67 
THE AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY. 
meaning of federation in its truest sense, by assimilating the tariffs, codifying 
the laws, and bringing forward proposals for the benefit of Australasia 
generally. 
We hear Mr. A. P. Miller intends to go to the old country next month for 
the benefit of his health. Mr. Miller thoroughly deserves this holiday, and, we 
trust, will return restored to permanent good health, and able to take as active 
a part in public matters as he has done in the past. The association in him 
lose a representative whose advice and energy will be much missed, especially 
in the coming year of reform. In wishing Mr. Miller and his family bon 
voyage and a speedy return, we feel we are only re-echoing the wishes of 
every member of the profession in Hobart. 
A girl died at Launceston last week through eating two and a half boxes of 
wax matches. 
The chairman of the board of the Hobart General Hospital, the Hon. Dr. 
Smart, was entertained at dinner on 5th ult. by his brother members of the 
board. The Premier, the Chief Secretary, the Treasurer, and other repre- 
sentative local notables were present. 
Mr. Bushman has instituted an investigation into the recent outbreak of 
typhoid at Inveresk. A house to house visitation showed the fever to exist in 
every family whose milk supply had been obtained from the sources complained 
of. Two houses were found to be exempt from the disease, although situated in 
the midst of others which were infected. In one of these cases no milk of any 
kind was used, while imported condensed milk only had been taken. 
The following letter recently appeared in the Hobart Mercury on the 
employment of unqualified dispensers : — 
“ Sir, — Can any one inform me how it is the law relating to pharmacy is so 
frequently broken, and nothing whatever done to punish the offenders ? In 
Tasmania we have an Act passed as far back as 1842 to this effect — that no 
one is entitled to practice as physician or surgeon, for fee or reward, unless his 
name is on the register, or to dispense medicines, unless he has the license of 
the Court of Medical Examiners, granted only after due examination, and yet 
there are several who have never qualified, either in business for themselves 
as chemists and druggists, or acting as managers of others, the public appearing 
perfectly satisfied in risking their lives in the hands of these unqualified 
dispensers. I am quite sure the doctors would never allow any person to practice 
medicine or surgery unless he could produce the necessary certificate of qualifi- 
cation, and why should the pharmacists be so dozy as to suffer their rights to 
be taken from them? It seems very hard to qualified men, who have honestly 
fulfilled the Act, by serving four years’ apprenticeship to qualified chemists, 
and, after lengthy studies, passed their examinations, to find others who never 
qualified holding responsible positions equal if not better than their own. 
The Chemists’ Association, if such exists, should apply to the police for the 
necessary remedy without delay. — Yours, etc., 
8th February. 
VASELINE. 
The American Journal of Pharmacy quotes Mr. George F. H. Markoe as 
authority for the statement that when alcoholic preparations are combined with 
hydrate of chloral, especially in connection with the bromides of potassium and 
sodium, a separation is likely to occur in the mixture, the chloral forming an 
alcoholic and floating on the surface. Hence the danger of an overdose is 
suggested. 
