24 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST. 
July, 1880. 
IS THERE AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST STRYCHNINE ? 
To the Editor of The Australasian Supplement to the Chemist 
and Druggist. 
Sir — I t appears to me singular that in this age of discovery 
that no antidote against the above dangerous poison has yet 
been discovered ! Persons who are desirous of ending their 
career in this life chiefly resort to it, knowing that under no 
circumstances can they recover from its effects ; instances I 
know have been recorded where chloroform, properly adminis- 
tered, has succeeded ; but the action of the poison is so quick 
that before a medical man arrives he generally finds it too 
late to use the means at his disposal. 
Some time ago a bank manager, residing in an Australian 
bush township, informed me that he thought prussic acid was 
an antidote for it, and gave me his reasons. He stated that 
in riding through a sheep run accompanied by a greyhound, 
the dog must have picked up some poisoned meat, pro- 
bably laid there for that purpose, for as soon as he arrived at 
home the dog was seized with tetanus, and continued in such 
dreadful agony that he determined to destroy it by adminis- 
tering to it some prussic acid. Soon after doing so he was 
surprised to see the dog completely recover, although he 
administered enough acid to kill two or three dogs. Knowing 
this gentleman very well, I communicated the fact to a 
learned professor in Melbourne with a view to inquiry, but, as 
yet, without effect. 
I trust, however, that as your valuable supplement is read 
by most of the pharmacists and chemists in Victoria the above 
facts may tend to elucidate further inquiry. — In the mean- 
time, I remain, your obedient servant, 
Sandhurst, 23rd July, 1880. J. Holdsworth. 
[We on one occasion administered a large dose of prussic 
acid to a dog, which had been poisoned with carbolic acid, 
for the purpose of speedily putting an end to his sufferings, 
and, strange to say, instead of causing death, it acted as an 
apparent antidote. — Editor.] 
MY FIRST AQUARIUM. 
(By C. A. Atkin.) 
( Concluded .) 
Then I collected some lovely rose-coloured anemones from the 
Black Rock or Rickard’s Point, below Brighton. I obtained a 
few small flounders from the back beach at Williamstown, 
renewed my researches along the shore at St. Kilda, where 
those useful scavengers — periwinkles — may also be found at low 
tides, and everything went on prosperously for the next twelve 
months. 
By a strange fatality, which a friend, in true prosodical 
style, attributed to tempus edax rerum , I was dismayed one 
day to find that the chord by which a bird-cage hung over this 
aquarium had suddenly snapped, and in its downfall involved 
the total destruction of so much pains and pride. 
Once more the right hand of fellowship which such studies 
engender was held out to me, in the shape of an invitation 
from the Microscopical Society to join in one of their very 
enjoyable marine excursions. I accepted with some misgivings 
as to the prudence of such a course, seeing that I possessed none 
of the appliances required on such an occasion. However, 
all doubts on that head were speedily removed by the indul- 
gence of my new-found friends, and I gratefully refer to the 
incident as having served as a fresh starting-point to my 
subsequent experiences in this matter. To those who keep 
aquaria, not merely for the sake of being amused, but of learn- 
ing the higher lessons which animated nature is ever so ready 
to teach us, both fresh- water and marine parlour aquaria may 
easily be converted into nurseries for microscopic research. 
In them may be reared myraids of minute forms of life, whose 
ephemeral history and various conditions may be positively 
seen enacted upon the stage of the microscope. Human eyes 
can thus look down upon and witness the evolutions of these 
lower forms of life, just as, it is possible, other eyes look down 
upon our own terrestrial career. 
Stimulated by the commendable zeal and rivalry for the 
place d'honneur I had witnessed amongst the members 
of the Microscopical Society, I determined once more to 
have a marine aquarium, or. more properly speaking, an 
artificial sea-water collection of curios. The necessary 
ngredients for the former were ready to my hand, and 
can easily be procured in bottles containing sufficient for 
an aquarium of any reasonable size. Twenty-four hours 
after being mixed, all impurities are thrown down in 
the shape of a deposit, and the top water must then be 
carefully removed by means of a lead tube bent as a syphon. 
Having thrown away the deposit, the clear water may then 
be returned to the acquarium, after which, or even before, a 
few pieces of rock, with patches of seaweed adhering to them, 
should be carefully arranged to suit the taste of the pro- 
prietor, and to prevent, as far as possible, any damage to the 
glass front. Now, place your acquarium in a strong light, 
not too much exposed to the sun, and let it remain there 
quietly for some six or eight weeks. At or about the expiration 
of that time you will frequently notice a number of beautiful 
pearl-like beadlets rising quickly to the surface. This is a 
good indication that the vegetation on your rockery is thriving, 
and you may then commence to stock the acquarium with 
animal life, such as anemones, periwinkles, an oyster or two, 
and a few live shrimps or prawns. I am not quite sure 
whether they are procurable here, but a gentleman who has 
had large experience in this matter at home was telling me 
the other day of the endless diversion which may be procured 
by watching the evolutions of the hermit-crab, one of the 
most pugnacious creatures, he asserts, in the animal kingdom. 
As is well known, the huge whelk shell this gentleman usually 
appropriates to himself as a domicile is not his natural cover- 
ing ; but, given a certain number of unprotected hermit-crabs, 
and drop a couple of empty whelk shells, or even a thimble, 
between them, the fracas indulged in to obtain possession of 
the huts, and the assaults and batteries to which the locum 
tenens is subjected after he is there, until he finds suitable 
shelter amongst the rocks, surpasses comprehension. I think 
I have now said all that is necessary to enable any one to 
make a start with a small marine aquarium ; perhaps a sup- 
plementary word of caution as to overstocking will not be 
altogether needless, and I will therefore add that the water 
should be well aerated, at first, by the aid of a glass syringe, 
failing which a teacupful may be taken out and poured back 
again for a few minutes each day. Notwithstanding these 
precautions, some of the specimens may not live, probably 
owing to carelessness in their capture, or injuries received en 
route to their destination. So long as the anemones thrive 
after the ninth or tenth day of their arrival, it may be 
concluded, however, that the aquarium is in proper 
working order, and if it contained no other specimens 
than those mentioned, I maintain that they would well 
repay all the trouble. In support of such a statement I quote 
the opinion of one of our most eminent naturalists : — “ If sea 
anemones were all of one kind and form, however exquisite 
that one form or colour might be, its constant repetition would 
tire the senses, and having seen one or two specimens, we should 
soon cease to admire the rest. It is so with flowers, it is so 
with beauty of every kind. If our ladies were uniformly 
fashioned after the strict model of beauty, as set forth in the 
statues of Venus, it is doubtful whether they would find so 
many admirers as they do now, with their charming variety of 
feature, complexion, and expression. No tiresome sameness 
marks our sea-flowers, but every one presents some variation 
from others of its class. Each individual varies in itself, as- 
suming now one shape, then another, now displaying one tint, 
then setting forth another in a different part of the body. 
Each specimen shows some slight peculiarity by which it may 
be known from others of the same variety. Each species has 
a distinct range of variation, clustered in crowded colonies, on 
sea rocks, and in pools on the beach, enriching the sands and 
pebbles with strange flowers as bright and variable as any 
terrestrial flowers that can be ranged out for prizes on a gala 
day. Such are the ‘ anemones.’ The more we know of them 
the more we shall admire their structure, economy, and trans- 
cendent loveliness.” 
It would serve no immediate public purpose that I am aware 
of to inquire why the few terse remarks offered in my last 
letter on the fresh- water aquarium have elicited such a large 
amount of inquiry. I dwell on the fact for the encouragement 
of others who have greater facilities than myself for promoting 
researches in the vast field of subaqueous zoology we have at 
our very feet. Viewed in every direction, that field is mani- 
festly capable of producing grand additions to our knowledge 
of nature. Problems that are suggested by the facts already 
discovered await a satisfactory answer, and I trust the time is 
approaching when such studies will enjoy a far larger share of 
public attention than they have hitherto done in Victoria. 
