516  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference.  {Am,oct.y'i887arm' 
BRITISH  PHARMACEUTICAL  CONFERENCE. 
The  twenty-fourth  annual  meeting  was  commenced  in  Manchester,  August 
29th,  by  a  reception  by  the  President,  S.  R.  Atkins,  Esq.,  J.  P.,  followed  by 
a  conversazione  held  in  the  Grand  Hotel,  Manchester.  There  was  a  very 
large  and  representative  gathering  of  pharmacists,  many  of  them  accom- 
panied by  ladies,  and  the  general  approval  which  has  again  been  manifested 
in  respect  to  this  innovation  of  holding  a  social  meeting  as  a  preliminary  to 
the  business  of  the  Conference  will  doubtless  secure  the  promotion  of  the 
experiment  of  the  last  two  meetings  to  permanent  rank.  A  foretaste  of  the 
executive  quality  of  the  local  committee  was  afforded  in  the  admirable 
arrangements  that  ensured  the  enjoyment  and  comfort  of  every  visitor. 
The  company  listened  at  intervals  throughout  the  evening  to  a  choice  selec- 
tion of  music,  vocal  and  instrumental,  whilst  for  tastes  in  another  direction 
a  very  fine  collection  of  microscopes  and  slides  had  been  brought  together? 
mainly,  we  understand,  by  the  efforts  of  Dr.  Thresh  and  Mr.  J.  Hart. 
The  Conference  was  held  in  the  Chemical  Lecture  Theatre  of  Owens  Col- 
lege, which  was  kindly  lent  for  the  purpose  by  the  authorities  of  the  college. 
On  Tuesday  morning,  at  about  a  quarter  past  ten,  the  chair  was  taken  by 
the  president,  in  the  presence  of  a  rather  small  attendance,  which,  however, 
rapidly  increased,  until  the  large  lecture  theatre  was  fairly  full.  The  pro- 
ceedings were  commenced  by  Mr.  G.  S.  Woolley,  who  said  that  in  the  much 
regretted  absence  of  Mr.  William  Scott  Brown,  through  ill-health,  the  duty 
fell  upon  him  to  welcome  the  Conference  to  Manchester  on  behalf  of  the 
local  pharmacists.  This  he  did  in  felicitous  terms,  and  was  followed  by  Pro- 
fessor Leech,  who  also  greeted  the  members  of  the  Conference  on  the  part 
of  the  college  authorities,  saying  that  they  had  already  shown  their  interest 
in  pharmacy  by  establishing  a  complete  course  of  pharmaceutical  education 
in  connection  with  Owens  College.  The  welcome  having  been  acknowl- 
edged by  the  chairman,  a  list  of  delegates  from  various  associations  to  the 
Conference  and  several  letters  of  apology  for  non-attendance  were  read. 
The  annual  report  of  the  executive  committee  was  then  read.  A  large 
portion  of  it  was  devoted  to  secretarial  changes.  A  much  smaller  portion 
contained  the  important  announcement  that  the  formulary  committee 
appointed  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  Conference  had,  in  conformity  with  the 
terms  of  its  appointment,  presented  to  the  executive  a  "  draft  of  what  it 
recommends  for  publication  as  the  first  edition  of  an  Unofficial  Formulary." 
These  results  were  now  laid  before  the  Conference,  with  a  recommendation 
that  the  formulary  committee  should  be  re-appointed.  The  treasurer's 
financial  statement  showed  that  the  members'  subscriptions  during  the  past 
year  had  amounted  to  £611  13s.  9cl. ;  but  that  sum  supplemented  by  the 
income  on  account  of  the  "  Year-Book  "  and  Index,  does  not  appear  to  have 
been  nearly  sufficient  to  maintain  an  equilibrium  between  the  receipts  and 
expenditure,  and  we  gather  from  the  statement  that  if  all  outstanding 
accounts  had  been  paid  the  cash  balance  in  favor  of  the  Conference  on  June 
30  last  would  have  been  about  £150.  The  adoption  of  the  report  and  finan- 
cial statement  was  moved  by  the  president,  seconded  by  Mr.  Kemp,  and 
