LIVERPOOL CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
315 
would be very much like acting ‘ Hamlet/ with the Prince of Denmark left out. I 
shall carry you with me, most likely, when I say that the past or rather passing year 
has been or is the most eventful to our community we have seen since the formation of 
the Pharmaceutical Society. The great event of the year to us is the appearance of the 
long delayed British Pharmacopoeia. Let us rejoice that the learned medical professors 
■of the United Kingdom have at last agreed to bury their national pharmaceutical 
predilections beneath, or to enshrine them within, that monument of advancing intelli¬ 
gence. The British Pharmacopoeia is a boon that we cannot feel too thankful for ; with 
all its faults, it is a great achievement, and if not perfect, as few can wonder at, who 
know the history of its incubation and birth, it is a first step that cannot fail to be fol¬ 
lowed by other and more perfect ones. It contains many additions to the Materia 
Medica, which had become widely used and deservedly esteemed. It supplies us with 
elegant and effiient preparations, not previously recognized, such as the Syr. Ferri Phos- 
phatis, Syr. Auantii Floris, and so on; with Lin. Aconiti and Belladonnse, Lithise Citras, 
etc.; the liquid extracts of opium, male fern, pereira, and bael; the permanganate of 
potash, officinal lozenges, juices, cataplasms, and suppositories ; new ointments, as veratria, 
calomel, cocculus, aconitia, atropia, and turpentine, with new and improved formulae for 
other preparations such as Syr. Sennse, Syr. Limonis, Infusum Gentianae, etc.; and a new 
process for the perparation of tinctures, combining the advantages of both maceration 
and percolation ; and the new feature of making up products to a definite quantity, and 
giving a standard of the result, which ought to be obtained from every process—I will 
not attempt to advance, however, on this well-trodden road, but above all it fixes the 
ground beneath our feet. We are not now ever treading on the shifting sands of three 
varying Pharmacopoeias, never quite certain that we were right where they conflicted ; 
but now we have an appeal to one sure and universal standard. You are well acquainted 
with the principal objections to the work, such as its omissions, its errors, its posological 
silence, its arbitrary alterations, and singular nomenclature. You have heard stated 
fully the practical inconvenience and uselessness of some omissions, the strangeness of 
its errors, and the disagreeable costliness of keeping duplicate medicines with varying 
flavours; the impossibility of fractionizing the new ounce with accuracy, and the im¬ 
possibility of dismissing to limbo those useful handmaids to prescribing and dispensing, 
the scruple and the drachm, time-honoured institutions of the art, which no living man 
among us, I fear, will see laid to rest; so that I need do no more than just indicate such 
things. I think it somewhat strange, after the interest the profession took in its discus¬ 
sion at first, that the nomenclature and preparations have not come into more general 
use. But time, which always works wonders, will be the best friend of the British 
Pharmacopoeia. 
The late Pharmaceutical Conference at Bath is another event which has transpired of 
very great importance to us as a body. I cannot help referring you to the admirable 
opening address of Mr. Deane, the President; it is a model, which will well repay care¬ 
ful perusal. The papers read, and the discussions raised, were most interesting and 
important, judging from the report in the ‘Pharmaceutical Journal’ for this month, and 
I have no doubt that the publication of those papers will be a great boon to the trade 
generally. The effect of these gatherings is likely to be beneficial in advancing phar¬ 
macy, and it is to be hoped will not interfere with the support of local institutions 
having similar objects. I, for one, should regret to see this, while I think the Conference 
might be regarded as a sort of Upper House of Peers, to be looked forward to with plea¬ 
sure by those who desire or deserve elevation. The Editor of the ‘ Pharmaceutical ’ 
says, “ It is by inducing our brethren in different parts of the country to look beyond 
the mere drudgery of trade, to accustom themselves to the investigation of phenomena 
which are frequently coming under their observation, to confer together on the results 
of these investigations, and thus to cultivate a love for science and mutual friendship 
one with another, that these provincial meetings may be made most useful.” 
The subject of the prevention of accidental poisoning was brought forward at the 
third day’s sitting of the Conference. The Committee having that subject under its 
care, brought up their report, which will be found printed in the Journal. A discussion 
ensued, and upon the fourth day the whole culminated in a list of suggestions, amount¬ 
ing to seven in number, which were received by resolution, with thanks. But before 
going further I must adopt the language of Mr. Deane, “ that the subject is one, the 
importance of which to us, as responsible persons, in the sale and dispensing of medi- 
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