14 
THE CHEMIST AND DEUGGIST OF AUSTEALASIA. Feb. 1st, 1886. 
aljlo to apply a poultice ; not even when there is a heavy foul 
discharge. What is really re(iuired is a continued dry heat. 
This in no way injures the parts, and in most cases is entirely 
suilicient, if properly applied. 
Finally, there is one preparation that in emergencies is iise- 
ful for earache. It is not so desirable as the hot fomentations, 
Vmt it is the best substitute, and, as srrch, may be named. 
Being a pharniacopceial preparation, it can be readily obtained 
from all chemists, and would be useful as a portable and 
(piickly applied relief. It is called “ Glifcerimim Acidi Carbo- 
/hv‘.” This may be used in the way of drops, and in any case 
will cause no injury. 
HOM(EOPATHY. 
A PaizE OF 25 Guineas 
Will be given by Major Wm. Vaughan Morgan, the chairman 
of the London Homccopathic Hospital and Medical School, for 
the best Essay on Medical treatment, with special reference 
to tho scientific system of Hahnemann. 
There will be no restrictions as to title or mode of exposi- 
tion, but the essays are not to exceed 28 pages 8vo. bourgeois 
(about IB, 000 words), and must be received at the Homoeo- 
pathic Hospital, Great Ormond-street, London, England, not 
later than the 10th April, 1886, signed by a motto, and 
accompanied by a sealed envelope bearing the same motto 
outside, and enclosing the full name and address of the 
writer. 
The essays will be adjudicated on by a committee elected 
from the British Homoeopathic Society and the board of 
management of the hospital. 
It is intended to issue a first edition of 50,000 copies of the 
selected essay, and a similar issue will probably be made in 
the United 8tatcs. 
THE SYDNEY WATER SUPPLY. 
On the 20th alt. the Mayor received a report from Mr. 
Charles Watt, Government Analyst, respecting two samples 
of water forwarolcd to him — sample No. 1 being NexJean water 
taken out of the pipes at Botany, and sample No. 2 being 
Ncx)can water taken out of the little dam into which the 
Nepean water is flowing. Of sample No. 1 the analysis was as 
follo'ws : — Grains j)cr gallon — Volatile, at a read heat, 1'64; 
soluble saline matter, B*I1 ; insoluble matter, 1*84 ; chlorine, 
2’4. Parts per 100,000 : Saline ammonia, none ; organic 
ammonia, -005. Sample No. 2 Grains per gallon: Volatile, 
at a red heat, 1*75; soluble saline matter, B*78 ; insoluble 
matter, 2-52 ; chloride, 2-7. Parts per 100,000 : Saline 
ammonia, *006 ; organic ammonia, .005. It will be observed 
that the total solids in samide No. 1 amounted to 6*80, and in 
sample No. 2 to 8*5. Mr. Watt concludes his report thus : — 
“No. 1. This water was slightly turbid, owing to solid sus- 
l)endcd matter, and had a slight odour of tar. The residue 
blackened when heated, indicating a rather notable quantity 
of organic matter, which was corroborated by the oxygen test. 
At present its (piantity is somewhat inferior to that of the 
ordinary Botany supply. No. 2. This water when received 
\vas turbid, arising from its containing suspended matter. It 
had a brownish tinge and a slight tarry odour. The residue 
blackened when ignited, indicating a rather large (piantity of 
organic matter, which was corroborated by the oxygen test. 
Taking all the characters of this water into consideration, 
although it Avould not be justifiable to condemn it, I am of 
opinion that it would be prudent not to allow it to pass into 
the Sydney water sux)ply.” Another analysis of water from 
the same sources will be made, when it is anticipated that all 
trace of tarry substances will have disappeared. 
THE COBURG TRAGEDY. 
The x)cculiar phase of insanity which attacked a whole 
family at Coburg, a suburb of Melbourne, and produced 
homicidal tendencies so strongly that the mother, assisted by 
three daughters, cut the throat of the youngest of the family, 
has xnoduced the subjoined letter to the editor of one of the 
Melbourne “dailies.” This is a matter reiphring most minute 
search, and courting the fullest enquiry. We are of opinion 
that a most instructive lesson may be taught by opening our 
columns to our subscribers, from whom we solicit opinions 
and ideas on this subject. We would ask our readers to make 
their remarks as comxneheiisive and as brief as j^ossiblc, and to 
forward their letters as early as convenient. The following is 
the letter referred to : — 
“ Sir,— Fourteen years ago I called the attention of the 
Government to the fact that in these fiat lands around Mel- 
bourne the germs of fever were ever floating about, and that 
when they grew strong there would be an ej)ideniic of insanity 
that would startle the public. I pointed out, insanity was, in 
my humble opinion, a xiurcly disease, cax)ablc of 
ordinary x^revention and cure, and that such a thing as mental 
disease, x^ure and simple, was imx^ossible. To x^rovc what I 
said, I offered to take out a number of patients from the Yarra 
Bend, and show they could live outside, under healthy sur- 
roundings, like other peoxde. At first Dr. Palcy ax^x^roved of 
the idea, and I got tw’o or three patients out. I showed by 
years of x^i’^^ctical results the truth of my theory. And, 
singularly enough, one of the men I then rescued, and who 
had been incarcerated in the Yarra Bend for a previous 
fourteen years, called to-day upon me, and asked me to go up 
to the Treasury with him, to see him pay his half-yearly rent 
for the land taken up under the act about nine years ago. 
With the exx^erience 1 have had I believe that the secret of 
the Coburg tragedy is that the low, fiat lands in that locality 
are conducive to germinal fevers, tyxdioid and others ; that it 
was this the mother was liable to when the deceased child 
was born eight or nine years ago, and which fever the medical 
men would have called puerperal mania, but which, whilst 
cxliibiting in her evidences of ineixuent insanity, were not 
sufficiently pronounced to call for active interference. And 
the fever germs have been kept afloat ever since, until they 
fructified in the tragedy which wc now universally deplore. 
My object in now writing is to call x^uhlic attention to the fact 
that these fever germs arc existent in all low-lying grounds, 
and that, sooner or later, they will affect the public health, 
but are never likely to excite general attention until the 
tragedies of Kilmorc and Coburg arc multiplied. — Yours, Ac., 
“ 58 Elizabeth Street. “F. B. Buown.” 
NEW PREMISES OF MESSRS. ELLIOTT BROTHERS, 
LIMITED. 
Among the many fine buildings that adorn the capital city of 
New South Wales, that just comxdetcd for Messrs. Elliott Bros., 
(Limited), wholesale druggists, may rank among the foremost. 
It is in the heart of the city, and has 70 feet frontage to 
O'Connell-street, and the same to Loftus, late Bligh-street, 
with a through dex)th of 240 feet. 
The building is divided by a courtyard, tlic x>ortion fronting 
O'Connell-street being used as an open stock store, the Loftus- 
street store for bulk goods. The elevation to O'Connell-street 
consists of a basement and six stories, with x^arapet, the build- 
ing thus rising to an immense height. The six fioors extend 
to Loftus-street, the elevation of that street being one story 
less than that in O’Connell-street, allowing for the nature of 
the ground; an enormous storage cax^acity is thus afforded. 
The outward design is exceedingly handsome, maintaining the 
X)revailing idea of majestic gracefulness while giving the ap- 
X^earance of great beauty and massiveness of line. The treat- 
ment is the same with respect to both frontages, and the whole 
reflects great credit upon the architects, Messrs. Rowe and 
Green. There are three goods lifts, and a x^iiy^engor lift. 
The basement in O’Connell-street is floored with Val do 
Travis’ asx)halt. Here are packing rooms, a fireproof room for 
the straw sawdust, a bottle-washing dex^artment fitted with tho 
most recent ax^x^li^iiccs ; neatly x^^-^ked bins of the rougher 
kinds of disxiensing bottles ; a fireproof strong room, lift, by 
12 ft., and two long rows of casks of oils on stands fitted with 
taps and drip catchers to x)i*event waste. Goods are unpacked 
here and conveyed in hand-baskets to the drug department. 
The ground floor contains offices and drug department. 
The main hall is most elaborately fitted with x^oli^bed cedar 
and engraved glass ; the floor is laid with encaustic tiles, a 
counter runs across a portion of the hall at which customers 
who require their goods at once arc supplied. Office rooms for 
the clerks together with three private offices for the principals 
fill the remainder of this fioor. 
The drug department is divided from the main hall by an 
elaborate polished cedar glass screen, and is very completely 
fitted with drawers and bins for powders, herbs, etc., and 
shelving for bottles. The show room on the first floor is 170 ft. 
