took in Germany, it ought not to be forgotten that 
most of them made chemistry, botany, or some other 
scientific pursuit their particular hobby, and devoted 
themselves wholly to it, and this gave them a certain 
position ; and being always at scientific meetings, and so 
forth, they mixed in the highest intellectual society, and 
thus were able to hold their own against everybody. As 
regards the position of assistants abroad, he thought they 
were not at all in an enviable position. In France, as 
far as he could judge, they were very badly off indeed. 
He thought that an English chemist in a pharmacy in 
Paris would get about double the salary that a man 
would get in one of the French pharmacies. It ought also 
to be remembered that Sundays abroad are much less free 
than they are in England. Most assistants here get at 
least one Sunday in two. The long hours, small pay, and 
bad lodgings provided in many cases, made their posi¬ 
tion a very unenviable one. 
Mr. Greenish said he could confirm what the last 
speaker had said as to pharmacists abroad taking some 
particular subject, and instanced several men who had 
devoted special attention to different branches of the 
science. 
The President said that the subject was now closed ; 
but he would like to make one observation. According 
to the original proposition, it was intended to have 
another meeting on the 5th of June, but it had been 
suggested that it would be advancing rather too far into 
the summer, and, therefore, unless some special notice 
was given to the contrary, there would be no further 
meeting this season until October next. 
A vote of thanks was then proposed by Mr. Williams, 
and carried with acclamation, to the President for his 
courtesy and kindness, and the ability with which he 
had presided at the evening meetings of the Society. 
_ A vote of thanks was also given to Mr. Greenish for 
his able and interesting paper. 
TYNESIDE CHEMISTS’ ASSISTANTS’ 
ASSOCIATION. 
I ho I irst Annual Meeting of this Association was held 
on March 20th, at its rooms, Royal Arcade, Newcastle ; 
the President, Mr. Siiaav, in the chair. 
On rising, he reviewed at some length the benefit to 
be derived from such an association as their own. Besides 
the association being a source of improvement, it had 
also been the means of creating a more friendly feeling 
amongst the assistants and apprentices of Tyneside than 
had ever before existed. He felt happy that they had 
been so successful during this their first session, as the 
Secretary’s report would show. 
lie then called upon Mr. Alfred Brady, the Secretary, 
to read his report:— 
“ A Meeting of Chemists’ Assistants and Apprentices 
was called September 5th, 1871, to consider the desira¬ 
bility of forming an association, which ended in a 
Society being formed, and committee, etc., elected. 
“ On Thursday, September 21st, Mr. Shaw (the Presi¬ 
dent) read the inaugural address in the Museum of the 
Is atural History Society, alter which the Secretary read 
a paper on Alchemy. 
On Ihursday, October 5th, the first of the ordinary 
meetings was held in the rooms now held by the club, at 
which Mr. Melhuish read a paper upon the various 
Sennas of Commerce. 
“ Since then papers have been read on the following 
subjects:— 
“ Tobacco, by Mr. Anderson ; Cell-formation, by Mr. 
Heslop; Opium, by Mr. Shaw; Gum Acacia, by Mr. 
Greenwell; Specific Gravities, by Mr. Brady; Chlorine, 
Bromine, etc., by Mr. Pittuck; Iron, by Mr. Charl¬ 
ton ; Dispensing, by Mr. Welch; Mercury, by Mr. 
Marshall; Solution, by Mr. Spence; Water, by Mr. 
B. S. Proctor, (a lecture) ; Cod Liver Oil, by Mr. 
Foggon; Cinchona Barks, by Mr. Owen; Oxygen, 
by Mr. G. Proctor; Iron, by Mr. J. Aslin, (a lecture) • 
Opium, by Mr. Shaw, (2nd paper.) 
“Theaverage number attending the above meetings 
was 23^. 
“ It seems to me needless to go into the various griev¬ 
ances that have been discussed at various times; all 
have, I think, been fairly settlsd, and the Society is now 
in full working order. 
“ The number of members now is altogether about 60. 
“ We have had, besides donations in the form of cash, 
the following articles presented to the Society:—• 
“ A Materia Medica Cabinet, by Messrs. Crozier and 
Smith ; do. do., by Messrs. Evans, Sons, and Co. ; do. 
do., by Messrs. Southall, Son and Dymond; a handsome set 
of materia medica specimens, by Messrs. Hodgkinson 
and Co.; a case of various tobaccos, by Mr. Jones ; a 
large number of specimen jars, by the York Glass Com¬ 
pany ; do. do., by Mr. Mather; do. do., bottles, by 
Messrs. Maw and Co.; a number of shelves, by 
Mr. J. Swan; the Pharmaceutical Journal weekly, 
from the Society; ‘ the Chemist and Druggist,’ by Mr. 
B. S. Proctor; do., by Mr. Welch; set of labels and 
map, by Mr. Barber; a ballot-box, by Mr. Simpson. 
Besides the things above mentioned, a considerable num¬ 
ber of books have been lent. So that altogether we- 
have not come off very badly and have, if work is meant, 
ample means for any student to pursue his studies.” 
The report was unanimously received by the members. 
The treasurer’s report was then read, which showed a 
balance of £10. Is. 3d. in favour of the Society. On tho 
motion of Mr. Shaw, seconded by Mr. Charlons the- 
report was received. 
The election of officers for the ensuing session then, 
took place. There were nominated for the presidency 
Mr. W. Shaw and Mr. Alfred Brady. 
Mr. Shaw declined to take office again on account of 
pressing business engagements, thereupon Mr. Brady 
was elected unanimously. 
There being no opposition, the following gentlemen 
were elected to the various offices. 
Vice-President, Mr. Simpson; Secretary, Mr. G. II. 
Proctor; Treasurer, Mr. G. T. Marshall; Committee, 
Messrs. Shaw, Bullus, Owen, Heslop and Welch. 
This concluded the business of the evening. The- 
meeting then adjourned. 
At the meeting on April 25 th, the minutes of the last 
meeting having been read and adopted, the President 
elect delivered his opening address, which was as fol¬ 
lows :— 
Gentlemen,—Before thanking you for the honour you 
have conferred upon me in making me your President, 
it may be well for me to take a retro as well as a pro¬ 
spective glance at our general proceedings. Our late- 
President, Mr. Shaw, told us in his opening address that 
one of his reasons for wishing to form an association 
here was that he, as things then stood, knew no one out 
of his own shop who was connected with the trade, and 
with whom he could associate or spend the evenings 
after the business of the day was concluded. This object 
has, I think, been to a great extent obtained, inasmuch 
as a large number of young men from the different es¬ 
tablishments in the town have met together for the saka 
