132 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST OF AUSTRALASIA. 
May 1, 1887. 
Here the chemist writes in as occasion requires whatever 
suggests itself to him as most likely to change the mind of a 
would-be suicide, a la Dr. Murrell in his work, “What to do 
in cases of poisoning?” One member suggested to have only 
one kind printed, “Administer an emetic, and send for a 
doctor.” Would this be carrying out the intention of the 
Act? 
Dr. W. G. Weaver, son of the late Wm. Geo. Weaver, 
chemist, Hobart, has established himself in Hobart. He has 
been in charge of the quarantine station at Albany, being 
detained by an outbreak of scarlatina on board the s.s. 
Elderslie, of which he was surgeon in charge. 
. Local Competition. — I do not suppose you will receive 
many answers from Tasmania about co-operative stores, (your 
second enquiry on behalf of the interests of the trade). We 
have now protection here, and we have only one Dispensary 
(Friendly Societies Amalgamated) in Hobart. They employ 
a qualified chemist as dispenser, and call for tenders amongst 
the Hobart “ Knights of the Pestle,” for the supply of Drugs, 
&c., so it would be hard to say whether they injure business 
much; they might be worse than they are. 
(feom our own correspondent.) 
Launceston, April 25. 
There is not much of pharmaceutical interest this month to 
record. I forward you a full report of the case against Dr. 
Park, of Latrobe, under the Poisons Act, which took place on 
the 22nd March last, and is important as being the first case 
of the kind in Tasmania. 
An instance of the folly of want of reciprocity of regis- 
tration among the colonies has just come under my notice. 
A recently-passed major man of Victoria was desirous of 
taking a country business in New South Wales. The latter 
colony, it seems, will not register even a Victonan major, but 
will a Tasmanian certificate. He was therefore obliged to 
come over and register here, and then go to New South 
Wales. For this humiliating position of the Victorian major 
man is not the conservatism of that colony to blame, and the 
wide field of New South Wales closed against them in conse- 
quence ? Further comment is needless. 
At the examination on March 6 the following Launceston 
gentlemen secured their certificates as licensed dispensers of 
medicines : — Wm. J. AVoods, assistant to J, H. Lithgow ; 
Harold AVragg, in the employ of L. Fairthorne and Son ; and 
Alex. Nicholson, from the establishment of Hatton and Laws. 
Hubert J. Tracey, of Queensland, received a license at the 
same meeting of the court. 
THE SALE OF POISONS ACT 1886— FIRST 
PROSECUTION. 
At the Latrobe Police Court on Tuesday, March 22, before 
Mr. Kemp, Acting Police Magistrate, and Mr. J. M. Dooley, 
J.P., John Steel Park was charged by Sub-Inspector Collett 
under the Sale of Poisons Act, with having sold, on March 16, 
a quantity of laudanum, poison, without having the printed 
name of seller and the antidote for such poison on the wrap- 
per according to law, set down in 50 Victoria, No. 13, sections 
6 and 11. Sub-Inspector Collett prosecuted, Dr. Park de- 
fending himself. John Duncan deposed— I am a blacksmith, 
residing at Mount Bischoff. I obtained a bottle with lauda- 
num in it from a chemist down the street. The price was Is. 
I bought it to drink from an assistant in the shop, who asked 
no questions. I asked if it was genuine. The assistant told 
me that I had better not take too much of it. Cross-examined 
by defendant — After buying the laudanum I went over to 
Bockliff’s Club Hotel and called for a glass of brandy. I 
poured the laudanum into a glass and drank it down. Had 
some drink before going to the pharmacy. I had not been 
Tomiting. I had breakfast. Don’t know what I did after 
drinking. Don’t remember Dr. Smyth seeing me. I thought 
I put the bottle into my pocket. The assistant cautioned me 
not to take too much. I don’t know the name of the owner 
of the shop. The little boy gave me the bottle. John Henry 
Asher, late manager and owner of the pharmacy, Latrobe, de- 
posed — I was manager for Dr. Park at the Pharmacy some 
time ago. I had the making up of prescriptions and medi- 
cines. The writing on the bottle produced looks like Morey’s, 
who is at the pharmacy. I know the labels on the bottle and 
wrapper ; they come from the pharmacy. I think the bottle 
has had laudanum in it, but will not swear it. There are no 
other chemists’ shops at Latrobe where they sell medicines 
labelled the same as the bottle produced. R. S. Smyth, medi- 
cal practitioner, of Latrobe, deposed — I believe the bottle pro- 
duced contained laudanum. It is a loz. bottle, and such a 
quantity of landanum would be sufficient to kill a person if 
he took the whole of it. It is a poison in any medium 
quantity. There are several antidotes. I should say mustard 
and water given directly after the poison would have the effect 
of assisting in a recovery from the effects of the poison. Sul- 
phate of zinc and sulphate of copper are also antidotes. There 
are other means for assisting a recovery. The above antidotes 
are simple ones. There is no antidote printed on the bottle, 
neither is the name of the seller on the bottle. I have read 
the Act regulating the sale and use of poisons. If I were the 
owner of a chemist’s shop, I would not consider I had com- 
plied with the meaning of the Act if poison was sold as this 
laudanum was from the pharmacy. By the Bench — Sulphate 
of zinc will assist in producing a good effect after taking lauda- 
num. By defendant — An ounce of laudanum is a poisonous 
dose for a man. It might not poison a person in the habit of 
taking it. I have never read of persons taking a pint or half a 
pint of laudanum with impunity. (Here the defendant be- 
came personal, which conduct was immediately checked by 
the Bench.) By the Bench — Mustard and water is about the 
best ordinary antidote. Sub-Inspector Collett deposed — On 
the night of March 16th I took into custody the man John 
Duncan, who gave evidence this morning, I thought at the 
time the man was drunk, and brought him to the watohhouse. 
On searching him at the station I found the bottle produced 
in his trousers’ pocket. I could then see by his manner that 
there was something more the matter than drunkenness. Not 
knowing what to do, I sent for Dr. Smyth, the Government 
medical officer. It was then after 11 o’clock. The doctor 
came to the watohhouse and said he thought the man was out 
of danger as he must have been vomiting. On the following 
morning I asked the man where he got the bottle from. He 
told me he got it at the chemist’s shop. I showed it to Morey 
the next morning, and he told me it was his handwriting, and 
that he had sold it. The wrapper does not contain the name 
of the poison printed on it. The name of the seller is not 
printed thereon. By defendant — I arrested the man outside 
Rockliff’s Hotel. He seemed to be drunk, but was shivering 
and convulsive. He was vomiting when I found him. He 
did not continue to vomit. He was not rational. He could 
not speak or give a straightforward reply. I sent for Dr. 
Smyth. I was not present when the doctor saw the man. I 
would know that you were proprietor of the Pharmacy, as I 
have seen the name over the door, and on a card in the win- 
dow. If any medicine came from the pharmacy I should 
know, and believe it was from your pharmacy. After an ex- 
cited address from the defendant, the Bench found the defend- 
ant guilty, and imposed a fine of £1, with costs of £1 13s. 
The Homceopathic Pharmacy, Launceston, has adopted 'a 
very effective and legitimate method of making known its 
claims on the public, by publishing, at the price of sixpence, a 
very neat pamphlet, entitled, “ The Medical Companion,” 
containing simple remedies for common complaints, what to 
do in case of an emergency, hints to mothers, health mottoes, 
etc. The directions are, of course, homceopathic throughout. 
There is no doubt that if people knew what to ask for they 
would buy more frequently. Information such as is given 
here is a distinct help to trade. 
Chemists’ Circulars. — Mr. Hy. \V. AV. Guest, late of 
Moonta, S.A., and now of Geyer & Co., 9 Hindley-street, 
Adelaide, has sent us copies of a “ New Circular of Drugs and 
Specialities, manufactured by himself,” which he issued in 
1885. He is good enough to say that he took some ideas on 
the matter from our London journal, thus putting to the very 
use they were designed for, the suggestions of our Editor. 
The circular is in four parts, Remedial Specialities, Toilet 
Requisites, Culinary and Household articles, Veterinary- 
medicines. If we may be allowed any criticism, it is that the 
circular gives too much information in one packet. The 
public has a very poor digestion for advertisements, and 
“ little and often ” is the best means of building up a strong 
faith in the virtues of a chemist, without any relapses from 
surfeit or indigestion. It is amazing how little is said by 
he most successful modern advertisers, but they never tire 
Q t saying it. 
