694 
TWENTY-SIXTH ANNIVERSARY 
lations maybe made affecting Chemists and Druggists, those who are enrolled 
under the Pharmacy Act of 1852 will find themselves safe from any vexatious 
interference. This, and the ability, year by year, to add to invested capital 
without in any way curtailing legitimate expenditure, may be regarded as 
the “ trade'" view of the question. But there is an inference, perhaps even 
more gratifying, to be drawn from a full exchequer. It is evidence of a de¬ 
sire, and a desire backed by action, to elevate the practice of pharmacy in this 
country to its proper level, as well as to promote the union and safety of phar¬ 
maceutists. It must be gratifying to see that the predicted downfall of the 
Society, by the dying-out of its founders, has not yet come to pass ; that ex¬ 
amined men, Pharmaceutical Chemists, join in sufficient numbers to keep 
up the present effective force, and that the increase in Associates and Appren¬ 
tices is reassuring as to the future. These young recruits all come through 
the Examiners’ room, but not all through the School of Pharmacy attached to 
the Institution ; and this may be taken as a proof of the increased opportu¬ 
nities for an acquirement of professional knowledge afforded by Masters to 
Apprentices. Still the number availing themselves of the advantages of the 
laboratory gradually increases ; and it is found that the arrangement made 
to admit students for certain days of the week only, has acted very benefi¬ 
cially, by giving many the opportunity of attending who would have been 
altogether unable to attend day by day. The Council cannot too strongly 
urge on masters the importance of insisting on, and on apprentices the great 
benefit of attaining, a proper classical education at the outset. To the latter 
the Board of Examiners could give overwhelming proof of the value of early 
education in the experience afforded them in the contests for the Bell 
Scholarships ; the position w'hich some of the successful competitors for 
these scholarships have taken should be well regarded by youths entering the 
drug trade. 
One very noticeable feature in the reports of the last few years has been 
the balance of the Journal account. The opinion expressed, that instead of 
being an occasion for considerable outlay it might be made a source of profit 
to the Society, was regarded as altogether too extravagant for belief, seeing 
that nearly all the Journals issued were distributed gratuitously; but gra¬ 
dually the balance was reduced on the debit side of the sheet, and is now 
increasing as a credit. Instead of about £50, as in 1865, we find the net 
profit of 1866 to have reached £218. This is of course due principally to the 
advertisements, for which an extra sheet has of late been provided, but 
the sale of the work has increased by about a thousand Journals in the year; 
and as this carries information regarding the Society to a wider circle, it is a 
point of some importance. 
It is gratifying to remark that whilst matters which may be regarded as po¬ 
litical have called for an unusual amount of attention from the Council, the 
Benevolent Eund for the aid of unfortunate members of the Society has not 
been overlooked. In the past year two annuitants have been elected, each 
to receive £30, and temporary assistance has been given to every deserving 
applicant. But the cheering feature in the account is the increase in the 
annual subscriptions. No longer ago than 1861 they stood at £50; in 1866 
they reached £391, exclusive of donations. The financial statement stops 
short at the end of 1866, but the festival held in February of this year 
cannot be allowed to pass unnoticed. The Council, impressed with the im¬ 
portance of augmenting the invested capital to at least £10,000, (the amount 
originally declared to be necessary before commencing annuities), resorted to 
the favourite English method of raising money by a social gathering. The 
challenge was not only accepted by the members of the Society, but by 
many other gentlemen who added greatly both to the pleasure of the evening 
