486 
British  Conference. 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t     October,  1909. 
macy.  The  extent  to  which  scientific  pharmacy  has  been  enriched  by 
the  results  of  work  done  by  the  Conference  cannot  at  the  present 
time  be  accurately  estimated.  He  says  that  the  reasons  for  the 
existence  of  the  organization  are  a  "  consistent  desire  as  a  body  to 
develop  pharmacy,  to  maintain  past  traditions,  to  ensure  proper 
training  for  future  entrants,  to  extend  research,  all  for  the  one  pur- 
pose, namely,  of  securing  for  the  public  the  proper  administration  of 
medicinal  compounds,  while  at  the  same  time  acting  as  guardians  of 
the  public  weal  with  respect  to  poisonous  materials  of  all  kinds." 
In  speaking  of  patent  medicines  he  says  that  from  the  medical 
standpoint  they  are  of  doubtful  service  to  the  community.  The 
imposition  of  a  heavier  stamp  duty  than  the  one  now  in  force  should 
be  imposed  on  articles  held  out  to  have  curative  properties. 
Discussing  pharmacopceial  revision,  he  gives  it  as  his  opinion  that 
it  should  be  the  duty  of  the  committee  not  only  to  conduct  experi- 
ments but  at  the  same  time  to  make  an  organized  attempt  to  glean 
the  experience  of  pharmacists  generally,  and  invite  men  outside  the 
committee  to  undertake  definite  sections  of  work,  repeating  what 
may  have  been  done  by  the  committee.  He  said  it  is  because  of  the 
embodied  results  of  a  few  experiments  of  one  person  that  inade- 
quate formulae  have  appeared  in  the  Pharmacopoeia.  He  also  makes 
the  assertion  that  there  is  no  publication  in  the  whole  Kingdom  better 
fitted  for  a  scheme  of  co-operative  investigation  than  is  the  British 
Pharmacopoeia.  Mr.  Tocher  concluded  his  remarks  by  calling  atten- 
tion to  the  rapid  development  of  chemical  science  in  every  direction 
and  the  profound  effect  it  is  having  on  the  theory  and  practice  of 
pharmacy. 
Taking  it  altogether,  Mr.  Tocher's  address  was  a  most  excellent 
exposition  of  pharmaceutical  problems  confronting  the  British  phar- 
macist of  to-day  and  certainly  is  worthy  a  careful  reading  by  Ameri- 
can pharmacists,  particularly  that  portion  which  relates  to  pharma- 
copceial revision. 
After  the  reading  of  the  annual  report,  the  reading  of  the 
financial  statement,  and  the  transaction  of  other  routine  business, 
the  President  called  for  the  reading  of  papers,  abstracts  of  which 
follow. 
