THE 
AMERICAN  JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
NOVEMBER,  1861. 
MEETING  OF  THE  BRITISH  ASSOCIATION  AT  MANCHESTER, 
SEPTEMBER  4,  1861. 
{Extracts  from  a  letter  from  an  American  gentleman,  attending  the  Sessions.) 
The  first  regular  session  was  held  in  the  evening,  at  the  Free 
Trade  Hall,  at  8  o'clock,  when  the  meeting  was  opened  by  the 
President  of  last  year.  Lord  Wrottesley,  who,  in  a  short  and  ap- 
propriate speech,  took  leave  of  the  Association  in  his  official 
capacity,  and,  in  very  laudatory  terras,  introduced  the  new  Pre- 
sident, William  Fairbairn,  Esq.,  LL.D.,  F.R.S.,  &c.  Mr.  Fair- 
bairn  read  his  address.  The  audience,  which  included 
many  ladies,  could  not  have  numbered  less  than  two  thousand, 
many  of  whom  were  unable  to  procure  seats  ;  and  from  the  size 
of  the  room  very  many  could  not  hear  the  speaker.  While  the 
President  was  speaking,  a  number  of  pages  carried  around  his 
printed  address  among  those  who  could  not  hear  :  so  that  they 
could,  at  least,  by  reading,  become  acquainted  with  the  nature 
of  the  speaker's  remarks.  It  may  be  stated  in  reference  to  the 
address,  that,  though  in  point  of  delivery  and  diction  not  re- 
markable, it  nevertheless  possessed  much  interest  from  the  value 
of  the  facts  and  observations  contained  in  it. 
A  man  may  be,  as  Mr.  Fairbairn  seems  to  be,  an  excellent 
engineer,  of  great  natural  genius,  and  profoundly  versed  in 
mechanics,  both  theoretic  and  applied,  without  being  either  a 
good  speaker  or  a  remarkable  writer.  He  stands  high  among 
the  mechanical  philosophers  of  Manchester,  perhaps  at  their 
head. 
Sept.  5th,  On  this  day  the  business  of  the  Sections  began. 
Of  these  there  are  eight;  1,  Mathematics  and  Physics;  2,. 
Chemistry ;  3,  Geology ;  4,  Zoology  and  Botany ;  5,  Physiology;. 
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