CONFERENCE OF CHEMISTS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 221, 11 June 1908, Page 8

CONFERENCE OF CHEMISTS

: « . POISONS BILL AND OPIUM SMOKING. SALE OF GOODS AND DRUGS ACT. Tho Chemists' Conference was continued yesterday afternoon, about thirty being present. Mr. Bagley, Diinedin, opened the discussion on the Poisons Bill.

.1 After considerable discussion, and advic< i n OI \V l'' larm acy Board's Registrar (Mr oi. ' so ")> to was proposed by Mr.; P. I ohaw ..(Blenheim), and seconded by Mr. W, Barrett (Christchurch), that the matter be » °tt i a 03ml ? J ittee consisting of Messrs. A. Hobson, J. Baillio, Bagley, Bonnington, ' Katjen, and Shaw, to report on Friday. The - motion was carried.'. Mr. Boiinington introduced the Opium - Act, and dealt fully with the many troubles chemists have been put to owing to the i recently gazetted schedules under tho Act. , Ho pointed out that the chemists woro quite in accord with tho Government's efforts to J stop tho opium smoking habit. ' Mr. Barrett proposed, and Mr. Baillio seconded, that tincturo and opium bo added ■ to tho schedulo submitted by the Collector of Customs, making" it compulsory for all chemists to register all quantities of tincturo ' ®. v ? r ' la " an ounce sold by them, and that tins bo added to the schedule gazetted on mu' ar o I*'"'- The motion was carried. luio i/alo of Foods and Drugs Act was in--1 traduced by Mr. Ratjen. • He gave an interesting of the Act, after which ho said: Up to the present time, no regulations nave been gazette/1 in reference to. the fi Ur n •>? . ni S s , so it must be supposed that tlio 8.1. is taken as tho standard. No provision seems to have been made for articles subject to deterioration such as spirits of I"w 0, 4.? am ?r'' 01 ' °- r sa ' Vo ' at '' G - 1 understand that the \ ictorian Act contains ' a proviso whereby it will be a good defence to prove that those are subject to deterioration, and that they bavo been kept, whilo in the hands oi the pharmacist, with all duo precautions in small full bottles in .the' dark. If, however, the prosecution proves that the articlo was stored m a largo, shop bottle frequently used, then tho pharmacist would bo justly hold liable. If a pharmacist' should avail himself of the warranty clause, it will necessitate a considerable amount of work in keeping track of each article guaranteed under that warranty, and means the placing oii of a label giving date and uamo of house , procured from, tho supplier placing on a similar ono. j\o provision is made specifying the time wherein prosecutions should be commenced after sample luis been taken. Tho IS ew South VI ales Act provides for an ad- <; o:n P n3od of President of Board or Health, who shall preside, Professor of Chemistry in Sydney University, Professor of X harmacology in University or Lecturer on' Materia Medica, the Medical OJBccr- of Health, a reprosontativo of Pharmaceutical 1" d -i! 04 m ? re than tllreo persons coij\ersant with trade requirements. Their duties are to prcscribo standards for the composition, quality, strength, or purity of any food or drug method of packing, stors nron manufacture or 'sale of preparations, besides other powers. Seeing _the - tremendous powers invested in tho Department of Health in respect to fixing the standard of purity of drugs by means of an Ordor-in-Gouncil,' it behoves evorv pharmacist m New Zealand to do his utmost to get an Advisory Committee appointed, on the same lines as those of New- South Wales • and \ letoria. It is absolutely necessary and only equitablo where vital •' interests' of a trade or industry are adjudicated upon, that those affected by such measures should have •representation. AVe ,should have <1 technical representative on.matters that affect us so closely, and if we do not then our interests aro going to suffer, as they always have done and will do. In conclusion, I would strongly advise all present to urge their fellow pharmacists who are not members of tho Association to at once join, so as to form a strong organised body able to make effective representations to the right quarter, voicing the whole of tho profession; and capablo, when necessary, of defending any individual member from an unreasonable prosecution." Mr. Ratjen moved, and: Mr. L. M'Kcnzio seconded: "That'the Chemists' Federation .uso every endeavour to induce the Government to form an Advisory Committee, having similar qualifications ■ to that formed under the New South Wales, Act." Tho motion was carried. • The Conference then adjourned till Friday.