LIVERPOOL chemists’ ASSOCIATION. 
333 
waters forwarded from those populous places where choleraic attacks had been prevalent, 
Dr. Macadam had shown that there was a very close connection between such and bad 
or unwholesome -water. Many of the towns and villages of Scotland which had suffered, 
and were still suffering severely from choleraic attacks, were supplied with water from 
wells which were contaminated with decomposing organic matter of animal origin, and 
the most severe attacks of cholera were observed wherever the impurity in the water was 
greatest. In testing the water which might be clear and transparent, and faultless to 
the eye, nose, and palate, attention must be directed to the presence, nature, and amount 
of the organic matter, the presence and quantity of nitrates, the presence of chlorides, 
besides the total amount and general nature of the saline matter. Dr. Macadam then 
specially referred to the various modes of indicating the presence and quantity of the 
injurious ingredients, showed experimentally the tests he employed in the examination 
of the waters, and proved that whilst the permanganate of potassium, or chameleon, was 
a reliable test when it was decolorized, yet no dependence was to be placed upon it 
when it failed, as it often did, to indicate impurity, owing to the test only being influ¬ 
enced by organic matter in one of the three states or conditions in which it is present in 
some domestic waters. 
His remarks were listened to with much interest, and a vote of thanks, proposed by 
IMr. D. E. Brown, was carried unanimously. 
The Secretary intimated the following presentations to the Library:—Dr. Pereira 
‘On Food and Diet,’ by Mr. D. K. Brown, Vice-President; ‘Note-Book of Materia 
Medica, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics,’ by Dr. Scoresby Jackson, presented by the 
Author; Dr. Scoresby Jackson ‘ On Medical Meteorology,’ also presented by the Author; 
‘Proceedings of the British Pharmaceutical Conference at Nottingham,’ presented by 
the Association; ‘On the Sanitary Condition of Edinburgh,’ by Dr. Littlejohn,’ pre¬ 
sented by the Author. 
Intimation was made regarding the arrangem-ents for the Library, and the meeting 
thereafter adjourned. 
PROVINCIAL TRANSACTIONS. 
LIVEKPOOL CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
The First General IMeeting of the Liverpool Chemists’ Association was held at the 
Koyal Institution, October 25th, 18G6 ; the newly elected President, E. Sumner, Esq., in 
the chair. 
The following gentlemen were duly elected members :—Mr. Septimus F. Leete, IG, 
Hope Place; Mr. W. Bowman, 50, Miles Street; Mr. J. Hockin, 31, Oldhall Street. 
The Secretary announced the following donations to the Library:—The Eeport of 
the Birkenhead Literary and Scientific Society for 18G5-G ; the Eeport of the Liver¬ 
pool Geological Society for 1865-6; the ‘ Chemist and Druggist ’ for October, 1866. 
The thanks of the meeting were passed to the donors. 
The Secretary reminded the members of the Annual Meeting of the Gallery of In¬ 
ventions and Science, and desired their presence and support to that institution. 
Mr. Eedeord greeted the President, and mentioned that a prescription had come into 
his hands having a label affixed by a chemist who had compounded it, which he con¬ 
sidered highly offensive, as it stated that at the shop in question no youths or ap¬ 
prentices were employed, and that all poisonous drugs sold by him were labelled poison, 
to prevent the “ numerous mistakes w'hich so frequently occur.” 
Messrs. Shaw and Sharp agreed with the view^s expressed, and advocated the employ¬ 
ment of apprentices. 
Mr. Shaw gave the substance of a letter from Dr. Edwards, announcing his safe 
arrival at Montreal. 
Mr. Eedeord exhibited a small apparatus of his own invention for making pessaries. 
He described the difficulty of using cacao butter, owing to its ready fusibility, and 
showed that, wfith the method -which he employed, this Avas surmounted in a cheap, 
simple, and easy manner. 
The President spoke highly of the simplicity and efficiency of the process. 
