maceutical Society-would they be obliged to pass the examination in order to be admitted Members of the proposed College? He doubted the propriety of restricting the sale of compounded medicines, such as tincture of rhubarb, to registered Chemists and Druggists, and thought it would be quite sufficient for the restriction to extend to the dispensing of the prescriptions of medical men. In conclusion, he recommended that the Bill should be published in the Journal, that the members of the trade might have an opportunity of fully considering it, and afterwards that a general meeting of Chemists and Druggists should be convened to discuss it in detail. Mr. BELL, in reply to Mr. Farmar's question as to the operation of the proposed Bill in regard to the Associates of the Pharmaceutical Society, observed, that a clause was introduced by which the Council of the College of Pharmacy would be empowered to mitigate or suspend the examination in such cases. He had found from some communications he had received from the country, that many of the Country Druggists entertained a very different opinion from that expressed by Mr. Farmar with reference to the sale of medicines by unregistered persons, and that they objected to the clause relating to that subject as not being sufficiently restrictive. He, Mr. Bell, was disposed to believe that the Council had taken the right course in steering midway between the two extremes. It would no doubt be desirable, as Mr. Farmar had suggested, to publish the Bill, and to endeavour to get the opinions of the members of the trade with reference to it, but it would be useless to do this until the Council had ascertained what kind of a Bill they were likely to be able to carry. Mr. BURNEDGE thought the proposed restriction in regard to the sale of such medicines as tincture of rhubarb, would be opposed by the public in small places, where the population was not sufficient to support a regular Druggist. Mr. WARD approved of the principles upon which the proposed Bill was founded, and thought the Council had acted wisely in adopting a liberal policy. The Pharmaceutical Society might be considered as having a twofold object, one relating to the advancement of the immediate interests of the Members of the Society, the other involving the promotion of the general good of the body of Chemists and Druggists throughout the country. In the adoption of a measure such as that under consideration, he thought the broader the foundation was made, the more solid and substantial would the superstructure be. Some modification might perhaps be necessary in some of the clauses, and the more these were discussed the better, but he felt more than ever convinced of the necessity for legislation, and trusted the time was not far distant when they should have a College of Pharmacy established under the authority of an Act of Parliament. Mr. PEDLER thought that before any active steps were taken by the Council in reference to this Bill, a General Meeting of Chemists and Druggists should have been called, so as to obtain the opinion of the trade on the subject before making application to other medical bodies. There were some of the details of the Bill, which he thought, required much consideration. Mr. MORSON said that many of the remarks which had been made in the course of the discussion would be received by the Council with every disposition to meet the views of the majority. It must not be forgotten, however, that an Act of Parliament should have for its object the promotion of the interests, not of any class or body, but of the public at large. The spirit of the age was opposed to class legislation, or the granting of exclusive rights or privileges, excepting in as far as these were required for the benefit of the community. It was admitted on all hands that it was desirable to have an Act of Parliament for regulating the practice of Pharmacy in this country, and that it was equally important to provide for the education of those en. gaged as Pharmaceutists. The Pharmaceutical Society was identified with the office of education, and had hitherto successfully conducted its labours in this department. He did not agree with a previous speaker, Mr. Edwards, that there was any reason to fear the effects of competition with our School. Such competition would do good by stimulating us to greater exertions. It was true that some of the Schools which had recently sprung up, made a parade of great names in their advertisements, but he was not deceived by great names in such cases, believing that they were of little or no service, unless backed by ample funds and resources. He was very glad to observe new institutions springing up for the cultivation of Chemical Science, but he believed that none of those hitherto established were likely to affect us, as the system of instruction conducted in them was not that best suited for the Chemist and Druggist. The motion was then put and carried. LIFE MEMBERS' SUBSCRIPTIONS. Mr. PALK, of Exeter, then brought before the Meeting the subject of the subscriptions which had been paid by the Life Members of the Society. He stated that he had been commissioned by four of his brethren at Exeter to represent to the Meeting what they conceived to be the hardship of the position in which they were placed. He (Mr. Palk) was the first person at Exeter who paid the twenty guineas as his Life Subscription, and he did this in the belief that there was no probability of any reduction in the annual subscription. Under this impression, which had been confirmed by statements which had appeared in the Pharmaceutical Journal, he considered it an advantageous investment to compound an annual subscription of two guineas by the payment of twenty guineas in advance. He had also, on financial grounds, induced the other Life Members in Exeter to follow his example. The Council had more than once represented that the objects of the society could not be carried out with a lower amount of subscription than that originally paid, so that he, and those who acted under his recommendation, felt secure in the course they pursued. The Council subsequently made a reduction in the amount of subscription, which, for Country Members, was now One Guinea, instead of two, per annum. He thought, under these circumstances, that part of the sum which had been paid by the Life Members ought to be returned to them. Application had been made to the Council more than once to this effect, but they had negatived the application. He was commissioned now to bring the subject before the Members, in the hope that they would come to a different decision, which he thought was called for by every principle of justice as well as policy. He (Mr. Palk) in the present state of the case, felt himself in a very awkward position, having induced several of his brethren to invest 564 FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY. what to them was a considerable sum of money on the faith of statements which proved to be fallacious. Some of these statements had appeared in the Pharmaceutical Journal, and yet no explanation had subsequently been given there to satisfy them of the justice of the course which had been pursued. Mr. JACOB BELL was glad that Mr. Palk had brought this subject before a meeting of the Members of the Society, as it gave him an opportunity of stating why the matter had not been explained in the Journal. The fact was that he (Mr. Bell) had always been an advo cate for the return of a proportion of the money to the Life Members, considering the case to be a simple rule of three sum—as two guineas to twenty guineas, so is one guinea to ten guineas. He felt that the Life Members had displayed the greatest confidence in the honour of the Council, and that they ought to participate in the general reduction which had taken place, otherwise they might complain of what appeared like a breach of faith. He (Mr. Bell) had on several occasions argued to this effect in the Council, but was always in the minority, and no order having been given for the publication of the Report, he had purposely abstained from alluding to it in the Journal. Mr. HERRING had no hesitation in stating that he was one of those in the Council who had opposed the return of any part of the Life Members' subscription. He thought they had no just claim for such return, and considered that it would be wholly at variance with the ordinary method of doing business. The Life Members had, even according to Mr. Palk's statement, paid their Life Subscriptions under the impression that it would be a good investment, and investments of this kind generally involved more or less of speculation, which in this case had not turned out quite so favourable as was expected. Mr. WAUGH thought Mr. Palk and his friends would do well to ask themselves the question, What would their conduct have been had it been found necessary to increase, instead of lowering, the amount of subscription? Suppose the annual subscription had been raised to three guineas a year, would the Life Members have been willing to pay ten guineas in addition to what they had already paid, or would they not rather, in such case, have represented that they purchased their Life Membership at the price agreed between both parties, and that they took it subject to all contingencies? Mr. FOULGER thought it would be very bad policy to return any part of the Life Members' subscriptions; he could see no ground on which the Life Members could justly claim it. If this application were conceded to, every Annual Subscriber, who for several years had paid a subscription of two guineas, would have an equal claim for the return of a part of such subscription, and the Society might be called upon to refund a larger sum than all their property amounted to. Mr. Monson, Mr. TosswILL, and Mr. EDWARDS opposed the return of any part of the subscriptions. The CHAIRMAN said there was no motion regularly before the Meeting. If it was desired that the sense of the Meeting should be taken on the subject, it would be necessary that some specific proposition should be moved and seconded. The SECRETARY stated that the Life Members subscription was still fixed by the bye-laws at twenty guineas; that while this was the case, it would not be competent to the Council or the General Meeting to return any part of such subscription, and that the bye-law relating to the subject could not be altered without three months' notice being given. The Meeting then proceeded to the election of Members of Council and Auditors for the ensuing year. As there were only a sufficient number of candidates proposed to supply the vacancies, the election was merely a formal one. 1 The following are the Members of Council who continue in office by Lor, agrecably with the provisions of the Charter : CUBITT, GEORGE, Upper Market, NORWICH. EDWARDS, CHARLES, 63, Great Russell Street. HALLOWS, WILLIAM AYSCOUGH, 2, Clark's Place, Islington. SAVORY, JOHN, 143, Bond Street. STAMPER, RALPH, 140, Leadenhall Street. TOSSWILL, CHARLES Speare, 8, Torrington Place, The following Candidates were elected to fill the vacant places, as Members of the Council for the next year: The following were elected the Auditors for the next year:- HOOPER, WILLIAM, 21, Great Russell Street, Covent Garden. PEDLER, GEORGE S., 199, Fleet Street. WYMAN, JOHN, Red Cross Street. A vote of thanks was passed to the Chairman, which he acknow ledged, and the Meeting, which was a numerous one, then separated. DEPUTATION OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY TO THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS. ON Wednesday, the 20th of May, the President and Censors of the Royal College of Physicians received a Deputation from the Pharmaceutical Society, to confer respecting the introduction of a legislative enactment for the regulation of Pharmacy in this country. The draft of the proposed Bill, prepared by the Council, had previously been sent to the College. The President and Censors admitted the necessity of some regulations for the examination of Chemists and Druggists, and stated that the College would be disposed to consider seriously any definite proposition with reference to this object. The President stated that the present interview must not be considered an official meeting with the College, as the President and Censors were desirous of ascertaining more correctly the views of the Chemists before introducing the subject to their body at large. The President suggested that the most important question to be considered was the constitution of the Board of Examiners. By whom was it intended that the Chemists should be examined? The Deputation replied, that in the proposed Bill it was provided that a Board of Examiners should be appointed by a Council representing the body of Chemists and Druggists. At an interview which had taken place between a Committee of the College of Physicians and the representatives of the Chemists about five years ago, the appointment of a joint board had been suggested, consisting of Physicians and Chemists. The President stated his opinion, that the College would be disposed to favour the appointment of a joint Board of Examiners, partly nominated by the College, and the remainder by the Chemists, the Deputation replied that they felt justified in stating, that such a proposition would be likely to be favourably received by their body, and that they would revise their plan for the purpose of introducing this modification. The Deputation, on retiring, acknowledged gratefully the very courteous reception with which they had been favoured. LIST OF MEMBERS, ASSOCIATES, AND APPRENTICES-(CONTINUED). |