and concluded by describing some of the peculiarities in its properties, and uses to which it is put. The early closing question has been discussed at almost every meeting this session with much spirit. The assistants have taken up the matter themselves in earnest, and the result is that the chemists on the south side of the river commence closing at 8 o'clock on the 1st of April, and it is hoped that the outlying districts on the north side will also be induced to take the benefit of the early hour as well. It is but fair to say that this result has been attained chiefly by the efforts of the Acting Committee of the Chemists' Assistants' Association. NORTHAMPTON CHEMISTS' ASSISTANTS AND APPRENTICES' ASSOCIATION. The Monthly Meeting of the above Association was held on March 22nd in the room in College Street; Mr. MASTERS (President) in the chair. The Secretary (Mr. DRUCE) read the minutes of the previous meeting, and said the Association had received during the month, the Calendar' and current number of the Journal, from the Pharmaceutical Society; a gas stove, from Mr. Clarke, and crystals of sugar of milk, from Mr. Berry. Mr. LANCE read an interesting and suggestive paper on the "Relation that ought to exist between Principals and their Assistants and Apprentices," dealing with the subject in a very practical and forcible manner. He thought that with a little more attention paid to employés in domestic as well as business arrangements, a mutual reciprocity of feeling would ensue, alike profitable to the principal and pleasing to the assistant. After the discussion on the paper, Mr. OSBORNE exhibited through a large binocular microscope, fitted with polariscope and selenite stage, crystals of barii chlor., salicine, magnes. sulph., potas. nit., and soda tartarata, the latter being especially beautiful; several objects were then shown under an in. objective of very superior defining powers. A hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Lance for his paper, and to Mr. Osborne for the trouble he had taken, concluded the meeting. ABERDEEN SOCIETY OF CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS. A course of lectures for the summer session of 1872 has been announced to be delivered by Dr. Beveridge at the School of Pharmacy in connection with this Society. They are to be of an elementary character, chiefly applicable to apprentices, the subject being "The Practical Study of Materia Medica with the Chemistry and Botany of the Pharmacopoeia." The course is to be commenced on Monday, April 15th, at 9.30 A.M., and will be continued every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday until the 13th of July. Fee for the course, 15s. There is also a library belonging to the Society which contains a selection of standard works on the above subjects, and is open every Friday evening from 8 to 10 o'clock. The employers earnestly recommend their apprentices to avail themselves of these lectures specially provided to assist them in qualifying themselves to pass the examinations of the Pharmaceutical Society. Proceedings of Scientific Societies. CHEMICAL SOCIETY. March 21st, 1872; Dr. ODLING, F.R.S., Vice-president, in the chair. In the course of the ordinary business the Chairman announced that the Faraday lecture would be delivered by Professor Cannizzaro, on Thursday, 30th of May. A communication from M. Maumené, of Paris, was then read by the Secretary, in which he denied the existence of the hyponitrous acid recently discovered by Dr. Divers ('Proceedings of the Royal Society,' xix. 425), on purely theoretical grounds, unsupported by any experiments or analyses. Dr. DIVERS, who was present, kindly explained M. Maumené's theory. An interesting discussion took place on theoretical points connected with some remarks made by Dr. Debus, in which he stated that no organic compound existed in which the number of atoms of hydroxyl (HO) was greater than the number of carbon atoms.-The Anniversary Meeting of the Society for the election of officers and council will be held on Saturday, the 30th of March, and the next ordinary meeting on Thursday, 4th of April, when Dr. Schorlemmer, F.R.S., will deliver a lecture on "The Chemistry of the Hydrocarbons." PARIS SOCIÉTÉ DE PHARMACIE. bruary 7th, under the presidency of M. Stanislas Martin. A sitting of this Society was held on Wednesday, Fe-efflorescence that forms upon vanilla, in which it was M. Bussy presented a note from M. Carles upon the stated that this substance is a peculiar organic acid, CHO, forming well-crystallized iodine compounds. Relations between Medical Men and Military PharmaM."Boudet presented a paper, by M. Roucher, "On the ciens." He said that, notwithstanding the success with which M. Poggiale had formerly asserted the position of to subordinate pharmacy to medicine, or even to entirely military pharmaciens, there had been attempts recently suppress the pharmaceutic service in the army. thanked M. Boudet for calling attention to the subject. M. POGGIALE, in the name of military pharmaciens, fermentation in the Academy of Sciences; and M. M. Bussy gave an account of the recent debates on Buignet described the investigations made to obtain crystallized digitaline which have gained the author the Orfila prize for the year. M. MARAIS referred to a singular alteration observed in the leaves of Cerasus Laurocerasus upon the lowering of temperature to 22' below zero towards the end of the year 1871. The stem of the plant having frozen, the alteration extended from the petiole to the edge of the leaf, rarely from the margin to the central part. Immediately after the frost the leaves still yielded volatile products; but the nutrition being stopped, they no longer furnished hydrocyanic acid upon distillation. M. Bussy said that it would be interesting to ascertain whether the emulsin alone underwent alteration. M. BOURGOIN and M. GOBLEY remarked that that could easily be ascertained by treating the bruised leaves with milk of sweet almonds. Parliamentary and Law Proceedings. ALLEGED POISONING BY ATROPINE. Before Mr. Justice LUSH. On Thursday, March 21, Hannah Steele was indicted for the wilful murder of Andrew Harris. Mr. Hopwood and Mr. Addison were for the prosecution; Mr. Torr, Q.C., and Mr. Thurlow for the defence. It appeared that the deceased had been senior surgeon of the Manchester Workhouse, and that the prisoner was head of the female lunatic ward there. On the 10th of January last the deceased, who up to that day had. been in perfect health, was shortly after breakfast taken suddenly ill, and, becoming rapidly worse, ultimately died at 8 o'clock in the evening; and the case for the prosecution was that he was poisoned by atropine, which had been put by the prisoner into the milk served to him at breakfast time. Atropine was stated to be used in some of the wards for treatment of diseases of the eye; and one of the doctors said that it was usual to serve it out to such of the officers as required it for that purpose in small phials containing a drachm apiece, which were labelled poison. It further appeared that Mrs. Lythgoe and a Mrs. Clark (each of whom was an officer in the workhouse) had tasted the milk served to Dr. Harris, and had suffered severely in a manner indicative of poisoning by atropine, although they ultimately recovered, one of them after two months' treatment in the hospital and the other more speedily. The doctors who were called swore that the symptoms in Dr. Harris's case were such as are exhibited in the case of the administration of atropine, and a phial on the doctor's mantelpiece was found one-third full of spirits containing some of that substance in solution, while the post-mortem examination pointed conclusively to the same result. A great many witnesses were called, including the matron and the master of the workhouse, and it was proved that the prisoner had been in the room of Dr. Harris that morning after the milk had been taken there from the kitchen as usual, and that she knocked at the door as she went in; as, also, that she was there subsequently, about 9.30, while the deceased was at breakfast; and in order to show a motive, it was proved that two days before the occurrence Dr. Harris had complained of the prisoner to the authorities for not reporting a case of illness in proper time, and that they had reprimanded her. A witness also stated that on that occasion the prisoner had said on leaving the room, "Dr. Harris has been telling a good few lies; I'll give him enough reporting before the week's over.' But as to this it was proved on behalf of the prisoner, as also by way of accounting for her presence in the doctor's room, that it was her duty to report to the doctor every morning any case of illness which might arise in her ward, and after leaving certain papers relating to such cases there for his signature, to return and take them to the chaplain; and, further, that on the morning in question there were papers to which it was her duty to obtain the doctor's signature, and a conversation which had been overheard indicated that she had asked for the signature, but that the doctor had declined to give it. It was, however, made out that the poison must have been put into the cream jug after it had been taken to the deceased's room, and the prosecution insisted that in addition to the actual fact of her presence there that morning, the prisoner's guilt was proved first by her behaviour after the occurrence, and by certain expressions used by her to the two women who tasted the milk, and, secondly, by a statement made by the doctor when in a dying state, which, after some discussion, his Lordship admitted as evidence, and which was to the effect that he thought Mrs. Steele (the prisoner) had done it and that hearing some one move in his sittingroom that morning while he was washing in his bedroom, he had opened the door and seen the prisoner standing there; and that the phial had not been there the night before. For the prisoner it was contended that the offence had not been brought home to her; that the evidence of the witnesses for the prosecution was uncertain and contradictory; and that the behaviour of the prisoner had been entirely that of an innocent woman who had nothing to conceal. Further, that considering the frequent use in the workhouse of the poison in question, its presence in the cream jug might be the result of carelessness on the part of one of the nurses. Witnesses were also called, who gave the prisoner a good character. The doctors who were called stated that atropine is an extremely deadly poison, and that even the hundredth part of a grain of it is sufficient to injure life. It should be added that since the fatal occurrence the system under which the phials containing this poison were carried freely about by the nurses has been discontinued, and that it is now kept aunder lock and key. A DICTIONARY OF CHEMISTRY AND THE ALLIED BRANCHES OF OTHER SCIENCES. By HENRY WATTS, B.A., F.R.S., F.C.S. Assisted by Eminent Contributors. Supplement. Longmans, Green and Co. 1872. It was a bold idea, but no less a happy one, which inspired Mr. Watts when he thought of putting the whole of chemistry into a dictionary. Probably no other scheme would have met the requirements of chemists so satisfactorily, or have proved so thorough a success in every way, notwithstanding the unfavourable circumstance that it was produced at a time when the science was passing through a series of rapid and profound revolutions. Nevertheless, whilst it at once comprehended all other works, and, so far as English chemists are concerned, almost displaces them, it became obvious long before the publication of the last of the five annual volumes, that a supplement was essential, if only to render the original work complete. Hence the volume before us. But chemistry, if not yet an exact science, is one of the most prolific conceivable fields of research, and as each year rolls by, a vast body of facts, to say nothing of theories, is placed upon record. It is difficult to say what we are to do with this crowd of observations unless they can be rendered accessible. In Germany they have long had the 'Jahresbericht,' a work which is much appreciated, even in this country, as a chronicle of the progress of chemistry throughout the world. The last part of the issue for 1869 has not yet made its appearance, so that in this "Supplement," "which brings the record of chemical discovery down to the end of the year 1869, including also several additions to and corrections of former results, which have appeared in 1870 and 1871," we have fairly the start of the Jahresbericht.' What we now want and sincerely hope to see is an annual Supplement like the present, to serve as a Year-Book of Chemistry and the English representative of that work. For this task there is no one so competent as the editor of the Dictionary, whose extensive acquaintance with chemical literature could not be more usefully employed. Before proceeding to notice the contents of the Supplement before us, we must express a feeling of regret that articles of a merely general character, on heat, light and electricity should have been included in the Dictionary. The space they occupy in some of the earlier volumes necessitated extreme condensation of more special matters in the later, which detracted considerably from their completeness. And we think it desirable that future articles on physical subjects should be rigidly restricted to treatment of those observations which have a direct relation to chemistry. The progress of chemistry during the last few years has been marked chiefly by the establishment of the spectroscope as an ordinary instrument of research, by immense developments in the chemistry of carbon com pounds, commonly called organic chemistry, and by the very free use of graphic forms of notation. This last circumstance seems to indicate, on the part of the majo Great rity of chemists, a conviction of the utility, if not the ZANZIBAR: CITY, ISLAND AND COAST. By RICHARD F. absolute truth, of the atomic theory. It is a fact that, contrary to a statement recently made by a speaker at one of the meetings of the Chemical Society, molecular ideas have implanted themselves very firmly in the minds both of chemists and physicists. With the latter, indeed, the existence of molecules, or physical atoms, is no longer a matter of question, several distinguished men having gone so far as to calculate the limits within which the magnitude of molecules must lie. It is much to be regretted, however, that the tendency of thought with regard to the ultimate constitution of bodies is still so distinctly statical. We have much reason to believe that even atoms which are united together by chemical bonds are in motion, and that the atoms constituting a molecule are to a certain extent free to move about, and do move around or amongst each other. As to certain knowledge, however, concerning the nature of the force which binds them together, and of the laws which regulate chemical action, we possess but little more than the chemists of half a century ago, and we really seem to be making but feeble efforts to get out of this condition of stagnation. It is true that thermo-chemistry is being at the present time prosecuted with a little more activity, but in every laboratory the phenomena accompany ing chemical reactions need to be more carefully observed and recorded before we can hope for further light in this direction. In the Supplement to Watts's 'Dictionary' we notice a valuable article on atomicity, the moderate tone of which is commendable. The existing condition of the subject shows how inadequate are our systems of notation to figure, with even a semblance of probability, the true nature of chemical compounds. There is always some good, however, in a theory the use of which leads to practical results; and it may be said with truth, that the study of abstract formulistic chemistry has rendered great and valuable assistance in exploring new regions and discovering new compounds. No more striking example of this could be cited than the comparatively recent formation of alizarin, the colouring-matter of madder, by a synthetical process, which is now worked on a manufacturing scale. Turning to that very important subject-the production of iron-we find that nothing of importance, so far as the chemistry of the matter is concerned, has been added since the publication of the dictionary, but some space is very properly given to a description of Siemens' valuable "regenerative gas furnace," and its application to the production of steel. In the department of physical chemistry science had to deplore, in 1869, the loss of Thomas Graham, to whose researches we owe almost all the precise knowledge we possess of atomic motion. His later experiments on the passage of gases through colloid septa, and the absorption of some gases by certain metals, receive due mention. Then a place is accorded in this volume to spectral analysis, the application of which to the examination of the light from the celestial bodies is of so great interest that we can hardly grudge it space, although, strictly, it has little to do with chemistry, and is chargeable with having lured more than one chemist of distinction from his allegiance to his own department of science. A review of Watts's 'Supplement is sufficient to show how serious have been the results of this neglect of general chemistry. In this our day, in fact, there is a deficiency of that spirit which animated the earlier chemists. There is not much hope of great advance whilst the philosophers are more intent on discovering the road to fortune than on treading those high paths to which the labours of Berzelius and Gay-Lussac, Liebig and Dumas ought to have taught us to aspire. We feel almost tempted to exclaim : "Those suns are set. O rise some other such! BURTON. 2 vols. London: Tinsley Brothers. 1872. This work deals with a far more limited area than most of the recent books on African travel and research. The first volume is almost entirely occupied with the island of Zanzibar itself, including a description of the natural features of the island, its climate, natural productions, both animal and vegetable, the ethnology of its native tribes, and a slight sketch of its history; while the second volume gives details of some short excursions along the coast and in the interior of the mainland, but covering only a comparatively small district. credit is due to Captain Burton for the zeal with which he has pursued his researches in so unpromising a field, under a climate particularly trying to Europeans, in a country without any special features of attraction, and among native tribes whose habits and personal appearance are repulsive in the extreme. What we are most concerned with is, however, any additions which the author may have succeeded in making to our knowledge of the economical productions of the country. These are not numerous; but there are some points of interest. The prosperity of the island has hitherto depended on the cocoa-nut and the clove-tree. There is an Arab saying, that the cocoa-nut-palm and the date-palm cannot thrive together, and this is fully exemplified at Zanzibar, the latter not being a product of the island. The cocoa-nut supplies the natives, not only with food, wine and spirit, but also with syrup and vinegar, cords, mats, strainers, tinder, firewood, houses and palings, boats and sails, in short, all the wants of barbarous life. Every part of it may be pressed into man's service, from the sheath of the first or lowest leaf, used as a sieve, to the stalk of the young fruit, which, divested of the outer coat, is somewhat like our chestnut. As many as twelve million nuts have been exported in a single year for the soap and candle trades. The true oil-palm (Elais gui neensis) does not grow on the island. Cotton is said to thrive on the island, but the climate is not favourable. Coffee has been attempted, but has been driven out by the clove. There are two distinct trees which produce caoutchouc. The tamarind, as in India, is a splendid tree, but the fruit, though used for acidulated drinks, is not prepared for exportation. A smooth-rooted sarsaparilla, of lighter colour than the Brazil or Jamaica article, is found wild upon the island and the coast. The orchilla, which gives its name to the Insula Purpurariæ, has been tried, and, resembling that of the Somali country, it gives good colour. The favourite fruits of the natives are the mango, orange, banana, pine-apple and bread-fruit. The grains in most common use are the maize and sesamum. But the most important commercial product of the island is the clove, which was introduced from Mauritius and Bourbon in 1818. The industry, however, is neglected; from the natural indolence of the native tribes, the trees are not properly trimmed, and the produce is inferior in quality to that of Bourbon or the Moluccas, and not above one-fourth in quantity of what it should be. Nevertheless, as long ago as 1859, the crop amounted to seven million pounds, valued at £85,000. Captain Burton paid a special visit to the Copal field of Sa'adani, on the coast of the mainland opposite Zanzibar. He confirms the statement of Dr. Kirk, that the Zanzibar copal-tree is the Hymenca verrucosa of Boivin, called in the native language Msandarúsi. It grows in thickets, to the height of about 30 feet, and measuring about a yard in girth, upon flats covered with mimosas, Hyphænes and various other palms. The gum exudes from the bole and boughs when injured by elephants or other causes. This is the Chakazi, raw copal, whence the local English name "jackass copal." It has rarely any 46 goose-skin," and it floats, whilst the older product sinks, in water. It produces the magnificent varnishes of China and Japan. Dr. Kirk states that the fossil resin when first dug up shows no trace of the characteristic goose-skin," which appears only when the surface is cleaned by brushing. Captain Grant's statement, that "the true copal-gum is a climber which ascends to a great height among the forest-trees, and finally becomes completely detached from the original root, when the copal exudes from the extremities of these detached roots," must refer to some entirely different plant. The bitumenized and semi-mineral gum is dug out of the loose sand. A pit is sunk about 3 feet deep, the earth becomes gradually redder, crimson fibrous matter appears, and presently the ground appears to be half sand, half comminuted copal. The copal of commerce is produced along the whole coast for a distance of probably 800 miles, and at varying distances into the interior. Captain Burton found it impossible, however, to trace the position and circumstances of the extinct forests of which copal constitutes the principal remains; as such an investigation would have entailed at least two months' voyaging along and dwelling upon the fever-haunted sea-board. The value of the trade, which might be very great, is kept down by the indolence of the natives, and by injurious monopolies. tions and the lasting friendship of M. Thénard. The admiration and love which his somewhat austere master had for him was shown some years after, when, upon an occasion of dining with some friends, M. Thénard said, "Le Canu, I have always loved thee well; but thou knowest I would have renounced thee hadst thou deviated ever so little from the right path." The valuable investigations which Le Canu carried on in the laboratory of the College of France, sometimes alone, frequently with his friend Bussy and now and then with Serbat, attracted to him the attention of chemists, and gained for him, while still young, appointments that are not generally attained until a riper age, such as his professorial chair at the Ecole de Pharmacie, and his membership of the Académie de Médecine and of the Conseil de Salubrité. Of this latter body he was one of the oldest members, and in connection with it he made many very valuable reports. As a professor, Le Canu was very successful. His diction, which, while pure and flowing, was also ani mated and picturesque; his face expressive, intelligent and sympathetic; his manner engaging and keeping his auditory always on the alert; the well-known qualities of his heart,-all combined to secure a good attendance at his classes, and to make him very popular with his pupils. But while yet in full prosperity, in apparent health and with his intellectual faculties undimmed, he announced, to the surprise and profound chagrin of his colleagues, his intention to resign. He seems to have wished to retire from his work before his auditors were tempted to leave him, and ere his professorial reputation became dimmed through waning powers. He retired into country life and devoted himself to agricultural researches; amongst other subjects he made known a new process for the fermentation of wine. At the end of the second volume are several useful Appendices, containing notes of thermometric and meteorological observations, and an epitome of the commerce of Zanzibar between the years 1857 and 1859. The staple productions of the island are stated to be cocoa-nuts and cloves; while the coast of the mainland produces slaves, copal, ivory of the finest description, hides, curries, rafters, red pepper, ambergris, beeswax, hippopotamus' teeth and rhinoceros' horn. In 1859, the reports of H. B. M.'s consul (probably much understated), give the value of the export of ivory at £146,666, of copal at £37,166, and of cloves at £55,666. The exports are chiefly to the Continent of Europe (there is none direct to Great Britain), the United States, Hin- The scientific labours of Le Canu were very numerous. dostan and Arabia; while the imports consist mainly of Besides his important researches on urine, he followed English, American and Indian cottons, arms and gun-up the study of the fats in which Chevreul had made so powder, china and iron-ware, and bullion. There is also a large and curious trade in Venetian beads, which is very variable, each district having also its peculiar favourite variety, and refusing to take any of the 400 kinds except those which may happen to be in fashion. The book is furnished with a good map, illustrating our present knowledge of the country as far as the great Victoria N'yanza, and with a few woodcuts, which we cannot describe as a great embellishment to it. Obituary. LOUIS-RENÉ LE CANU. The following particulars of the biography of the late Dr. Le Canu are taken from the funeral oration pronounced by his friend and pupil, Professor Chatin, December 22nd, 1871. Louis-René le Canu, Professor at the School of Pharmacy, Member of the Council of Public Hygiene for the Department of the Seine, Member of the Academy of Medicine, Officer of the Legion of Honour, of Public Instruction of the Order of Charles III. of Spain and of Villaviciosa of Portugal, Commander of the Order of Santa-Rosa of Honduras, etc., was born at Paris the 18th of November, 1800. His father was Jacques Louis Toussaint le Canu, of Périers, formerly chief pharmacien of the Salpêtrière and of the general hospitals of Paris, who sent him to pursue his studies at the Lycée Charlemagne, where the young scholar had for his friends and rivals M. Baroche, who afterwards held an important position under the second empire, and M. Littre. On leaving the college, where he had been extremely successful, he entered the laboratory of M. Thénard. Here his quick intelligence, his industry, and the charming qualities of his character won for him the honourable post of superintending the chemical opera great a reputation, and in conjunction with Bussy, made several important and useful discoveries. These, however, were but the prelude to his great work on the blood, in which he no longer travelled a beaten road, but by the extent and plan of the researches he initiated, no less than by the results he obtained, raised a lasting monument to his memory. The Cours Complet de Pharmacie' followed these original labours of Le Canu. Well conceived, and still better written, this work shared the popularity of Soubeiran's Traité de Pharmacie,' and was translated into several languages. It was notably received with favour in Spain, and is still, after the lapse of a quarter of a century, the guide of pharmaceutical and medical stu dents in that country. He also published a small volume entitled 'Leçons de Géologie.' While still young, Le Canu married a daughter of M. Labarraque, a distinguished pharmacien and the With this author of several well-known researches. redoubled force at the close of the lecture. On leaving the university he found the students drawn up in order, prepared to escort him to his hotel, and it was with some difficulty that he succeeded in escaping from further manifestations by stepping into a friend's carriage. Returning to Paris, he attended a sitting of the Academy of Medicine, where he received the congratulations of his friends, glad to see him among them once more. But having been seized by a violent cold, he took to his bed; severe pneumonia set in which developed very rapidly; the attack was too much for his already enfeebled frame, and in a day or two he was no more. Notes and Queries. In order to facilitate reference, correspondents are requested to mark their answers in each case with the title and number of the query referred to. No notice can be taken of anonymous communications. All queries or answers should be accompanied by the name and address of the writer. [307.]-DIAMOND CEMENT.-A. M. B. will find this a very good recipe:-Isinglass, soaked in water until soft, then dissolved in the smallest quantity of acetic acid by the aid of a gentle heat. In zij of this, dissolve grs. x of ammoniacum, and add a solution of 38s of mastic in 3iij spirits of wine; stir well together. JOHN TULLY, Brighton. [308.]-COLOURING FOR VARNISH.-A solution of saffron in spirit is the best to give a yellow colour to shellac-varnish; but a better way is, to first stain the wood by applying the solution to it and then varnish. -WM. ASHTON, Sloane Square. IMITATION HONEY.-The New York Druggists' Circular states that an imitation of honey, consisting principally of glucose or uncrystallizable sugar, flavoured by elm leaves and other materials, is manufactured in large quantities. The glucose used in its preparation is mostly made in Europe from corn and potato starch starch, and is largely imported into the United States, the inferior qualities being used by brewers and distillers. It is dissolved in water, filtered, decolorized if necessary, concentrated by evaporation, and the flavouring material is then added. [312]-INCENSE.-R. M. Atkinson wishes to be furnished with a first-class formula for preparing incense as used for ecclesiastical purposes. [313.] MILDEW IN SAILS AND LINEN CLOTHS.-Can any of your readers inform me of the readiest way of removing the black mildew stains produced in sails and linen cloths that have laid by and become damp.-CHEMICUS. The following journals have been received:-The British Medical Journal,' Mar. 23; the 'Medical Times and Gazette,' Mar. 23; the Lancet,' Mar. 23; the Medical Press and Circular,' Mar. 27; ' Nature,' Mar. 23; the Chemical News,' Mar. 23; English Mechanic,' Mar. 22; Gardeners' Chronicle,' Mar. 23; the 'Grocer,' Mar. 23; the 'Journal of the Society of Arts,' Mar. 23; the British Journal of Dental Science for March; the Journal de Pharmacie et de Chimie' for March; the Moniteur Scientifique-Quesneville' for September and February; the Leavenworth Journal of Pharmacy' for March; the Journal of Materia Medica' for January and February; the Philadelphia Medical and Surgical Reporter,' Nos. 779 to 783; the Independencia Médica' (Barcelona) March 11; 'El Progreso Médico' (Cadiz) Feb. 15 and March 1; Wandsworth and Battersea District Times,' March 22; the Dublin Journal of Medical Science for March. Correspondence. No notice can be taken of anonymous communications. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authenticated by the name and address of the writer; not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. ELECTION OF COUNCIL. Sir, I should be most unwilling to follow a practice which has (unhappily, as I think) been recently introduced into these elections, of putting out a faction list instead of leaving the issue to be determined by unprejudiced personal selection; but it is obvious that if this course is persisted in, it must be met by similar action in an opposite direction, otherwise the whole control of the Society will lapse into the hands of the most tumultuous element, which may or may not be the side of numbers, character or discretion. Let us hope that these tactics may not be repeated, but that for the future our members may be permitted to exercise their own choice of the men whose known qualifications afford the best guarantee for the creditable direction of the Society. Notwithstanding what has just been stated, I venture to invite very seriously, but with extreme deference, the attention of my fellow-members to certain general considerations affecting the choice of Council. Many years ago, in a time of much difficulty, I had the honour of being upon the Council, and had the best opportunities of judging of the conditions requisite for its efficiency. I do not hesitate to say that one of the foremost of these conditions is, that there should be a sufficient proportion of London members, and I cannot doubt the assurances which I have received, that the recent reduction of the number of London members of Council has been attended with very considerable inconvenience. This seems to be a truism wanting no proof, and I need only call attention to the fact, that whereas the Board of London, is made up of ten London members and two country Examiners, consisting of twelve members and meeting in members, the Council, of twenty-one members (also meeting in London and comprehending various Committees, which must depend greatly upon resident members), is composed of seven London members and fourteen country members. I and Manchester contribute three out of the fourteen country may also remark that the contiguous towns of Liverpool members, thus being represented to nearly half the extent of the metropolis of the empire, which is no less the metropolis of pharmacy. I am not aware what are the especial claims of Lancashire to this extraordinary preponderance of pharmaceutical representation, though we all know by what means it has been accomplished. In connection with this subject, I will take the liberty of stating the opinions which I had formed and acted upon when myself a member of Council in 1854. It appeared to me then that there was such necessity for a considerable majority of the Council being resident in London that there could only be a limited number of seats available for provincial representation, and that, in order that all important districts should be brought into close affinity with the central government, these seats should not be long held in the same town. To these general opinions I adhere; and I do not think that small towns (except under very exceptional cir cumstances) should continue to monopolize the representa tion, which might with more advantage to the Society and to the provinces circulate from town to town from time to time. With these sentiments, it will be understood that I could not be favourable to the election of two members of Council from the same provincial city; and with all respect to good friends unknown, who have repeatedly nominated myself in opposition to feelings which they have afforded me no opportunities of explaining, it was impossible that I could become a candidate for a seat more worthily filled by my highlyesteemed friend and fellow-citizen, W. W. Stoddart. There is one more matter for which I would ask the favour of an indulgent hearing. I have upon this occasion, for the first time, nominated a candidate for the ensuing election, in whose appointment I believe that the Society has a material interest. I am deeply grateful to that gentleman for waiving his objections, and, in a spirit of loyal citizenship, permitting me to nominate him after he had been once unsuccessfully brought to the poll. For the best interests of pharmacy, I hope that the coming election may be free from those disturbing causes which alone could render his candidature uncertain, either now or on the previous occasion. |