518  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference.     f  Am.  jour,  phairu. 
°  I  \   November,  1908. 
One  of  the  measures  which  evoked  criticism  and  condemnation 
in  the  report  of  the  Committee  on  Legislation,  was  the  Mann  bill, 
which  is  shortly  to  be  presented  to  Congress.  This  bill  is  so  radical 
and  so  unnecessarily  harassing  to  the  drug  trade,  that  it  is  confidently 
hoped  that  it  will  be  defeated. 
Mr.  Carey  Peter  brought  up  the  matter  of  the  Express  companies, 
and  their  methods  of  doing  business  were  roundly  condemned  by  a 
number  of  speakers.  Their  inexcusable  delays,  which  they  do  not 
even  take  the  trouble  to  investigate,  their  high  charges,  and  their 
political  wire  pulling  were  all  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Association.  Their  actions  were  held  to  be  largely 
responsible  for  the  desire  expressed  in  some  quarters  for  a  parcel 
post.  The  whole  matter  was  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Trans- 
portations, and,  undoubtedly,  some  action  will  be  forthcoming. 
The  point  which  most  impressed  itself  on  the  writer's  mind  was 
the  perfect  harmony  and  good  will  that  characterized  the  meetings, 
and  the  manifest  willingness  to  sacrifice  individual  wishes  for  the 
good  of  the  whole  trade,  not  only  from  the  standpoint  of  the  whole- 
sale trade,  but  also  from  the  standpoint  of  the  retail  trade,  it  being 
recognized  that  the  interests  of  each  are  the  interests  of  both,  in 
the  distribution  of  drugs  to  the  general  public. 
FORTY-FIFTH  ANNUAL  MEETING  OF  THE  BRITISH 
PHARMACEUTICAL  CONFERENCE. 
By  Johx  K.  Thum. 
On  September  14,  1908,  the  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference 
began  its  forty-fifth  annual  meeting  in  Aberdeen,  this  being  the 
second  time  in  twenty-three  years  that  the  Conference  has  held  its 
annual  meeting  in  this  "  ancient  and  beautiful  city." 
The  following  resume  of  the  work  accomplished  was  prepared 
from  the  very  complete  reports  of  the  proceedings  published  in  the 
British  pharmaceutical  journals. 
The  proceedings  opened  on  Monday  evening,  September  14. 
with  a  reception  to  the  delegates  at  the  Art  Galleries.  Baillie 
Milne,  in  the  absence  of  Lord  Provost  Alexander  Lyon,  ex- 
tended a  cordial  welcome  to  the  Conference  and  said  that  he  hoped 
that  their  deliberations  would  add  to  pharmaceutical  progress. 
