60 
THE CHEMIST AND DEUGGIST OF AUSTEALASIA. 
Apk. 1st, 1886. 
THE PKOPOSED TRADE ASSOCIATION FOR 
CANTERBURY. 
(fkom our own correspondent.) 
Under this heading was reported in your February number 
a meeting, called for the consideration of the propriety, of 
forming an association of chemists, with Christchurch for its 
headciuarters. 
The adjourned meeting was duly announced to all members 
of the trade in the immediate district with the most lamentable 
result. 
There are, within w’alking distance of the place fixed for 
the holding, of the meeting, some twenty eligible 'members 
(most of whom had been personally canvassed), yet only four 
persons attended — the convener, one chemist in business, and 
two assistants. 
This will demonstrate ^the kind of interest taken in the 
advancement of pharmacy in Christchurch. It was thought 
when the title of the proposed association was announced, that 
in self-protection against some of the so-called grievances, the 
chemists would have felt an amount of interest sufficient to 
attract them to the meeting. It is considered Uiat the final 
effort has now been made in Christchurch to maintain’ a 
society of chemists in Canterbur}’’. 
You report in your February issue a meeting held at Wel- 
lington, on December 18, at which Mr. Allen proposed, and 
seconded by Mr. F. Barraud, “That the secretary of the 
Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand be requested to write 
to the vice-presidents in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dune- 
din, asking them to call a meeting in their immediate dis- 
tricts, and to ascertain from them if it were their desire to 
continue the New Zealand Pharmaceutical Society, and, if so, 
to reply at once, after getting their opinion. 
Thanks to the existence of your much-needed journal for 
this information, or we might never Rave had the pleasure of 
knowing that a much better state or things exist in Welling- 
ton. It is gratifying and worthy of congratulation that eight 
(at least) chemists could assemble to advance the interests of 
their brethren. How’ever, we have not heard anything of the 
vice-president and the meeting he is requested to call in our 
“ innnediate district.” 
It is generally admitted that we are too young to maintain 
an organised society. The writer thinks otherwise, but must 
bow to the opinion of the majority. 
anil ||tax(isfoial. 
Nothing is laio that is not reasoiiN — Powell. 
Compensation for Libel. 
An unqualified medical practitioner named Tully, acting as 
assistant to a surgeon, recently obtained a verdict for £250 
from Mr. Macgill in an action for libel recently tried in the 
Queen’s Bench Division, in London. The libel consisted in 
stating that Mr. Tully had no medical or surgical diploma 
and was not licensed to attend in surgical cases. The verdict^ 
has caused some consternation. 
Wangaratta Tragedy. 
At the coroner’s inquiry into the circumstances of this case, 
a verdict of wdlful murder has been returned against Harriet 
Stevens. A brief account of the tragedy was given in our 
March number. 
The Wallaloo Misadventure. 
We learn that Dr. Tremearne, who was committed for trial 
on the charge of manslaughter in connection with this case, 
has been acquitted. 
The Roma Case. 
The Attorney General has decided to file no bill against 
Ruth Robinson, who has been charged with killing her hus- 
band by means of laudanum. 
Clinton H. Walbridge, alias Carl von Berin, a chemist, who 
absconded from Sydney in October last with about £1,000 
belonging to the Australian Powder and Explosive Manu- 
facturing Company, of Narrabeen, near Sydney, has been 
brought -back from England in the R.M.S.S. Rome by Senior- 
constable Murphy, of the Sydney police. He was arrested on 
board ship in the English Channel by Murphy, who followed 
him in the R.M.S. Ballarat and chartered a lugger at Ply- 
mouth to board the vessel on which Wallbridge was a 
passenger. A sum of £760 was recovered from the prisoner. 
The trial of Mr. Ende, of New Jersey, on the charge of 
manslaughte]', for dispensing morphia in lieu of quinine — the 
mistake resulting in the death of two young ladies — has ended. 
Mr. Ende has been acquitted- The jury considered there was 
no criminal negligence. It seems, however, that the druggist 
while dispensing the prescription was engaged in earnest 
conversation with the prescribe!* as to the value of gi*ains and 
grams. 
Ilf poisoning. 
Death from Morphia. — The wife of Professor Anderson 
Stuart, of Sydney University, died lately from an overdose of 
morphia. The deceased was accustomed to take narcotics to 
alleviate pain and promote sleep. But the finding TOf the 
jury w*as that there was not sufficient evidence to show whether 
the poison was self administered or not. 
Suicide by Strychnia. — The wife of John Brough com- 
mitted suicidd at ‘Wileannia on the 20th ult. by taking a large 
dose of strychnia. The jury returned a verdict of temporary 
insanity. 
Death from Cocaine. — A case of death from cocaine applied 
to relieve the pain of a decayed tooth is reported by Prof. R. 
Ogden Doremus of the New Yhrk Medico-Legal Society. 
Chlorodyne Drinkers. — In London, on Jan. 12th, an 
inquest wvas held on the body of a w^oman who, together wuth 
her tw’o sisters, had been in the habit for some years of taking 
chlorodyne in large quantities. The result w’as their bodies 
had become emaciated, their mental condition afl’ected, and 
the use of their limbs impaired. In the present case the 
body of the deceased, who was sixty-tw*o years of age did not 
weigh more than 50 lbs. The jury returned a verdict it 
accordance w’ith the evidence. 
Strychnia. — A whole family named Crane, residing at 
Emmaville, New South Wales, w^ere accidentally poisoned by 
strychnia last month. Two of the children died after 
eating food cooked in a bag which had contained the 
poison. 
Chloral and Morphia. — Alfred Woolatt, a chemist at Green 
Island, w’as found dead in his bed on March, 4th. He was a 
great suffererer from neuralgia, and on the previous night had 
taken a draught to procure sleep. The medical evidence at 
the inquest showed that he had died from an over-dose of 
morphia and chloral hydrate. He has left a wife and family. 
Opium Poisoning. — A commercial traveller named Frederick 
Green died at Salisbury, New Zealand, on March 3rd, from 
the effects of an overdose of laudanum taken for the relief of 
headache and neuralgia. 
Distressing Death from Self-administration of Chloroform* 
Dr. Chas. Hy. Huxtable, was on Febrnary 7 found dead at 
his residence, Hobson-street, Auckland, under circumstances 
of a painful character. The deceased, who only returned a 
few w’eeks ago from a tour in Europe and America, has for 
some time suffered from insomnia, and had been in the habit 
of inhaling chloroform. That night he informed his wife that 
he could not get sleep, and that he wnuld take some pillows 
down into the dining-room and try and get sleep there. 
Next morning the servant girlw^ent to the dining-room for the 
purpose of dusting it, wdien she found the door locked. On 
obtaining ingress Dr. Huxtable was found lying dead on the 
floor. His face w*as in a small china bowl containing chloro- 
form and a sponge. Asto 2 ipered bottle containing chloroform 
was found on the table. 
Suicide by Carbolic Acid. — A girl of fourteen years com- 
mitted suicide on the 10th of March, by sw'allowing nearly 
half a bottleful of Calvert’s carbolic acid She died in fifteen 
minutes. 
Accidental Child Poisoning. — A child of seven months 
has died at Ipswich, from swallowing a spoonful of a liniment, 
administered by its father in mistake for the j)roper medicine. 
Death from Phosphorus. — Florence Voss, a young woman 
engaged to be married, and desirous of improving her com- 
plexion, ate the heads of a quantity of matches (five boxes). 
She died in great agony in a few hours. We are not told 
whether the matches were common lucifers or safety ones. 
Death under Chloroform. — At a dental operation at Illa- 
warra, on March 10th, the wife of Richard Mumby died from 
the administration of chloroform. Two doctors w’ere present. 
