16 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST. 
June, 1882. 
was no evidence to show what was sold by defendant to 
Corrigan. Belladonna had its uses besides for physic, and was 
sold to ladies, who used it for their eyes, in order to enhance 
their beauty. Mr. Gaunt further pointed out that not long 
ago Mr. Hammond sold homoeopathic preparations, and he was 
bound to say there was not a shop up country where there 
would not be seen Gould and Martin’s homoeopathic cases. 
So far as the evidence went, he maintained the case must be 
dismissed, as the intention of the Act was to prevent unquali- 
fied persons from compounding medicines. He submitted that 
no case had been made for the prosecution, but that the 
evidence, in fact, had made clean the defendant’s own case. 
Mr. Thomson stated the magistrates were of opinion that no 
breach of the Act had been proved, and the case was therefore 
dismissed without costs. 
Mr. Gaunt then informed the bench that Mr. Bannister had 
been communicated with by telegram, and that steps would at 
once be taken to obtain the services of a qualified person 
until Mr. Perkins had qualified himself by passing the 
necessary examinations. 
THE FAILURES OF POLICE PROSECUTIONS AT 
BALLARAT. 
The prosecution of Mr. A. Perkins, at Ballarat, for non-com' 
pliance with the provisions of the Pharmacy Act by keeping 
an open shop, not being registered, broke down through sheer 
carelessness, or want of knowledge, on the part of the police, 
who appeared to prosecute unassisted by an advocate, whilst the 
defendant was aided by learned counsel in the person of Mr. 
Gaunt, barrister, and late police magistrate, who appeared to 
be well acquainted with the Act. Everything went wrong 
from the beginning. The sergeant of police, who usually 
conducts cases in the police court, was objected to by the 
defendant’s counsel, and the detective officer who had charge 
of the case was unprepared, or unused to such proceedings, 
and was consequently bamboozled by Mr. Gaunt. Mr. Shilling- 
law could not give any evidence as an expert, and, with 
the exception of Mr. Brind, who gave evidence as to 
the defendant’s identity, no other witnesses were called ; con- 
sequently Mr. Gaunt, having overawed the detective, had the 
rest of it all his own way, and took advantage of the court 
by saying “ the Pharmacy Act did not prevent any one selling 
drugs ; even he himself could keep a stock in his office for the 
benefit of his clients if he thought fit to do so.” And so he 
could if he liked to give them away ; but he must not use the 
title, or sell those scheduled as poisons, and that was the 
point the prosecution had in view. Belladonna is a poison, 
and is in the second schedule as not to be sold except under 
certain conditions. It was selected by the police for purchase 
on that account ; and although labelled “ Poison,” this point was 
neglected by the prosecution, and so the case fell through. 
Now, if a solicitor had been employed, things should have 
been different. In the first place, two summonses should have 
been served upon the defendant — one for keeping an open shop, 
and the other for selling poisons. And if this had been done 
I doubt if even the most astute lawyers would have saved their 
client from the penalties ; but as the case stands now, aided 
by what the police magistrate concurred in from the bench, 
persons not being druggists will feel inclined to set the 
Pharmacy Act at defiance, and nothing else but a good stiff 
case of poisoning will set the public against that proceeding. 
Even as it was, after the case was decided defendant’s 
counsel admitted what would have proved the case for the 
prosecution — “That Mr. Bannister had been communicated 
with, and had obtained a duly qualified person to conduct the 
business until Mr. Perkins had passed his examination .” 
REMINISCENCES OF A PHARMACIST. 
( Continued,') 
“ A Sydney Chemist of the Olden Time” and a Short 
Assistantship. 
I presented myself punctually at eight o’clock the next 
morning, according to orders, and as the principal had not 
yet put in an appearance, took a seat in front of the counter 
and a good look about me. I was aware that this was the 
identical shop in which the notorious “ Tawell” (whose career 
I sketched in my first paper) had made his fortune, and it 
will not be wondered at that I regarded with curiosity the 
bottles and jars on the shelves, many, and indeed most, of 
which had been often touched by his murderous hands. 
The shop, which was double fronted and low pitched, and 
which bore every mark of antiquity, was devoted to the 
united businesses of chemist and grocer, distinct counters and 
fittings embracing each side of the shop as you entered from 
the street, the windows, of course, being decorated in a suitable 
manner. 
After sitting for some time taking mental stock of the place 
Mr. F , the proprietor, made his appearance fresh from the 
breakfast-table, from which he had evidently risen in a bad 
humour, for he said to me rather snappishly, “ Oh, you've come, 
have you? well, don’t sit there staring about you, but get to 
work an order which, of course, I immediately obeyed, 
although I could not help thinking that a more gentlemanly 
tone could have been used without in any way detracting from 
his portly dignity, for portly he was, but by no means un- 
gainly-looking, although his clothes and general appearance 
were antique and in keeping with the establishment. I saw 
but little of him, however, for he was out nearly all the morn- 
ing, but on the one or two occasions on which he did come 
behind the counter his manner was decidedly pompous and 
overbearing. His son, a lad of eighteen or nineteen years of 
age, was with me, and seemed to be equally at home behind 
the counter. This young gentleman was a decided chip of 
the old block, not having a very extensive knowledge of 
drugs and chemicals, but any amount of assurance, as people 
of this class usually have, and put on airs which seemed to 
say — “I must keep you at a distance; you are only an 
assistant, but I am the son of the boss.” 
As I had always been treated in England as one of the 
family in every situation which I had held, I was not prepared 
for the kind of reception which awaited me at the dinner 
table. Young F had relieved the grocer’s assistant and 
myself that we might partake of the mid-day meal, and we 
went in together for that purpose. At the head of a very 
long table Mr. F and the family were discussing their 
dessert. To these I was not introduced, but, under the 
directions of my guide, I sat down before one of the two 
plates of half-cold meat at the extreme end of the table. 
That this was to be our allowance was attested by the fact 
that all the dishes appertaining to the meal had been removed. 
A glass of water, placed beside each plate, on a board where 
ale and porter bottles were still standing, spoke to the fact 
that in this establishment at least Jack was by no means 
reckoned as good as his master. 
At tea the same routine was observed. A few slices of 
bread and butter of the boarding-school stamp, and a cup of 
(tea, I was going to say ; well, if it was, it must have been 
of the third or fourth generation) being our portion. 
I do not recollect at this distance of time the exact hour at 
which the shutters were put up, but know that as there were 
no lights in the shop and occasional customers were served up 
to half-past eleven, that was the actual time at which the 
business of the day was supposed to come to an end. 
I had been all alone for more than an hour (for the grocery 
assistant left at ten), when the errand boy brought in a 
stretcher, mattress, &c., and proceeded to make his bed 
behind the counter, when he leisurely undressed himself, and, 
bidding me a sleepy “ Good night,” turned in. 
Just as I was wondering whether I was expected to follow 
the boy’s example behind my own counter, Young F. came 
in and graciously inquired if I took suppers. Having replied 
in the affirmative, I was treated to a slice of thick bread and 
a morsel of hard cheese, with a glass of water from the best 
tap ; and having disposed of this sumptuous fare, the worthy 
head of the establishment conducted me in person to my 
dormitory. This, I found, was at the very bottom of the yard, 
over a sort of scullery, and adjoining the stable. Here, hav- 
ing ascended by means of a ladder, my conductor left me to 
repose. The furniture of the chamber was not luxurious. It 
consisted of a rickety bed, a chair the worse for wear, and 
wash-basin and ewer, mounted on an old packing case. There 
was no carpet on the floor ; but an old sack cut in two was 
laid down by the side of the bed. There was a very scant 
supply of bed-clothes, and I knew that I was wretchedly cold 
all the night ; but towards morning I fell asleep, and hardly 
seemed to have done so when a voice, which I recognised as 
belonging to F., senior, asked me if I was going to sleep all 
day ; and as it was then pitch dark, he left the candle which 
he carried, and told me to look sharp and present myself in the 
shop. When I got downstairs I found the gas alight, and the 
boy sweeping and dusting, in which duties I was, of course, 
expected to join. 
