G4 
THE CHEMIST AND DEUGGIST OF AUSTEALASIA 
Apr. 1st, 1886 
to them, we may hope to see and read suggestions which will 
prove of real benefit to the community. As far as Canterbury 
is concerned, I have no hesitation in stating that your journal 
is received with much interest, although your Editor is only 
known to us by his work. 
Alleged Fire ox the Maxapouri. — Shortly after the Union 
Co.’s steamship Manapouri left Auckland, on Feb. 26, for 
Melbourne, via the southern ports, one of the passengers 
wished to ascertain whether one of his boxes had been placed 
on board. The oilicers opened the fore hatch to discover 
whether the missing package was there, but as soon as the 
hatch cover-had been removed the hold Avas found to be filled 
with smoke. The news caused great excitement among the 
passengers, but , the officers managed to restore good order. 
MeanAvhile, the alarm having been sounded, the men went to 
their appointed posts, the pumps were rigged, and a hose laid 
down the fore hatch. The smoke increased rapidly, and it 
l^oured out of the hold in volumes. The cliiet officer, Mr. 
Morris, and a number of men went down the hold to search for 
the seat of the fire. For over an hour cargo Avas being sent up 
on deck, AAhen the cause of the outburst AA’as discoA'ered in a 
case ^of nitric acid. The burning package Avas promptly 
removed to the deck and then consigned to the Avater. It Avas 
found that little or no damage had resulted to the cargo adja- 
cent to the burning case. The men avIxo went doAvn the hold 
suffered severely from the effects of the poisonous fumes. Mr. 
Morris, the chief officer, became unconscious, and remained in 
that condition until he expired. Ten of the men Avho Avent 
into the hold to quench the flames Avere landed at G-isborne, 
and x>laced in the hospital. The men became ill some hours 
after the fire had been extinguished. They Averc suddenly 
seized Avith a violent fit of coughing, and became insensible 
and foamed at the mouth. There AA'as a medical man on 
board at the time, and he rendered every assistance j)Ossible 
to alleviate the sufferings of the men. Mr. Lakers, the third 
officer, and one of the seamen Avho Avere removed to the 
Gisborne Hospital, died. The remaining men, although for 
some time in a critical condition, have recovered. Their 
sufferings Avere very great, and much sympathy has been felt 
for the unfortunates. Subscrqxtions haA-e been made for the 
friends of the deceased. At the inquest a verdict of acci- 
dental death Avas returned, but a rider Avas added blaming 
Elliot Bros., chemists, Sydney, for insufficient care in ship- 
ment. — Abriclf/ed from local report . — [See leading article.] 
TASMANIA. 
Statue for Dr. Croavther. 
The subscribers to the memorial to the late Dr. W. L. 
CroAvther, in Hobart, have resolved to erect a statue at a 
cost of £600. The statue is to be made of bronze. 
Eepresextatiox at the Indian and Colonial Exhibition. 
Mr. Douglas, the agent-general for Tasmania, has taken his 
passage to England by the Orient steamship “ Austral,” Avliich 
left on the 19th March and is due in London on the 4th 
May. He takes his Avife and bis eldest daughter Avith him. 
Mr. Douglas hopes to rejiresent the colony at the Colonial and 
Indian Exhibition. He takes plans, Ac., of the Mount Bis- 
choff mine, and of the Tasmanian gold mine. These, Avith 
samples of hops sent privately, are all that Avill be shoAvn 
from this colony. 
The Codlin moth has appeared in the Huon district, Avhieh 
has hitherto been free from this pest. The Act for its 
destruction seems to he of little effect. 
Mr. J. W. Hunt, honorary treasurer of the Homceopathic 
Hospital, Avho recently left this colony on a voyage to 
Europe, lias offered to give £100 towards the building fund 
of the hospital, on condition that a further sum of £290 is 
collected by the time of his return on behalf of the same fund. 
Experijients ox Snake Poisoning. — ^The Curator of the 
Museum at Hobart (Mr.^A. Morton) has been conducting 
further experiments in the in\-estigation of this subject. The 
modus operinidi, hoAvever, has been different from that for- 
merly carried out. Instead of alloAving the snakes to bite the 
dogs, Mr. Morton had extracted four drops of poison from a 
black snake curt us), and dividing it into tAvo 
equal parts Avith some glycerine, injected it into the ear of the 
dogs by the aid of a hypodermic syringe. No. 1 dog, on AA'hich 
no antidote Avas^applied, began to sIioav symptoms of poisoning 
in about fifteen minutes, becoming quite rigid. No. 2 dog 
was treated in a similar manner, the antidote being immedi- 
ately ajxplied. Save some excessive vomiting, this dog did not 
seem to suffer any further inconvenience. No. 1 dog died in 
about an hour and thirty minutes, Avhile No. 2 dog appeared as , 
lively as ever. ‘ 
Botanical Gardens. — At a meeting of nurserymen and 
seedsmen, held in the Mechanics’ Institute, Hobart, on March 
15, the secretary read the folloAving ansAver to a petition for- 
Avarded to the trustees of the Tasmanian Botanical Gardens 
to stop all sales of plant seeds and cut floAvers : — “ Tasmanian 
Museum and Botanical Gardens, f.Iarch 5, 1886. Sir, — I am 
directed bj the trustees to inform you that your letter, dated 
February 2, enclosing petition from the nurserymen and seeds- 
men of Hobart, Avas duly considered at tlie meeting held yes- 
terday, AA’hen the folloAving resolution was aci,oi)ted, viz. : — 
‘ That the question of finances at present precludes the trus- 
tees from entertaining the prayer of your petition, but Avlien 
that diflicutly is removed the matter AA'ill be fui tlier consid- 
ered. I have, Ac., Aley. Morton, Curator and Secretary. To 
J. H. Jenkins, Esq., hon. secretary nursery and seedsman, 
Hobart.’” After a long discussion, it Avas resolved: — “That 
the ansAver not being satisfactory, further steps should he 
taken by liaAung a petition brought before Parliament.” A dis- 
cussion folloAved, during Avhich it Avas ixointed out that great 
injustice AA^as done to the nurserymen and seedsmen of Tas- ^ 
mania by the Boyal Society selling from the Botanical '1 
Gardens, such a thing not being thought of in any of the } 
adjacent colonies. It AA-as then resolved, — “ That a meeting be 
called at some future date for the formation of a Gardeners’ 
Society, it being considered that such a society is much 
needed in Hobart.” 
FIJI. 
From a London telegraphic despatch A\*e observe that Mr. 
James Murray has been appointed a member of the Legislati\*e 
Council of Fiji. 
Sir W. Des Voeux, late GoA’ernor of Fiji, has been appointed 
Governor of NeAvfoundland. 
Mr. J. B. Thurston Avill probably be made the future 
Governor of Fiji. 
Accident. 
The son of Mr. Grounds, pharmaceutical chemist in Le- 
vuka, AA’hilst playing on the Avharf at I’ootscray, had the 
misfortune to have his hand crushed in a crane, necessitating 
the amputation of two of his fingers. 
DESTRUCTIVE HURRICANE. 
Early on the morning of March 4th a great hurricane 
passed OA'er the group of Fijian islands, causing considerable 
damage. For a couple of hours the Avind bleAv a perfect tor- 
nado, completely AATecking the toAvn of Levuka, the buildings, 
of Avhich are constructed in a very frail fashion. The debris 
of ricketty old buildings, and the A’erandalis of the more sub- 
stantial tenements lay on every side Avhen the destructive 
gale had ceased. Scarcely a house escaped some damage, 
Avhile the planks and boards of timber yards AA’ere scattered 
in all directions. Three of the four churches Avere ruined, 
but the banks escaped damage. The havoc amongst the trees 
is dreadful, and the whole aspect presented by Levuka is as if 
it had been subjected to several hours’ cannonading. The 
tOAATis of the natives have also suffered much injury. There 
has not been such a cyclonic storm AA'ithin memory — that of 
1871 being in no Avay parallel to it. It is very sad to think 
of hundreds of families rendered houseless and having to 
Avander in the streets exposed to the fury of such a disastrous 
hurricane AA’hile it lasted. The damage to shipping A\'as not. 
so severe as the havoc made on land, hut Lieutenant Leefe 
had given storm Avarnings beforehand. 
DENGUE FEA'ER. 
The dengue fever has broken out among the Fijians. There 
are very feAv medical officers in the islands, and they have 
enough to do in their practice amongst the Avliite men. Dr. 
M‘ Gregor is making arrangements for the instruction of 
Fijian students in the elementary principles of the healing 
art. Though these may render valuable services on emer- 
gency, the system has not been long enough in operation to 
make the students very reliable physicians. 
NEW GUINEA. 
Geographical Society’s Expedition. 
We understand that the members of the Ncav Guinea expe- 
dition despatched by the Geographical Society of Sydney, and 
reported to have been murdered on Fly Biver, have safely 
returned to CooktOAvn, 
