VoL. ii., No. 2 
THE CHEMIST AND DEUGGIST OF AUSTEALASIA 
49 
particulars as to his name, address, and the purposes for 
■which he requires the drug, which are to be entered the 
vendor in a book to be kept for the purpose; and it provides, 
in section eight, that no person shall sell any poison enumerated 
in this part to any individual under the age of eighteen who 
is unknown to the vendor unless in the j)i’esence of a witness 
who is acquainted with both parties. These are very proper 
provisions, but why they should apply to cyanide of potassium 
and the poisons in part one of the schedule, and not to 
laudanum, opium, phosphorus, and the other equally deadly 
drugs which are included in part two, is, we must acknowledge, 
past our comprehension. In fact, part two is not mentioned 
in the Act, and apparently the drugs included in it are only 
dealt with by clause six, which relates to the sale of all 
poisons without distinction. As an interesting conundrum 
we republish the schedule, that our readers may make the 
attempt to elucidate the mystery which surrounds the object 
of the Tasmanian Legislature in making such distinction 
between the i^oisons included in the two parts. 
“List of poisons.-— P«7’^ ; Cyanide of potassium and 
all metallic cyanides, arsenic and its preparations, x>russic acid 
and its preparations, strychnine and its preparations, savin and 
its oil, ergot of rye and its preparations, chloral hydrate, all 
poisonous vegetable alkaloids and their salts, aconite and its 
preparations, tartar emetic, corrosive sublimate, cantharides. 
Second Part : Oxalic acid, chloroform, belladonna and its 
preparations, laudanum, opium and all preparations of 
opium or of poppies, arsenical preparations except green and 
other coloured paints and pigments, essential oil of almonds un- 
less deprived of its prussic acid, aquafortis, oil of vitriol, phos- 
phorus, carbolic acid. 
“ The value of the Act depends entirely on its administration, 
and this, if not better than in the other colonies, will be 
wretchedly bad and of but little practical use for the prevention 
of accident or crime. We think no law of this kind will 
properly fulfil its supposed object until it so regulates the 
sale of proprietary medicines as to necessitate the publication 
of the formula from which each is x^repared with every package 
of the preparation. ” 
HOSPITAL DBUG SUPPLIES. 
Our attention has been called to the method by which the 
Hospital authorities in the different Australasian colonies ob- 
tained their supplies of drugs and medicines. We have there- 
fore obtained information from the majority of_ these bodies, 
which we now present to our readers in the belief that it will 
be interesting and valuable. The figures in brackets are the 
amounts spent for drugs and medicines during the last finan- 
cial year. 
New South Wales. 
Total number of hospitals about 63. 
The Sydney Hospital obtain the medicines and drugs by 
purchase from the two leading houses in Sydney, no contracts 
being made (£1097). 
Prince Alfred Hospital. The principal articles are im- 
ported direct from England ; for articles not imported requisi- 
tions are drawn on the two leading importing houses every 
alternate six months (£722 ; surgical instruments, &c., £369 ; 
average number of x>atients 138). 
St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, purchases from the various 
druggists at ruling prices (£428). 
Some hospitals purchase drugs and medicines as required, 
from wholesale Sydney firms (Bathurst £206), from Messrs. 
Elliott Bros. (Queanbeyan £26), or from the local chemists 
(Glen Innes £9 10s. ; Muswellbrook £30 ; Bombala £10), in 
the last case the chemist allows 25 per cent, off retail prices. 
In several others the medical officer supplies all the medicines 
either at a monthly rate (Cobar, £74) or a monthly account 
(Hill Lane, £38), or on account (Warialda, £41; at this hos- 
pital articles likely to be required in quantities are obtained 
direct from Sydney) ; or at a fixed salary (Wellington, Condo- 
bolin, Coonamble, Narrabri, and Scone). At these hospitals 
the medical officer does the dispensing. At Woolongong 
drugs are obtained “ on medical order,” probably on the local 
chemist. 
Of the hospitals obtaining drugs by tender most do so on 
January 1 for the whole year (Young, £29 10s. for medicines ; 
sundries are charged at ten per cent, above Sydney wholesale 
XU’ices, Grenfell, £27 ; Kempsey, £130; Braidwood, January 6, 
£20). 
Others are called in February for the year (Temora, £28 ; 
Inverell, £38; Newcastle, £105), or in February and July 
(Parkes, £6 7s.). At the Wilcannia Hospital (£45) tenders 
are called two or three times a year, but at no specified times. 
At Wagga Wagga (£65) tenders have recently been called for 
the first time. Mr. E. Band obtained the contract, birt it is 
not yet decided for how long. At Forbes (£30) the drugs are 
ordered in the usual way from Elliott Bros, in January and 
July. At Albury (£64) a stock is purchased once a year, and 
added to as required. 
In New Zealand, hospitals have been brought by the Hos- 
pitals and Charitable Institutions Act of 1885 under the 
control of District Boards comiiosed of representatives ap- 
pointed by county and borough councils, road boards, and the 
like. These boards are incorporated bodies, having power to 
sue and be sued, &c., and to aj^point sums to be contributed 
towards the expenses of the board by the various contributory 
bodies. The board also receives subsidies from Government, 
which till 1890 will be ten shillings for every pound sterling, 
bequeathed, and one pound for every ]pound contributed by 
individuals or boards. No contract is to be entered into by 
any district board, the amount of which exceeds £10 except 
after public tender. 
There are 32 charitable institutions and 37 hospitals sub- 
ject to the operations of the Act. Of the latter we have 
received returns from thirteen. 
The Biverton Hospital (£50) imports part of its drugs, and 
obtains the rest locally; Greymouth (£148) orders from Eng- 
land, or from the New Zealand Drug Co., as required ; Dun- 
stan (£20) from N.Z. Drug Co., Dunedin, as required, Beefton 
(£82) orders from wholesale houses, as required, but tinctures 
and other preparations are made by the dispenser, David 0,. 
Preshaw ; Napier (£200) obtains them from local chemists in 
small quantities ; for Naseby (£42) the medical officer orders 
them as required ; at Patea the medical officer finds the 
drugs. 
Tenders are about to be called for the first time by the 
Thames Hospital (£225, much above the average) ; they are 
called for Christchurch Hospital (£354) on January 1st ; for 
Southland (Thames, South Island, £128) in May ; for Auck- 
land (£625) and Ashburton (£90) Hospitals in July; forLaw- 
rene (£239) in December ; for Boss (£50) as required. 
Queensland. 
In Queensland there seem to be about 30 hosj)itals. 
At Ingham (£54) the drugs are obtained not by tender; at 
the Children’s Hospital, Brisbane (£122) also, they are pur- 
chased in the ordinary manner ; at Charleville, opened only 
on December 1, 1885, they are ordered from Brisbane ; at 
Maytown (£21) from Berkley, Taylor and Co., Brisbane, 
without contract ; at Aramac (£35) from Elliott Bros. Lim., 
Brisbane ; at Maryborough t-hey were formerly obtained by 
tender, but during the last two years they have been supj)lied 
by a Brisbane wholesale house ; at Kennedy District Hospital, 
Bowen (£19) they are obtained from a local chemist, at a dis- 
count of 25 per cent, off retail prices. 
Tenders are called in December for January for the War- 
wick Hospital (£71) ; from March 1 at Peak Downs Hospital, 
Clermont (£189) ; in April at Bockhampton (£200) ; from 
August, at Boma(£220); on September 1 at Bundaberg (£109). - 
At the Brisbane Hospital they are contracted for in Novem- 
ber or December, at a ])ercentage on London prices, quoted in 
a given list (£1068) ; at Charters Towers in January and July, 
at 10 -pev cent, above wholesale prices (£298) ; at Mount 
Perry, at Cooktown, and Port Douglas, the acting surgeon 
finds medicines and disx>enses them. At Springsure stock is 
replenished as required (£41) ; at Stanthorpe the local chemist 
supplies all requisites at 10 per cent, below his usual charges ; 
at Toowoomba the medicines are purchased in the usual way 
(£136). 
South Australia. 
At the Adelaide Hospital tenders are called for January 1 
each year (£1195), in Adelaide, and also through the Agent- 
General, London; at Port Lincoln and Port Wallaroo they 
are called at the same times ; at Port Adelaide medicines are 
X>urchased from the local chemist. 
Victoria. 
Tenders are called for the twelvemonth from January 1 to 
December 31, at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne (£554) ; St. 
Arnaud Hospital (£148) ; Amherst (£118) ; and Portland 
