66 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST. 
January, 1882. 
carry this proposal into effect is an undertaking which is likely 
to meet with opposition from interested quarters, and it is one 
in which there is suitable opportunity for the medical profes- 
sion to support the Society whenever the bill is introduced 
into Parliament. By such concerted action between the medi- 
cal professsion and the representatives of pharmacy, much 
good might be effected in the public interest. 
The case reported this week serves to show how much 
restrictions are required in regard to the sale of poisons in the 
orm of patent medicines, and how thoroughly, under existing 
conditions, the safeguards provided by the Pharmacy Act are 
negatived by the sale of such articles by grocers, co-operative 
stores, or any other unqualified persons. It appears from the 
evidence in this case that Miss Ashfield’s habit of taking 
chloral was known, not only to her medical attendant — who 
had expressly warned her to desist from it — but likewise to 
the chemist with whom she dealt, who had refused to supply 
her with chloral, except on the order of a medical man. These 
precautions and the wise intentions of the Act were, however, 
completely frustrated by the facility with which the obnoxious 
article was procured from the “stores” upon a wholesale 
scale, and opportunity afforded for secret indulgence in the 
practice which led, as in so many other cases, to a fatal result. 
In the case we now refer to the jury has given a very em- 
phatic expression of opinion that further precautions should 
be taken by persons who sell such articles as that which caused 
Miss Ashfield’s death, and that the bottles should be labelled 
“ Poison,” notwithstanding the exemptions apparently pro- 
vided by the sixteenth section of the Pharmacy Act for patent 
medicines. This is a practical endorsement of the views 
expressed by Dr. Hubbard, which we hope will speedily bear 
fruit, by calling attention to the mischief that is being done 
by the wholly unrestricted and promiscuous sale of poisons in 
the form of patent medicines. This is an evil that urgently 
demands a remedy, as being the worst feature of the “ patent 
medicine” trade, alike destructive to medicine and to phar. 
macy, and pernicious to the public at large. 
Whatever reasons there may be for tolerating the sale of 
patent medicines of a more harmless character, it must be evi- 
dent that in regard to those of a dangerous nature there can 
be no question that restrictive measures are requisite. Thi s 
is felt in other countries as well as our own, and the plausible 
allurements by which the nostrum traffic is promoted are 
everywhere attracting the attention of medical men and phar- 
macists. In America this trade has attained to such dimen- 
sions that, as stated in the annual address of the President of 
the Pennsylvanian Pharmaceutical Association, two-thirds of 
the total quantity of medicine annually consumed in the 
United States is sold in the form of secret nostrums. Phar- 
macists, however, should seek to build up a more legitimate 
business — that of dispensing to the public such drugs and 
medicines as are prescribed by the regular medical profession. 
So long as the public will have quackery in its various forms 
its sale is safer in the hands of the pharmacists than in any 
other ; but it is not at all desirable that this trade should be 
promoted by the exhibition of flaming cards, or the distribution 
of puffing circulars. 
H E MMUHb, i 
WHOLESALE E 
HHie ihontlv. 
The examination of students who have attended the School 
of Pharmacy to obtain the certificates required by the 18th 
section of the Pharmacy Act will be held on Monday, the 6th 
March next. The subjects of examination are elementary and 
practical chemistry, materia medica , botany, and pharmacy, 
and the Pharmaceutical Society have offered three handsome 
gold medals to the students who pass the best examination in 
each subject. The conditions under which the medals will be 
given have already been published, and we refer competitors 
to them. 
The Pharmaceutical Register of Victoria for the year 1882 
was published early in January, and shows a large addition to 
the apprentices’ list during the year 1881. Copies can be ob- 
tained at the office, or from all the wholesale houses. 
We are requested to again call attention to the amended 
regulations to the Pharmacy Act, having reference to appren- 
tices. After 1st January, 1882, all persons must , before 
entering into apprenticeship indentures, pass the preliminary 
examination, or produce a certificate of having passed the 
matriculation or civil service examination, Latin being a com- 
pulsory subject. 
In another column will be found an interesting letter from 
our Sydney correspondent, who will, for the future, supply the 
pharmaceutical news of New South Wales to our readers. 
The annual report and balance-sheet and the amended rules, 
and also catalogue of books in the library, will be forwarded to 
members early next month. 
The annual cricket match, Wholesale v. Retail, will be held 
at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the 26th January. The 
wholesale houses have agreed to close at one o’clock ; and the 
game commencing at noon, an adjournment will be made at 
two p.m. for lunch, which will be provided on the ground. 
Two excellent teams have been chosen, whose names, as well 
as other details of the match, will be found in another column. 
The Chemists and Druggists' Diary for 1882 have all been 
issued to members. Should any copies have miscarried, 
notification may be sent to Mr. Shillinglaw, at the rooms. 
The trial of James Egan Wall, of Sandhurst, for a breach of 
the 23rd section of the Pharmacy Act, will be held on 
the 23rd instant, at Sandhurst— too late for publication in this 
issue. It will be remembered that Wall was convicted of 
manslaughter at the last Sandhurst assizes, and this prosecu- 
tion arises out of evidence given at the trial. He will be 
brought up on a writ of habeas corpus. 
At the last meeting of the council of the Pharmaceutical 
Society it was stated that there were several persons who 
attended the annual dinner who had not yet paid for their 
tickets. Surely this is not as it ought to be. 
The annual meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society will be 
held at the rooms on the 8th March next, when the report and 
balance-sheet for the past year will be presented. The 
balance-sheet for the year 1881 is an exceedingly satisfactory 
one. 
