Vol. ii., No. 5. 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST OF AUSTRALASIA. 
117 
men, and to remove from the register, after due notice and 
hearing of objections, all persons who if retained would be a 
danger to the public by reason of habitual intoxication, mis- 
demeanour, or professional offence. 
To ensure that the law is properly observed experience 
shows that it is necessary to have a body actively interested 
in the matter and endowed with sufficient funds to carry it 
out. It is found that Government officials, the police, and all 
persons ordinarily entrusted with the administration of the 
law only get interested when injury has been done and then 
hasten to lock the stable door. The Pharmaceutical bodies 
have the constant interest but not the funds. If South 
Australian chemists are public spirited enough they will do 
without voluntary defence funds, they will endeavour to dis- 
pense with the distinction of Pharmacy Board and Pharma- 
ceutical Society, of “registered chemist” and “member of 
the society,” and will agree that membership of the Society, 
and not mere registration, shall be the qualification for carry- 
ing on business, and that the qualification shall terminate 
with the annual subscription. This will give the Society 
strength of numbers and of funds, and will enable it by 
judicious selection of points of attack to hold the act always 
in terrorem over offenders. 
One other point seems worth mentioning. In the interests 
of chemists it is advisable that the Act which deals with the 
sale of poisons should deal also with pharmacy. It is not 
well that there should be any separation, as in that case the 
Pharmacy Act comes to be looked upon as merely protective 
and trades-union-like. 
Several minor points deserve consideration, but these will 
come up for discussion on the draft of the bill itself. 
THE PHARMACY BOARD OF VICTORIA AND THE 
FEDERAL STORE. 
We call the attention of our readers to the report given 
-elsewhere of the argument in this case. It will be seen that 
in reply to observations from the Bench, Mr. Hodges threw 
out a very acute remark. It was observed that in section 2 of 
the Pharmacy Act, carrying on business as a chemist and 
•druggist is defined as keeping open shop for the compounding 
■and dispensing of prescriptions, and it was suggested that 
this limited the meaning of the words in section 18, which 
inflicted a penalty on unqualified persons who carried on the 
business of a chemist and druggist. Mr. Hodges replied in 
effect that the cases were quite different. In the first section 
the Legislature desired to save the rights of certain persons, 
hut even then they would not extend that to persons who had 
not been in the habit of dispensing prescriptions. But in the 
penal clause the intention was different and the carrying on 
business is not limited to the dispensing of medicines. 
According to this distinction a person would be carrying on 
the business of a chemist and druggist if he sold medicines, 
\vhether he made them up himself or they were made up else- 
where, even in England- This, of course, is not a legal 
(decision, but it is interesting as a possible interpretation of 
the Act, and still more so as it was thrown out in the heat of 
argument without possibility of premeditation. 
PRIZE FOR BEST SERIES OF POISON LABELS. 
The Sale of Poisons Act, Tasmania, requires that poisons 
sold wholesale or retail shall bear a label with the 
name of the poison, the name and address of the seller, 
and the simple antidote, if any, and also the word “ poison ” 
printed conspicuously in red letters on a separate label. The 
New Zealand Act requires the word “poison ” to be in white 
letters on a red ground, the letters to be in block type of. not 
less than a quarter of an inch in length and one-eighth of an 
inch in breadth. All colonies require that the label should 
bear the word “poison,” the name of the poison, and the 
name and address of the seller. The Court of Medical 
Examiners of Tasmania has been asked to prepare a series of 
poison labels such as will comply with the requirements of 
the Act, but has declined to take any steps in the matter, 
if, indeed, the responsibility can be properly placed upon 
their shoulders. We think our readers have the best 
knowledge of the requirements of the public and of their own 
bu|sinesses. We invite them to submit their ideas to open 
-competition. We would suggest that all colonies should unite 
to give us their ideas. It is not compulsory anywhere but in 
Tasmania to place the name of the antidote on the label, but 
we believe that, if suitable labels were prepared, they would be 
very generally adopted by all chemists who properly appreciate 
the responsibility of their position. 
We therefore offer a prize of 
TWO GUINEAS 
for the best series of poison labels. The labels need not 
be printed. Competitors should send in their papers with 
a motto, by May 15. Each Pharmacy Board in the different 
colonies will be asked to appoint one of its number to examine 
the labels sent in and to give their opinion as to which is the 
best ; and the competitor who gets the votes of most of the 
colonies will be awarded the prize. Below is a complete list 
of the poisons which require to be labelled in any or all of the 
colonies : — 
Acetic Acid 
Aconite 
„ Preparations or 
Alkaloids, all Poisonous Vegetable 
„ their Salts 
Almonds, Essential Oil, unless deprived or Prussic Acid 
Ammoniated Mercury 
Arsenic 
Arsenical Preparations 
Belladonna 
„ Preparations 
Bromide of Potassium 
Calabar Beans 
Cannabis Indica 
„ „ Preparations 
Cantharidei 
„ Tincture 
„ ALL Vesicating Liquid Preparations 
Carbolic Acid 
Chloral Hydrate 
Chlorodyne 
Chloroform 
CONIUM 
,, Preparations 
Copper Subacetate 
Corrosive Sublimate 
„ „ Preparations 
Croton Oil 
„ Seeds 
Cyanide of Potassium 
Cyanides, All Metallic 
Digitalis 
Elaterin 
Elaterium 
Emetic Tartar 
Ergot of Rye 
„ Preparations 
Essential Oil op Almonds, unless deprived of Prussic 
Acid 
Ether 
Euphorbium 
Foxglove 
Goulard’s Extract 
Hellebore 
Hemp, Indian 
„ ,, Preparations 
Hyoscyajhus 
„ Pbbparations 
Iodide of Potassium 
Iodine 
Laudanum 
Laurel Water 
Mercury, Red Precipitate 
„ White „ 
„ Corrosive Sublimate 
Morphine 
„ Preparations 
Nitric Acid 
Nux Vomica 
Oil of Almonds, Essential, unless deprived op Prussic 
Acid 
Opium 
„ ALL Preparations 
Oxalic Acid 
Podophyllum 
Poppies, all Preparations other than Laudanum 
Potassium Bromide 
„ Iodide 
Prussic Acid 
Red Precipitate 
Santonine 
Satin 
„ Oil 
SCAMMONY 
Stramonuim 
Strychnine 
„ Preparations 
Subacetate of Copper 
Sulphate of Zinc 
Sulphuric Acid 
Tartar Emetic 
Valerian 
Verdigris 
Vermin, Killers 
„ „ containing any Scheduled Poison 
White Precipitate 
Zinc Sulphate 
