THE AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY. 
175 
Letteks patent have been granted by the Attorney-General to Mr. James Alex. 
Pond, of Auckland, Hew Zealand, analyst, for an invention for the purpose of 
providing packages with an enamel or coating which will resist the action of 
liquids and other substances. It is applied to the surface of the material to 
be coated with great pressure, and at a high temperature. 
The first circular letter in connection with the Intercolonial Pharmaceutical 
Conference to be held in Melbourne on the 27th, 28th, and 29th October next 
has been issued. It contains the outline of the proposals to be submitted to 
the conference for discussion, and has been forwarded to all the pharmaceutical 
societies’ boards in Australasia and Hew Zealand, with a request that it may 
be considered, and returned with any suggestions or additions that they may 
wish included in the programme not later than the 30th June next. 
The half-yearly meeting of the Australian Health Society was held at the 
Town Hall on Thursday evening, the 15th April; the president (Mr. Justice 
Higinbotham) in the chair. Dr. C. Eothwell Adam read an interesting paper 
upon “ Some Causes of Infection/’ Dealing with the drainage of Melbourne, 
he urged that if open channels were retained they should be constructed of 
asphalt, so that the interstices might not become the receptacles of disease- 
breeding filth. The milk supply of the city was described as a great weakness. 
It should be placed under a stricter supervision, and dairymen should be 
licensed, and their premises be made subject to inspection. Mr. D. M Alpine, 
P.C.S., read a paper entitled “A Plea for Sanitation,” in which he urged 
educating the public in matters of sanitation. Dr. Bennie read a paper on 
“ Tobacco Smoking,” which favoured the moderate use of tobacco. 
In the Inverell Police Court a few days ago, Mr. B. S. Millington, chemist, 
charged with having sold arsenic without having coloured it, as directed by the 
Poisons Act, was fined £3. 
On the evening of 19th April the front windows of Mr. Charles Saunders* 
shop, 703 George-street, Sydney, were blown out by an explosion of gas. 
It appears that a composition gaspipe had been gnawed through by rats, 
and the gas rising to the lights in the window exploded. The meter, which was 
at some distance away, was immediately turned off, and no fire took place. The 
windows were blown out, and the stock and fixtures in the windows were 
damaged. The premises were insured, but we understand that Mr. Saunders 
had omitted thus to secure himself from loss. 
Carl Von Bieren, the late manager of the powder works at Harrabeen, was 
brought up at the Sydney Water Police Court, on 21st April, charged with 
having fraudulently embezzled £19 4s. 7d., the money of the Australian Powder 
and Explosive Manufacturing Company. Mr. Hawkins (the private secretary of 
Von Bieren) had produced two receipts for £5 each, showing that these sums 
had been paid to Mr. Scott on account of the £19, the amount Mr. Scott had 
sued the company for. Mr. Wilshire, D.S.M., was of opinion that when the 
receipts were produced for £10, there would be no difficulty in accounting for 
the whole of the amount. The case was dismissed, and the accused discharged. 
As a result of the new tariff proposed by the Government, Messrs. Elliott 
Bros., of Sydney, have issued the following notice with their price list, under 
date 7th April: — In consequence of the advanced duties proposed by the 
Government, please note alterations in prices. Should any of these prices be 
rescinded by Parliament, we will refund the extra amount charged. 
