62 
THE AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY. 
natural science scholar of Balliol College, Oxford, and bachelor of science, 
London University, will take charge of the biological laboratory, and will be 
assisted by Mr. E. N". Smith, B.A., of Melbourne University, who has been 
appointed to the post of demonstrator. With the view of assisting medical 
students in their University work, arrangements have been made by the college 
authorities for the delivery of regular courses of lectures in physiological 
chemistry and histology during the present year. The greater part of the 
seience teaching will be given in the evening, so as not to clash with the 
lectures at the University. 
The meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society was held on the 9th inst. ; the 
president (Mr. W. Larmer) in the chair. Also present — Messrs. Mayne, Macarthy, 
Watt, Bozon, and Pratt. Several applications for membership were considered, 
the following being granted : — John Watt, of Uempsey ; J. A. H. Elmslie, of 
Nymager ; J. Gr. Erler, of Nyngan ; H. P. C. Corrick, of the Paterson ; E. 
D. Marshall, of Burwood. Special examination day was fixed for the 23rd 
prox. 
Owing to the recent political crisis, and to the almost bankrupt state our 
finances have been reduced to by the wanton expenditure of the late Cabinet, 
it is proposed by the Government that an ad valorem duty be put on imported 
goods in order to assist in meeting the deficit. On the 10th inst. Mr. Copeland 
moved as a concomitant to resolution to go into committee of supply that, as 
a means of raising additional revenue, it would be judicious to fix an import 
duty of 10 per cent, ad valorem on the following goods which affect the chemist. 
There is, of course, a long list of others, but it is useless to enumerate them 
all : — Brushes, combs, toilet soap, corks, bungs, drugs, medicines and apothe- 
caries wares, surgical instruments, and indiarubber goods. Thus you will see 
that, in supplying his share in this troublesome deficit, the chemist is to really 
pay more than his share, as, from the above list, everything we sell or keep is 
included in the list. 
The revised list of poisons, as recommended by the Pharmaceutical Board 
of Uew South Wales, is causing a great deal of adverse comment. I should 
like to ask how much, during the whole course of their colonial experience, 
have any of the members of the board sold over the counter to retail 
customers, not in the form of dispensed prescriptions — sem. conii, nux vomica, 
Calabar beans, sem. crotonis, elaterium? That they are poisons, of course, I am 
aware, but so are ac. mur, ac. sulph, ac. nil, colchicum, and almost any drug 
found in a drug store. Why not include camphor ? Fatal accidents have 
happened even in Australia from eating this drug. That iodine, podophyllum, 
potass iodid, potass bromid, santonine, scammony, stramonium, valerian, and 
acetic acid should be included in the list is almost too ridiculous to comment 
upon ; whilst red precipitate, white precipitate, carbolic acid, sulphates of zinc 
and copper are so largely used by the general public, and fatal cases from 
the mal-administration of them so seldom, that the object desired could not 
be possibly gained, as the quantities sold would be quite as great, and 
opportunities for would-be suicides not in the least diminished. This statement, 
as regards the above drugs, cannot justly, and on the same grounds, be 
applied to such poisons as strychnine, laudanum, corrosive sublimate, Ac., since, 
by experience, all “ chemists ” know for what purpose they are required, and 
everyone, even the uninitiated, recognise the fact that there should be some 
