PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY, EDINBURGH. 
363 
to assist us, and in so doing secure no small benefit to themselves. Indeed, each of us 
should feel that we are responsible, to some extent, for the success of our meetings ; and 
that we ought, if it be at all possible, to do something to increase their usefulness and 
keep up their interesting and attractive character. 
Since our last session, we have had some additional experience of the British Pharma¬ 
copoeia, and we are now in a position to judge of it more impartially, and perhaps more 
favourably, than we did on its first appearance. At that time there was considerable dis¬ 
appointment, on account of the unexpected omission of many useful and familiar pre¬ 
parations ; and the apparently unnecessary changes which had been made in others, the 
only obvious effects of which were to deprive us, to a large extent, of the benefit of know¬ 
ledge and experience which had cost us years of labour to acquire, and send us back to 
begin our Pharmacopoeial studies once more. 
This feeling, I believe, is fast passing away. We are now in some measure reconciled 
to the change, and alive to the duty of adopting the new formulas, so far as it is in our 
power to do so. But, it must not be forgotten that this matter is not entirely in our own 
hands. 
There is one part of the new' instructions which it is fortunate we did not adopt, viz. 
that w'e “ should alter or destroy all pharmaceutic preparations, made according to the 
previous, and now' altered formulae,” for it is evident from the number of old prescrip¬ 
tions, and the aversion to change, on the part of many of the medical profession and 
the public, that they must have been reproduced at great trouble and expense. Never¬ 
theless, the new preparations are rapidly displacing the old ones, and so soon as there is 
reason to believe that prescribers desire it, the substitution will become general. It is 
our desire and our interest that it should be so as speedily as possible, that we may at 
once enjoy the advantages which the change was intended to secure. 
The publication of the British Pharmacopoeia, must be regarded as a very important 
event in the history of phai'macy in Great Britain, as a very decided evidence of progress, 
and a great triumph over national and professional prejudices. It must have been a task 
of no ordinary difficulty, to reconcile the conflicting opinions of the various parties 
engaged in preparing the work. For this, no doubt, concessions had to be made on all 
sides. But these are hardly to be regretted, if we look to the grand result—a national 
Pharmacopoeia, a uniform standard for the whole of the United Kingdom; which, although 
far from being perfect, will doubtless be improved from time to time, as new editions are 
required. 
It seems probable, from the reports of Dr. Taylor and the medical officer of the 
Privy Council, on poisoning, and the dispensing, vending, and keeping of poisons, that 
there will ere long be another legislative effort to regulate the sale of poisonous sub¬ 
stances, to determine the safest mode of keeping them, and who are to be entrusted with 
the duty of dispensing and vending them to the public. In such circumstances, it is well 
to know that our interests are safe in the hands of the Council of the Pharmaceutical 
Society in London, who will not only be among the first to welcome such a measure, 
but to give every assistance in their power so as to render it practicable and efficient, 
without unnecessarily hampering or restricting our operations. 
This is just one of many benefits which result from our association. It provides us 
among other things, with an active and intelligent executive, whose duty it is to watch, 
and if possible guide every movement in the direction indicated, so that it may be 
thoroughly matured, and carefully adapted to the end in view,—to guard us against crude 
and ill-digested legislation on such an important subject, and what would really be a 
great misfortune, its being left in the hands of those who have no special qualification 
for the task, or practical acquaintance with the requirements of the business and the 
public. 
We have been strikingly and painfully reminded by what has recently occurred in 
another part of the kingdom, of the immense responsibility which lies on us, both as 
principals and assistants, in connection with this subject, and of the necessity not only 
for constant care and watchfulness on our part, but of having all uncertainty as to the 
kind and degree of our liability in cases of accident removed. 
While we readily admit that every means should be taken to prevent mistakes, and to 
protect the public from their consequences when they do occur, we feel on the other 
hand that something should be done to protect us from the arbitrary and ruinous penal¬ 
ties which the present state of the law in England at least seems to sanction. If it can be 
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