526 
BENEVOLENT FUND DINNEll. 
an ornament to the Society. He had had the pleasure of knowing that gentleman 
many years. He was formerly a colleague of his, and he could fully appreciate and 
testify to the well-deserved merits he possessed and which were so highly appreciated 
by all students of medicine as well as the students of the Pharmaceutical Society. He 
had had an opportunity of visiting the museum belonging to the Society and their 
lecture hall, and of examining their library and collection of drugs and chemicals; 
and certainly, from what he saw on that occasion and from what he had heard that 
evening, he thought the advantage of becoming a member of the Pharmaceutical 
Society could scarcely be over-estimated. These were not advantages merely for 
the members, but they w'ere advantages wdiich were of immense benefit to the medical 
and surgical profession, and greater even than that were the benefits which they con¬ 
ferred on the community at large, in the satisfaction they must feel in having their 
medicines which were prescribed by physicians dispensed by men of education. A 
matter of great importance, not only to the members of the profession but also to the 
public, was the exemption of Pharmaceutical Chemists from serving on juries, and 
that was an advantage that could scarcely be over-estimated by the public. And in 
referring to it he could not help recalling to his mind the eventful trial in ‘Pickwick,’ 
which no doubt they all remembered, where the chemist who refused to be sworn on the 
jury, tried to excuse himself by stating that he had only a boy in his shop—a very nice 
boy,—and that his prevailing apprehension was, that in the boy’s mind Epsom salts 
meant oxalic acid, and that somebody might be murdered before the trial was over. 
The question was, how were the advantages which w^ere possessed by the Pharmaceutical 
Chemists of Great Britain to be secured to them ? In his humble opinion he thought that 
was to be done in tw'o ways; firstly, by unity of action, and secondly, by the establish¬ 
ment of an esprit de corps amongst them. By unity of action, he meant the co-operation 
of all those respectable chemists and druggists who were not members of the Society. 
He had been informed that at present there were 2500 members,—a number which the 
most sanguine supporters of the Society when it was first established twenty-five years 
ago could scarcely have anticipated, it being in the proportion of one-third of the whole 
trade of England and Wales. Unity of action (speaking for himself, and without autho¬ 
rity) he thought might be obtained by the admission of the remainder of the chemists 
and druggists as members of the Pharmaceutical Society, and that, he thought, might be 
obtained by following the example of the Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, by 
having Members and Fellows. He was desirous that there should only be one Society, 
because however desirable competition might be in trade, it did not answer in the case 
of societies like the present, where it had naturally the effect of lowering the status of 
the profession, by one society giving degrees on a lower standard than the other. In 
conclusion, the honourable gentleman, in reference to his second proposition—the proper 
esprit de corps of the profession,—urged upon them to follow the example of Jacob Bell, 
and found scholarships for those who were unable to meet the expenses necessary on a 
proper course of study ; and again submitting the toast, he coupled with it the name of 
Mr. Morson. 
Mr. Morson said that as an old member of the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society, 
he felt much pleasure in responding to the toast that had been proposed by the honourable 
gentleman, the Member for Bridgewater. It was highly gratifying to them to find that 
after twenty-five years’ expenditure of much time and labour they had been so success¬ 
ful ; and all, no doubt, would concur w'ith him when he said how' much they should have 
been pleased if Providence had so ordained it, as to have permitted Jacob Bell to witness 
the fruits of his labour. He was happy to say that they had not worked in vain. They 
had accomplished much good. When he commenced life they were a reproach to their 
Continental neighbours, but now, he was happy to say, they could take their place in 
Europe with the best body of chemists and druggists, and they would not fail to improve 
on it, and henceforth take their proper position. 
Mr. Edwards said he knew he might claim the indulgence of the company in pro¬ 
posing the next toast, which was one of considerable importance, as it had only been 
confided to him since he had entered the room,—because if he had known it before, he 
would have striven with better words and more suitable address to recommend it, viz. 
the health of the President. He could assure them that it was not an honorary post, 
but one which made every demand on the time and attention of the gentleman who 
filled it. And he could assure them that of the many valuable Presidents they had had, 
