LIVERPOOL chemists’ ASSOCIATION. 
435 
pharmaceutist does not require to know, but for the man who has to sell groceries, and 
a host of other things, to eke out an existence in a village or small country town, there 
are some technicalities in the Major Examination that might be dispensed with, in fact 
the Minor Examination, carefully conducted, would be sufficient; botany should, how¬ 
ever, form one of the subjects for examination. 
Mr. Symes pointed out a routine of study which he considered necessary to qualify a 
pharmaceutist for his calling; speaking highly of the lectures provided by the Pharma¬ 
ceutical Society; he also advocated local examinations. 
A long discussion followed, in which the President, Mr. Abraham, Mr. Betts, and 
Mr. Bedford advocated the desirability of the higher attainments being required ; and 
Mr. Sharp, Mr. Murphy, and the SncRETiARY, while admitting the value of high scien¬ 
tific knowledge, thought that perhaps, at present, it would be better to have a generally 
diffused knowledge, if not so profound, than an examination which frightened the 
majority. 
Other members took part in the discussion, after which a vote of thanks was proposed 
by Mr. Bedford, and seconded by the President, to Mr. Symes for his interesting and 
suggestive paper. The motion was carried by acclamation. 
Fourth general meeting, held December 6, 186G. The President in the chair. 
The following donations to the Society were announced:—‘ Pharmaceutical Journal ’ 
for December, from the Society; ‘ Proceedings of the British Pharmaceutical Confer¬ 
ence; ’ ‘Proceedings of the Liverpool Polytechnic Society;’ ‘Proceedings of the Archi¬ 
tectural Society, Third and Fourth Meetings.’ 
, The thanks of the meeting were voted to the donors. 
Mr, Evans referred to the paper read at the previous meeting, and deprecated any 
reduction in the examination on botany, giving an instance in his own experience, in 
which hemlock was mistaken for wild carrot. 
The President then called upon members to bring forward miscellaneous communi¬ 
cations, to which the evening was to be devoted. He expressed his belief that these 
meetings would prove attractive to young members, and regretted that there were so 
few associates connected with the Society. 
Mr. Bedford read a letter from Mr. luce, requesting ‘Hints on Laboratory Work, 
and Dispensing Pharmacy,’ to be laid before the next Pharmaceutical Conference. 
Mr. Sharp thought that our own meetings were the means by which these should 
be communicated. 
The President advocated the adoption of both methods. 
Mr, Charles Symes then brought forward the subject of extracts of bark. He had 
found that the extract of pale bark was usually supplied instead of that of yellow bark, 
and that he had to apply specially for the latter, which was charged a much higher 
price. He asked whether it was not the intention of the Medical Council that yellow 
bark should be used. He had also met with a sample of phosphate of lime containing 
40 per cent, of carbonate. 
Mr. Murphy then drew attention to the fact, that in many instances alcoholic extracts 
would give much more uniform and reliable preparations than aqueous ones. 
Mr. Betts described a sample of Epsom salts which contained a large quantity of 
sulphate of iron. 
The Secretary expressed himself strongly on the subject of the adulteration of drugs, 
giving the results of an investigation made in Manchester. 
Mr. Sharp excused the weakening of some drugs, especially the preparations of 
opium when sold in low localities, and in opium-eating districts. This opinion caused 
a lively discussion, several members dissenting from it. 
Mr. Symes then described a process for coating pills which he had found to answer 
well. He dissolved the residue from the preparation of syrup of tolu in ether, 2 drachms 
to 1 oz. ether. A little solution was put in the cover of a gallipot, and the pills coated 
with it, after which they were shaken for a few minutes with a little French chalk, and 
then left to dry, which they did in a minute. 
After a short discussion the meeting closed. 
