T E E ANALYST. FEBRUARY, 1884. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOCIETY OF PUBLIC ANALY8TS. THE ANNUAL Mmw.ma of the Society was held on Wednesday, 16th January, at Burlington House: The President, Mr, Wigner, in the chair. The meeting was numerously attended. The minutes were read and confirmed. The meeting then proceeded to elect officers and council Tor the ensuing year. On the ballot papers being opened, the 8orutineera reported the result of the election as follows :- (3. C. A. A. C. Preside&. Pice-P!reaSident~. W. WIGNER, F.C.S., F.I.C. HEISUH, F.g.B., F.1.C. HILL, M.D., F.I.C. WYNTER BLYTH, M.R.C.S., F.C.S., F.I.C. Trenazcrcr. mom. Secretaries. W. HEATON, F.C.S., F.I.C. BERNARD DYER, F.C.B., F.I.C. OTTO EEHXER, F.CL8, P.I.C. J. 0. R, A, T. J. Other Nmbers of Council. BAYNES, Jun., F.C.S., F.I.C.ESTCOWBT, F.C. S., F.I.0. H. HARLAND, F.C.S., F.I.C. STEVENSON, M.D., F.R.C.P., F,(Y.B., F.I.C. W, TRIPE, M.D.14 THE ANALYST. The names of those members of council whose term of office has not yet expired, and who consequently, do not retire this year, are M. A. Adams, F.R.C.S., P.C.S. ; A. Aehby, M.B., Lond., F.R.C.S.; A. Dupre, Ph.D., F.R.S., F.C.S., F.I.C.; C. T. Kingzett, F.C.S., l~.I.C. ; J. Muter, Ph.D., M.A., F.C.S., F.I.C.; and P. Vieth, Ph.D., F.C.S. The following gentlemen mere balloted for and elected. As members, A. J. Bernays, Ph.D.,Lecturer at St. Thomas’s Hospital ; E. G. Clayton, P.O.S., Analytical and Consulting Chemist ; John Hughes, F.C.S., F.I.C., Agricultural and Analytical Chemist ; W. 0. Nicholson, Analytical Chemist ; F.B. Last, F.C.S., Public Analyst. As associates, G. H. Allibon and H. J. Eorton. After the results of the ballot had been announced, the president formally returned thanks on behalf of himself and the new memben of the Council. A vote of thanks to the Council of .the Chemical Society for permitting the use of tsheir rooms for the society’s meetings, mas carried by acclamation. The Treasurer and Secretaries also received hearty votes of thanks. After a similar compliment, the president, Mr. Wigner, then delivered his annual address, of which the following is an abstract :- PRESIDENT’S ~ D R E S S . The cuetomary address by the president affords an excellent occasion for a review of GUY year’s work, and of what is in store for us in the ensuing year, and in no society is such a reviev of more importance, or of more value, than in ours.small society, and not a very wealthy one, our strength lies in this : that by our very constitution itself, every member is a working member, who brings not only a fee, but actual work, into the Society. During the year just passed we have elected 13 members and 5 associates, and I have only received information of the loss of one member by death. Our total membership is now 141 member8 and 24 associates. Unless we relax the qualifications for admission, which I hope we shall not do, we ctmnot, as a society, grow much larger, because we shall not be able to find many more candidates for election. Our accounts, which have been audited and laid before you this evening, show that, although we cannot boast of wealth, we are able to show a balance in hand quite enough to bear any unforeseen expense me may be put to.Our published work during the past year has consisted of 25 papers, all useful and some of great value, containing new well-congidered processes of analysis, which mill take raak as standard processes. Our unpublished work does not show to the gublic, and they fail to comprehend to the full, how much they owe to the operation of the much-abused Sale of Food and Drugs Act. I n this coming year, two or three matters of importance will have to be considered. The society has appointed a committee of a very strong character to deal with the milk question, and has taken the wise course, as I venture to think it, of inviting some well-known outsiders to join them in the work.This committee ought to settle the much-disputed milk analysis question once and for all, apd if so, and the results Although we are onlyTHE ANALYST. 15 are such as to justify it, then it will clearly be our duty, as a society, to urge on the Goveament the necessity for an amending bill, which mill also afford the opportunity for the introduction of a few more amending clauses which are still needed. It would not be proper for me to say what are the lines which I think such legislation should take, but one point is clear, that it should tend towards making public analysta more directly responsible for their work, and the referee chemists, whoever they be, responsible instead of irresponsible. The Auditors reported that they had examined the accounts and found them correct. The following papers were then read and discussed :- “ A new Test for Lead,” by A. W. Blyth, N.R.C.S., &c. ‘( On the Decrease in the use of Coffee as a Beverage,” by Dr. Wallace. ‘‘ On the Estimation of Peroxide of Hydrogen,” by H. 8. Carpenter and W. 0. The balance sheet will be posted to each member. Nicholson. The The The The dates of meetings for the ensuing year, were then fixed as follows :- Wednesday, February 20th, Wednesday, June 1 Sth, ? ? March 19tb, ,, November 19th, ,, April 16th, ,, December 17th, 7) May 14th, ?, Jan. 27th, 1885, Annual Meeting. papers will be printed in our next number. meeting then adjourned for the Annual Dinner. following paper was read at the December meeting:-