EDITORIAL. 
477 
Thursday,  the  28th  of  May,  a  party  of  about  fifty  gentlemen  (says  the 
Chemist  and  Druggist  for  June)  assembled  at  the  Douglass  Hotel,  Edin- 
burg,  and  presented  to  Mr.  Mackay  several  handsome  pieces  of  plate, 
the  most  prominent  being  a  silver  salver  with  the  arms  of  the  Pharma- 
ceutical Society  engraved  upon  it. 
The  Chair  was  occupied  by  Mr.  H.  C.  Baildon.  After  the  usual  toasts 
the  president  made  a  speech,  recounting  the  varied  and  valuable  services 
of  Mr.  Mackay,  to  which  the  latter  made  an  admirable  reply,  which,  had 
we  space,  would  do  to  reprint. 
Secret  Remedies  in  Spain. — Under  this  Caption  the  Med.  Press  and 
Circ,  May  12,  informs  us  that  the  interdict  which  has  heretofore  excluded 
the  importation  and  sale  of  quack  and  patent  medicines  in  Spain  has 
been  removed  by  Minister  Sagasta,  by  an  order  issued  April  12th.  This 
change  of  policy  is  said  to  have  been  adopted  owing  to  representations 
made  by  the  Apothecaries  of  Madrid,  that  the  restrictions  were 
prejudicial  to  the  Empire,  the  public  health  and  their  own  interests. 
In  the  order  a  "  secret"  remedy  is  defined  to  be  one  of  which  the  com- 
position cannot  be  discovered,  or  of  which  the  formula  has  not  been  pub- 
lished. All  the  French  and  other  patented  galenical  preparations  will 
now  have  ingress,  subject  of  course  to  heavy  taxes  for  revenue. 
Opium  Culture  in  India.— According  to  the  Indian  Daily  News  (Med. 
Press  and  Circ  ,  July  7,)  the  authorities  in  Bengal  have  determined  to 
largely  increase  the  culture  of  opium,  consequent  upon  the  proclamation 
of  the  Emperor  of  China  prohibiting  the  cultivation  of  the  poppy  for 
opium  in  any  part  of  the  Imperial  dominions.  The  abandoned  agencies 
of  Seetapore  and  Rohilkund  are  to  be  immediately  reopened.  "  The 
fixed  annual  quantity  of  provision  opium  is  to  be  48000  chests,  with,  in 
addition,  a  reserve  of  10000  chests  to  be  gradually  provided.  The  con- 
sequent necessary  orders  have  been  issued  in  time  for  the  season  of  1869 
— 70.  This  looks  very  much  as  though  the  E.  Indian  government  in- 
tended to  ignore  the  Chinese  custom  house  officials.  Perhaps  the  treaty 
of  Commissioner  Burlingamo  with  England  may  have  some  bearing  in  the 
case. 
Roman  Chamomile. — A  copy  of  the  circular  of  Bruckner,  Laraper  & 
Co.,  of  Liepzig,  dated  July,  announces  that,  owing  to  the  bad  weather,  the 
prospect  for  a  crop  of  Chamomile  flowers  is  quite  unfavorable,  and  unless 
a  change  occurred  within  two  weeks  it  would  be  seriously  deficient.  The 
price  it  is  believed  will  be  6  to  7  silver  groschens  per  lb. 
Pharmacop(eia  Italica, — According  to  the  Druggist  of  Jan.  11,  Prof 
Semmola  has  presented  the  project  of  an  official  Italian  pharmacopoeia 
to  the  Committee,  who  are  drawing  up  a  new  Sanitary  Code. 
