70 
Ape. 1st, 1886. 
THE CHEMIST AND DEUGGIST OF AUSTEALASIA. 
(Duis’miil (iJoiitributious — continued. 
VICTORIAN PHARMACY IN THE NINETEENTH 
CENTURY. 
Colonial pharmacists of the j)i'esent clay are, jDerhaps, un- 
aware of the manner in which pharmacies were conducted 
during the times of Priestley, Cavendish, Lavoisier, and others 
amongst our fathers in chemistry. At least we younger mem- 
bers of the pill tribe are unfamiliar with the routine of the 
apothecary a hundred years ago. 
Possibly some would like to know the peculiarities of the 
average modern pharmacist as he is in Australia, and espe- 
cially the nature of his shop. 
Ill a shop in this “city of banks” (as Geo. Augustus Sala 
not inaptly styles Melbourne), there dwells a pharmacist of 
whose business we shall speak. Let us call him Mr. Weston 
for the nonce. This man is a nice fellow, but, unfortunately, 
like a good many of his confreres, not at all adapted for the 
avocation of a chemist, who at all times should be diligent, 
careful, and considerate in all things. One day our friend, 
Mr. Weston, takes suddenly ill, and has to advertise for a 
“thorough chemist” to act as his temporary substitute. In 
reply thereto, Mr. Bubble, a pharmacist of undoubted ability, 
applies for and secures the billet pro tern. The first day’s 
routine is exasperating, to say the least of it. 
Enter customer, hot and panting ; he rubs the perspiration 
off his forehead, and hands in a i^rescriiDtion to be made up. 
It runs thus : — 
Liq. Cinchonas 
Tr. Gent. Co. 
Glycerini 
Ac. Mur. Dil. 
Aq. Anethi. 
Misce. 5 i ter die ex aqua sumend, 
- 
- 5SS. 
- vs. 
- 5ss. 
ad. ^ii 
This having been duly copied, the dispenser proceeds to 
manipulate it secundum artem, but experiences great difficulty 
in discovering the whereabouts of the several ingredients. 
Hallo ! he ejaculates, where in the world is Liquor dnchome^ 
After hunting at least for a quarter of an hour in the bottom 
shelf of a dark cupboard, he spots Mr. “ Liquor,” and thinks 
he is now all right for the first item on his formula ; but alas ! 
that liquor — imperfectly labelled and sadly obliterated — after 
careful examination turns out to be Liquor Taraxaci in a 
filthy j)hial which is nearly empty. Expecting, however, that 
he is now on the right scent, and that Liq. Cinchona; cannot 
be far off, Mr. Bubble renews his search, but all to no purpose. 
He is obliged to tell the customer that his mixture will re- 
quire fully an hour for pre|3aration, and consoles himself that 
ere that time elapses, he may possibly come across the miss- 
ing galenical. Exit No. 1. 
Enter customer No. 2. “Please, Sir, will you give me 
threei^ence-worth of glycerine?” Mr.B. glances all round the 
shelves for the desired commodity, and suddenly his eye 
alights on a dirty old AVinchester quart behind some large 
earthenware jars, and he makes a dive at the oily-looking 
monster which had at one time contained glycerine ; but, be- 
hold, its contents have vanished. 
Mr. B., loq, : “ Little girl, please call again ; I’m very busy 
just now.” The girl disappears. 
Third customer enters, demanding sixpence worth of harts- 
horn and oil. The assistant, having to drain the contents of 
one of the bottles to get the required quantity, makes it up, 
and ransacks the coimter for the label drawer or box. At 
length he spies a collection of labels. “Good! now for the 
label.” Great heavens, no label for glycerine! However, 
nothing daunted, he fumbles about for some time, and finally 
secures a blank label of enormous size, the only one to be 
found, and writes upon it in large characters the nomen propria, 
and despatches, with great relief of mind, his third customer. 
Enter No. 4. “Please for a shilling bottle of oil for burns?’. 
The aggrieved Mr. Bubble, after spending a considerable time’ 
as in the former cases, in searching for his materials, finds 
that there is no Oleum Lini in stock, while the Aqua Calais 
seems to have completely evaporated, as the stoppcrless bottle 
stands empty on a side table. Thus, once again, Mr. B. con- 
siders himself cornered, and determines that he shall never 
again apply for a “thorough chemist’s berth.” 
The master at length returns, and thus salutes his man in 
charge: — “ AVell, Mr. Babble, you’re busy, are you not? 
There’s 2 )lenty of noise at any rate.” 
Mr. B : “Yes, plenty of noise ; but I say, Mr. Weston— 
look here ! Y'ou had better advertise for a man who can play 
‘ hide and seek,’ for that’s what you require, and not a 
chemist.” 
Surely something might be done to remedy this awful state 
of affairs, for the life of a locum tenens, when s^Dent in the 
above fashion, is a burden too hard to bear. 
“ PHARMAKON.” 
HINTS TO YOUNG PHARMACISTS. 
No. 3. 
Of the ointments in the British Pharmacopfieia the one- 
which needs most care and attention in the manufacture is 
the Unguentum Hydrargyri Nitrates. The process is an inter- 
esting one, and to describe the changes which occur during 
its preparation would be a good test of a student’s capabilities. 
There are but few difficulties in the way, however, of securing 
a good result, and such may be insured by adhering strictly to 
the instructions given in Squire’s Companion. One impor- 
tant feature is the making sure of a brisk reaction. This can 
only be effected by mixing the acid mercury nitrate with the 
melted lard and oil whilst both are still hot, namely, at about 
180 deg. Fah., or by raising the temperature after they are 
mixed, taking care that the heat is not much in excess of that 
just named. Should this essential point be non-observed an 
imperfect reaction is the consequence, and a considerable 
quantity of the liquid acid nitrate will separate as the oint- 
ment cools and gets firm. On the other hand, if the tempera- 
ture of the two liquids be raised much higher the reaction is 
carried too far, and an unsightly dark brown compound will 
be the result. It is incumbent also that you stir the ointment 
occasionally as it congeals, otherwise a portion of the mercu- 
trial salt in a solid form is apt to subside, and will be found at 
the bottom of your jar. An unguent varying in strength and 
density will be the consequence. 
There is another preparation which it will repay you to 
make, though the process is rather a tedious one, and that is 
the Liquor Ferri Perchloridi Fortior. Samifies of this the 
writer has found to vary considerably, in some cases the higher 
oxidation of the iron being imperfect, indicated by a reddish 
brown colour rather than orange brown, also by the presence 
of too much acid and by the tests failing to give the requisite 
weight of iron oxide. 
You are aware that the first stage in the process is the con- 
version of the metal into a proto-chloride. To effect a com- 
plete solution of the iron it is necessary that the acid hydro- 
chloric be pure and of the standard strength. Even then the 
action proceeds but slowly, requiring from eight to ten hours’ 
application of heat by means of your sand bath. Then comes- 
the addition of the acid nitric and remainder of the hydro- 
chloric acid and subsequent evaporation. It is at this stage that 
your chief attention is needed to ensure the complete conver- 
sion of the proto-chloride into a perchloride. See that you 
get the characteristic red fumes, when you may rely that the 
further reaction is being eomifieted. It is convenient to pre- 
jDare at the same time a little of the neutral solution by 
further evaporation to one-half, in order to get rid of excess of 
acid, and then adding distilled water. This preparation forms 
a powerful styptic. 
ERRATUM. 
In the second contribution entitled “Hints to Y'oung 
Pharmacists ” which appeared in the March number of this 
periodical — the following correction should be noted by 
students— page 13, line 26 from foot, for “dividend” read 
quotient. 
TRANSFUSION OF BLOOD IN AN.EMIA. 
The writer of this paper is so circumstanced that he is quite 
unable to submit the ideas set forth to a practical test, but 
he confidently expects that the inferences drawn will ap 2 :>ear 
so obvious to the reader that any one having the oiq^ortunities 
for doing so will hasten to prove them, and thus perform a 
work the necessity for which has been the motive power which 
has induced him to take up his pen. 
The idea of employing transfusion of blood as a means of 
saving life is by no means novel— we have records of the prac- 
tice several centuries back. In the seventeenth century, for 
instance, there was a great stir about it, and it was expected 
to ipi'ove a universal j>anacea which would make dying almost 
