VoL. i. No. 4. THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST OF AUSTRALASIA. 
G3 
SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 
Eddison’s Telephones?. 
A claim on the part of the Oriental Telephone Company 
{who have purchased Eddison’s patent rights for carbon 
transmitters) for royalty, in respect to the use of telephones, 
has been made upon the Government of South Australia. 
It is expected that similar claims will be made upon the adja- 
cent colonies, where Eddison’s telei^hones are adopted. 
Earthquake at Normanville. 
A distinct shock of earthquake was felt at Normanville on 
Wednesday, 3rd March. It lasted 10 seconds, travelling from 
north to south. 
Adelaide University. 
Mr. Bragg, the new jii’ofessor for this University, has 
arrived. 
Professor Watson, of the Adelaide University, who has 
obtained six months’ leave of absence, intends to visit Ger- 
many for the South Australian Government, with a view of 
ascertaining the desirableness of introducing into the colony a 
disease among the rabits with a view to the eradication of 
the rest of these rodent pests. 
An Adelaide firm has just received an order for 20,000 
gallons of South Australian wine to be shipped to England. 
QUEENSLAND. 
Acclimatisation Society. 
This society, which holds its meetings at Bowen Park, 
seems to be in a flourishing condition both as regards mem- 
bers and work. During the month of January over three 
hundred plants were distributed either to members or public 
institutions, or as exchanges. 
Qqeensland Quicksii.ver Company. 
The Queensland Quicksilver Estates Company has been 
successfully floated, with a capital of £100,000. Operations 
are to be commenced shortly. 
Children’s Hospital Dispensary for Brisbane. 
The committee of the Brisbane Children’s Hospital have 
at last opened a dispensary in connection with this institu- 
tion. A room has been taken in Adelaide-street, Brisbane, 
for the purpose. The medical officers perform their duties 
con amove, and the relief thus given ought to prove beneficial 
to the sick childrenof the poor in that town. 
Queensland Museum. 
The curator, Mr. De Vis, reports 48 donations of stuffed 
animals, geological, entomological, and anthropological speci- 
mens. A recommendation has been sent to the Minister of 
Education to appoint Mr. Lindon from the Eoyal School of 
Mines, London, as geologist to this Museum. 
Dispenser at Brisbane Hospital. 
Mr. Brown, the dispenser, asked for an increase of salary, 
as he had been offered a position in a Melbourne hospital at a 
considerable advance on his present one, but stated that he 
was not desirous of leaving if the committee complied with his 
request. Dr. Hardgrave protested that the committee were 
accepting a very serious responsibility in continuing to retain 
as dispenser, a man who held no certificate as a duly qualified 
chemist. The chairman said Mr. Brown was receiving £125, 
or £25 less than Mr. Miller, the former dispenser, who no 
sooner passed his examination than he left the institution. 
He thought that they might agree to increase Mr. Brown’s 
salary by £25, with an intimation that he was to endeavour to 
pass his examination as a chemist at the earliest oxipor- 
tunity for doing so. The committee decided to adopt this 
scourse. 
Townsville. 
A new industry is to be started here. It is the preparation 
of condensed milk. Some of it is xireserved without the aid 
of sugar, being simxfly boiled and condensed in vacuo, but it 
can also be had x^i^sserved in the ordinary way jpractised in 
Switzerland, and at Aylesbury, England. 
Seized by an Alligator, — A child was killed and carried off 
by an alligator at Cattle Creek, about 30 miles from Towns- 
ville, on the 10th of March last. The father saw his daughter 
seized, but was too far ofl: to render any help. 
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 
Dr. E. Eaghib, a new arrival, has commenced loractice at 
Perth. 
Mr. H. F. Johnstone has been ax>pointed superintendent of 
the telegraph line to be constructed from Eoeburn to Derby. 
Dr. J. W. Hope, of Freemantle, has resigned his appoint- 
ment of Surgeon-Major in the Western Australian Volunteer 
Force. 
Sir Luke Leeke, Speaker of the Legislative Council, and 
Mr. A. Thoms, Secretary to the Western Australian Commis- 
sion to London, have gone to England. 
NEW ZEALAND. 
Christchurch Hospital. — The conti’act for the supifly of 
drugs to this hospital has been let to Mr. Bonnington. 
Otago U^’iversity. — Dr. Duncan Macgregor has resigned 
the professorship of mental and moral philosophy in the 
Otago Univei flty ; Dr. Salmond, D.D., at x?rcsent inofessor of 
theology for the synod, has been selected his successor. 
The Times has given a complimentary review of R. C. Reid’s 
book upon the goldfields of the West Coast of New Zealand. ^ 
One million whitefish ova have been rCcmved at Auckland, 
from the United States hatchery at Michigan. 
Mr. Wilson, of Otakaim station, New Zealand, reiiorts that 
a flock of several hundred sheex^ that were badly affected by 
lung worms got into a plantation of young bluegums, and J?y 
browsing upon them were all completely cured. 
Wellington. 
The excitement about the threatened dissolution has^ quite 
died aw'ay. 
The Industrial Exhibition recently held at Wellington w'ill 
leave a deficit of over £10,000 to be iirovided out of the 
colonial revenue. The total expenditure has exceeded- 
£16,000, and the awards have yet to be x>i‘ovided. The 
receipts from all sources amounted to little over £6,000. This 
is not to be wondered at when it is remembered that there w'as 
a deficit of £8,000 in the last exhibition held South at Kensing- 
ton, notwithstanding its great popularity and the millions that 
attended it. 
FROM OUR correspondent AT CHRISTCHURCH. 
The New British Pharmacopi.eia has been distributed, but 
as no recognition has been made by the Pharmacy Board or 
the Government, dispensing chemists are x^laced at a disad- 
vantage, especially in the case of preparations whose* strengths 
or processes have been changed. Importing chemists yill do 
well to observe the presence of the label “B.P., 1885,” which 
it is to be hoxied the manufacturing chemists will adopt when 
the new xireparations are supx>lied. The medical jirofession 
here do not exhibit much anxious regard for the new edition ; 
the “Extra” Pharmacopceia, by Martindale is enquired for, 
also “ Squire’s Comxoanion,” when ready. 
CoMMERCi-AL. — The retail trade does not suffer much fluc- 
tuation. The leading towns and country districts are well 
sux:>plied with chemists, and only in very isolated sj)ots do 
medical men dispense their own medicines. Contracts are 
made with dispensing chemists at very low rates ; but we hear 
that some members of the noble profession are contemx:)lating 
fixing iq) their own disxiensaries in this x)art of New Zealand. 
If this system becomes more general, we may liear something 
of the much-talked of “ dispensing doctors and prescribing 
chemists.” It is a matter of regret that our law-makers and 
the early promoters of the Pharmacy Act did not guard against 
difficulties of this nature, and learn from the exx^erience of our 
brethren in the old country. 
The law in New Zealand requires a chemist to qualify and 
come iq) to a certain standard of efficiency ; but why should 
not the law step in and prevent all persons other than these 
qualified x>i^^i’i^ia'Cists to dispense medicines ? This, Mr. 
Editor, is “ an old, old story” to you. 
The number of American and other pro}irietary articles do 
not decrease. It is thought the public of the colonies must 
be more sensitive to sensational advertisements, or it may be 
they prefer something ready “ bottled uj:),” with an attractive 
wrapper and emphatic statements on the label. If this be so, 
we presume the results of Mr. Shearn’s representative visit 
will soon sux3X)ly that in a less quack medicine form. It is 
hoped the time will soon come when chemists will go in for 
more originality ; but at present it might not prove remunera- 
tive. 
Had our proposed trade association been “floated,” it was 
intended to suggest the adoption of a retail price list, allowing 
a certain amount of flexibility. In Liverpool (England) this 
was found very useful. Perhaps our enthusiastic friends 
in Wellington may be able to initiate something of the kind. 
“The Chemist and Druggist of Australasia.” — Now that 
the members of the trade have a journal whose images are open 
