84 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST. 
March, 1882. 
SYDNEY. 
The monthly meeting of the Pharmaceutical Council of New 
South Wales was held at the Medical Board Office, Philip- 
street, on 14th March. Present — the president (in the chair), 
and Messrs. Abrahams, Guise, Pratt, Larmer, and Row. 
The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. 
Three applications for examinations were received and 
granted, 23rd March being fixed as the date. 
The following applications for membership were granted : — 
O. Davis, M.P.S., late Great Britain, opening in business at 
Woolhara ; J. Mills, Kurragong ; T. H. Mallam, Armidale ; 
C. S. Gaud, Parramatta ; T. M. Sheridan, Mount Browne, in 
business prior to the passing of the Sale of Poisons Act, 1876. 
W. Jesperson, application with a French diploma ; and R. J. 
Waring, M.P.S., Victoria, of Balranald. 
Directions were given in answer to correspondence. 
Sundry accounts were passed. 
The meeting terminated. 
(from our own correspondent.) 
Two cases of suicide by taking strychnine have occurred in 
Sydney during the month of February. The first was the wife 
of a music-dealer named Pognowski, and appears to have been 
caused by hard drinking. There was no evidence to show how 
the poison was obtained. The second was the case of Mr. J. 
G. Thurlow, clerk of petty sessions at the Central Police 
Court, a gentleman well-known and greatly respected. 
Deceased appears to have enjoyed good health, and no reason 
can be assigned for the act, though it was rumoured that pecu- 
niary losses were the cause. On the evening of 10th February 
Mr. Thurlow was found suffering from the effects of poison. 
Two men who found him got a van, and drove him to Dr. 
Power, of College-street, who refused to see him, so they drove 
to the infirmary, at which place he expired shortly after 
admission. The jury returned a verdict, “That Joseph 
Giovanni Thurlow died at the Sydney Hospital from the effects 
of a self-administered dose of strychnine, which he obtained 
from the establishment of Mr. Woodhouse, chemist and drug- 
gist, William-street, on 8th February.” They further added 
as a rider, “ We are of opinion that Dr. Power deserves great 
censure for his inhumanity in not going out to see deceased 
when requested to do so.” Mr. Thurlow leaves a wife and 
family of seven. 
Robert Malcolm Tranent was charged at the Water Police 
Court on 23rd February with selling poison to Mr. J. G. Thur- 
low without having made a faithful entry of the same. The 
defendant is assistant to Mr. Woodhouse. The sheriff (Mr. 
Cowper) appeared for the defence, and said that he could 
certify that it was from no wilful neglect, but rather from the 
idea that police authorities were exempt from the regulations 
regarding the sale of poisons. Out of regard to the official 
position of Mr. Thurlow the usual form was omitted. A fine 
of 5s., and 4s. lOd. costs, was imposed. 
An amusing incident occurred lately before the Licensing 
Board. A publican was charged with opening his house for 
the sale of liquor during prohibited hours. The plea was that 
the customer (a woman) merely came for a dose of castor oil. 
The Bench, however, ruled that the publican should not sell 
that or any other beverage in a jug on Sundays. 
In the Supreme Court steps are being taken to obtain an 
injunction to restrain the Technical College from giving 
instruction in law, political economy, and constitutional 
history. The parties moving in the matter are the Inspector 
of Public Charities and the Minister for Public Instruction. 
These officers consider that the above subjects are not a part 
of technical education. 
Mr. John Rogers has resigned his position as secretary to 
the School of Arts, an office which he has held for the past 
fifteen years, during which period the institution has enjoyed 
great prosperity under his management. It was, however, at 
the request of the committee that the resignation was ten- 
dered. 
A series of lectures on “ Inorganic Materia Medica ” will be 
commenced on Wednesday, 5th April, at the Technical Col- 
lege by Mr. Fred. Wright. Mr. W. A. Dixon, F.C.S., will also 
deliver a course of lectures on “ Chemistry as Applied to the 
Arts” during the winter session, and efforts will be made to 
start a botany class. Mr. Wright has declined an invitation 
from the committee to deliver a series of popular lectures on 
the “Lives of the Chemical Philosophers,” assigning as a 
reason great pressure of work. 
Mr. Chas. Lewin, of Cowra, has purchased the business of 
Mr. Sanders, Lower George-street. 
14th March, 
NEW ZEALAND. 
PHARMACY IN NEW ZEALAND. 
“ As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean” would 
express the state of pharmacy, or rather the work of phar- 
maceutical advancement, in New Zealand at the present 
time. 
Our Dunedin friends are said to be the drag upon the 
wheels. A clause in our constitution says : — “ The annual 
meeting of the general council may be held alternately at 
Wellington, Dunedin, Christchurch, and Auckland.” The last 
annual meeting of the general council (or delegates) was held 
at Wellington on the 27th September, 1880, and the next was 
to have been held at Dunedin in September last. It is now 
February, 1882, and no arrangement has been made to bring 
the delegates from the four centres together. It is urged by 
Dunedin that it is a waste of funds, the travelling and other 
expenses being too great. Now, in this matter our southern 
chemists are undoubtedly “ too canny,” and acting contrary 
to the best interests of the cause. In order to secure united 
efforts, and a common understanding, nothing is better cal- 
culated to obtain that object than a conference, where the 
different representatives may meet and cordially discuss 
matters relating to trade interests and the promoting of phar- 
maceutical concerns. 
The personal acquaintance of members, and the mutual 
interchange of ideas upon kindred subjects, is certainly worth 
the proposed expenditure out of the society's funds. Let us 
hope that New Zealand pharmacists will unite resolutely to 
keep up an interest amongst themselves in matters phar- 
maceutical. Much remains to be done ; we have only turned 
the first sod. Our Pharmacy Act requires amendments, and 
provision must be made for pharmaceutical education. Those 
who take a pride in their profession should put renewed life 
into the different local councils, provide local libraries, and 
adopt a system of reading monthly papers on pharmaceutical 
subjects. 
It is a pleasure to learn that Mr. Barraud, the president of 
the society, is taking steps to establish a monthly journal of 
pharmacy, after the style of your valuable publication. Let 
us wish him success in such a good work. 
The New Zealand Pharmacy Board have published their first 
annual register, and will at once proceed against those in busi- 
ness as chemists and druggists who have not registered. There 
are not five in the colony against whom this will be necessary; 
these individuals may be put down as either wilful or negli- 
gent. 
Our visitors to these shores from Victoria have been Mr. T. 
Lakeman, Mr. Rivers Langton, and the Hon. Peter Lalor, the 
Speaker of the House, who is now amongst us and expatiating 
strongly upon the beauty of our scenery, and the excellence of 
our climate. 
The present writer will always retain most pleasing recollec- 
tions of the sociable good feeling existing amongst the 
chemists in Melbourne, of which he was the honoured recipient 
some time since. 
Auckland, 20th February, 1882. 
NOTES ON A HITHERTO UNDEFINED SPECIES OF 
CYCAS. 
By Baron Feed. Von Mueller, K.C.M.G., M. and Ph. D., 
F.R.S. 
Last year an opportunity was afforded me by the enlightened 
editor of this journal, to give the first record of a cycadeous 
plant, Macrozamia Moorei, from sub-tropical Eastern Aus- 
tralia ; and now I am able, through his concession, to render 
known another member of the grand order of pine-palms in 
these pages. Plants of this order are not only of great horti- 
cultural and palaeontological importance, but they interest 
likewise chemical and technological investigators, on account 
of the, as yet, not isolated, highly acrid and perhaps therapeutic 
principle, and in reference to the large quantity of peculiar 
starch pervading cycads. Leaving the chemical and indus- 
trial inquiries for another time, I confine myself on this 
