46 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST. 
October, 1880. 
its proceedings on the 22nd October. In the afternoon three 
papers were read and discussed, the first being ‘‘Notes on 
Ventilation, 5 ’ by Mr. Le Capelain ; the second on “ Hospital 
Architecture,” by Dr. Henry ; and the third by Mr. T. R. 
Wilson, on “ The Prevention of the Spread of Infectious 
Diseases.” In the evening Mr. T. Embling contributed a 
paper on “ Premature Interments.” He urged that the State 
should exercise a vigilant scrutiny to prevent the possibility 
of any one being buried alive ; and he thought that no burials 
should take place until indubitable evidences of decay had set 
in. The remaining papers were by Dr. Cleland, of Adelaide, 
on “The Committal and Care of Insane Paying Patients,” and 
by Dr. Ginders, of New Zealand, on “ School Hygiene.” 
Mr. E. L. Marks, lecturer on chemistry at the Sandhurst 
School of Mines, in his paper, read before the Education Section, 
on “ Technical Education,” made some excellent remarks on 
the chemistry of many bodies, such as iodine, tartaric acid, 
fibrous plants, artists’ pigments, &c. He also particularly drew 
attention to pharmacy in the following words : — “ in the 
matter of drugs and chemicals, how infinitely more genuine are 
they now than was the case formerly. The change has been 
brought about by the higher technical education required from 
those practising pharmacy — a change inducing emulation, a 
change that has intensely impressed the line that distinguishes 
the chemist from the mere druggist, a change beneficial to 
society by assuring to it every possible care in every detail 
of the business, a change beneficial to the individual by expand- 
ing the mind and investing mere drudgery with elegance. To 
a scientific pharmacist no wholesale druggist, no traveller in 
druggists’ wares, would venture to offer, much less to supply, an 
inferior or a spurious drug ; hence in every way technical train- 
ing has here been a success.” Again, he said — “By an extended 
education we raise the quality of articles of food and clothing, 
since the knowledge of how simply to detect adulterations is 
the best way to stamp them out. How easy is it to teach the 
means of recognising admixtures of cotton with linen, of those 
with wool or silk, both by chemical means or by the 
microscope. The intrinsic peculiarities existing in potato 
starch, maizena, and genuine arrowroot, by which each is at 
once verified, the genuine tea-leaf from leaves used as 
adulterants ; how the recognition of chalk, iron oxides, 
Prussian blue, logwood, &c., said to be more or less 
used to deceive the purchaser, may easily be taught.” “ Take, 
again, the question of sweetmeats. Who does not recollect the 
agonies that children formerly suffered ; the pains in the 
stomach so distracting as to their causes, so difficult to allay ? 
We see the causes in the plaster-of-Paris, the vermilion, the 
chrome yellow, the arsenical pigments formerly used. Happily, 
now, thanks to technical training, sugar alone and vegetable 
colours only are used in the manufacture.” It is gratifying to 
find that, although actively engaged in teaching and lecturing, 
Mr. Marks has found time and opportunity to bring these im- 
portant matters prominently forward. 
Personalities. 
Mr. T. Lakeman, Messrs. Burgoyne, Burbridges and Co.’s 
representative, has opened an extensive show-room at 24 
O’Connell-street, Sydney. 
Mr. Edwin Plummer, who for the last four years was in 
business. in Wellington, New Zealand, has returned to Victoria, 
with a view, it is reported, of again settling here. 
Mr. Henry Trumbie, late of Eaglehawk, has purchased the 
business^ of Mr. Nielson, Lonsdale-street. A man of Mr. 
Trumble’s energy will be an acquisition to our city phar- 
macists. 
The business for some time past conducted by Mr. J. 
Churchus, at Mount Egerton, has changed hands, and is now 
being conducted by Mr. Archibald M‘Gowan. Mr. Churchus 
is, we believe, in search of “ fresh woods and pastures new.” 
The business of Mr. Henry Trumbie, pharmaceutical chemist, 
Eaglehawk, changed hands during the past fortnight, Mr. 
Berriman, a former apprentice of Mr. Trumbie, and lately dis- 
penser to the late Dr. Cheyne, being the purchaser. We wish 
the young man every success. 
The races, Exhibition, and other attractions have caused 
many of our friends in the other colonies to visit us. Mr. Wm. 
Jas. Main, of Adelaide, being in Melbourne, has paid several 
visits to the rooms of the society. Mr, Main hopes that South 
Australia will shortly follow the example of the other colonies 
in the matter of a Pharmacy Act. 
Mr. James W. Henton, of Auckland, New Zealand, the local 
secretary of the Pharmaceutical Society at that place, is in 
Melbourne, and has taken advantage of his visit to make him- 
self acquainted with details of the working of the Pharmacy 
Act in Victoria. Mr. Henton expresses himself as greatly- 
pleased with the highly effective manner in which the Act is 
carried out. 
THE PHARMACY BOARD ELECTION. 
The election for a member of this board, in the place of Mr- 
R, F. Kennedy, resigned, will be held on the 17th November 
next. The nomination closed on the 4th November, at four 
p.m. The following are the canaididates nominated : — 
Clemes, A. B., Stawell, 
Owen, A. J., Geelong, 
MacGowan, J. T., Ballarat. 
SoiTesponbencc. 
ELECTION OF THE PHARMACY BOARD. 
To the Editor of The Australasian Supplement to the Chemist 
and Druggist. 
Sir— The retirement of Mr. Kennedy from the Pharmacy 
Board allows the original equilibrium of representation to be 
restored thereto, if our Melbourne Pharmacists will but kindly 
lend their assistance in this direction. At the inception of the- 
Pharmacy Act it was deemed as advisable as it was judicious 
that the principal centres of population should be represented 
at the Board. This was done by nominating one gentleman 
each from Geelong, Sandhurst, Ballarat, and four for Mel- 
bourne and all its suburbs ; and, though at the late election, 
the personnel of the board was considerably altered, through 
the unfortunate retirements of Messrs. Johnstone and Blackett, 
yet still the original idea was fairly consummated, except in 
the case of Geelong, which was left out in the cold through, I 
think, the casting vote of the returning officer. An opportunity 
now offers which should, I think, be embraced, of restoring 
things to the military dictum — “As you were.” With thisview* 
I would suggest that Geelong should nominate a gentleman, and 
then work for his return, calling upon us in Melbourne, to 
assist, them. Why not elect Mr. Green, who is already 
familiar with the duties required, and proved himself, while 
there (as far as I can learn), a fair representative man. I 
think it behoves all Pharmacists to take an interest in these 
elections, though how they are to arrive at the qualifications 
of new aspirants, except from hearsay, or, perhaps, the in- 
terested motives of drug houses or their travellers or 
modest trumpeting by aspirants of their own virtues, I admit 
puzzles me, though I suppose Old Time, like it does to every- 
thing else, will unravel even this difficulty. 
Senes Pilul^e. 
DARNEL. 
To the Editor of The Australasian Supplement to the Chemist 
and Druggist. 
Sir — I forward you the following, which no doubt will be 
interesting to your readers : — A cow-keeper consulted me a 
few days ago in reference to the illness of some of his cows 
and death of one as yet, and no doubt others may have suffered 
likewise. 
I. suspected poison, and on inquiry found the “mash” or 
grain obtained from a distillery contained a large proportion 
of “darnel.” I therefore had no hesitation in declaring the 
cause of the cows illness. The question is, should ma*sh of 
this description be used or sold as cattle food, and what is the 
effect on the milk ? The use of this seed in distillation is also 
questionable, although it is supposed none of the deletereous 
principle is retained by the spirit. With brewing it is very 
different, and may the stupefying effect of some of the trashy 
ales not owe their injurious effect to “darnel” either accident- 
ally or otherwise mixed with the malt. I draw attention 
to this subject entirely on public grounds, and warn unfortu- 
nate dairymen of the danger of mash such as the samples I 
have on hand, a portion of which I have placed in the Exhibi- 
