136 
May 1, 1887. 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST OP AUSTRALASIA. 
and combustible nature. It was shipped in London as sheep- 
wash, and this discrepancy between the fictitious name and 
the I’eal character of the article has been pointed out in a 
communication to the manager of the Australian and New 
Zealand Underwriters’ Association in London, with a request 
that he will bring the matter under the notice of the Board of 
Trade with a view to greater vigilance being exercised as to 
the nature of the consignments, so as to prevent the shipping 
of dangerous articles under names usually given to goods of a 
harmless character.” It was held by the plaintiffs that the 
defendants, by these words, had charged them with fraudu- 
lently concealing the nature of the bisul23hide of carbon 
shipped by them and in fact with shipping it as sheepwash. 
The facts of ths case as they came out in evidence were as 
follows : — Mr. Herbert Rocke was in London in 1884, and 
knowing that in 1885 tenders were likely to be called by 
the Government for the sup^dy of bisuliihide of carbon, he 
made some arrangements with his London manager. In 1885 
his firm secured a contract to sup 2 )ly 1000 drums, and tele- 
graphed to Mr. Ockenden, their London manager, to shij> the 
stuff. Mr. Ockenden, in June 1885, arranged with the mana- 
gers of the Anglo-Australian Steamship Co. for the shipping 
of the bisulphide. The Company knew it was dangerous, 
strong smelling, inflammable, and threw off a vapour. It was 
arranged that it should be carried as deck cargo at shippers’ 
risk and in lots of 12 tons measurement in each steamer, or 
more if possible. The bisulphide shijiped by the “Port 
^ctor” was not insured, but it was arranged that the captain 
should have a gratuity of 2s. 6d. for each crate of four drums 
Bafely delivered. A special receiving order was made out by 
the managers of the Company, with counterfoil as follows : — 
‘ No. 85, s.s. “ Port Victor,” for Melbourne, on account of 
Rocke, Tompsitt and Co. DescriiDtion of package 1968 | 2052, 
85 crates bisulifliide of carbon, 115 crates altogether, shijpped 
on deck at shippers’ risk.’ The order was originally issued 
for 8u crates only, but as the chemist could sup 2 )ly more it 
was ap'eed to let him alter the receiving order in accordance 
with the number of crates actually sent for shipment, and that 
when the number was known the counterfoil should be altered 
ac(^rdmgly. It was proved that the bisulphide was known 
to be such when it j)assed over the wharf to the shiji and that 
a special charge was made for carrying the goods from the con- 
veyance to the ship without lodging it in the shed. In the bill 
01 lading the goods were described as merchandise, and it was 
explained that this was the usual i^ractice as the Shij) 2 >ing 
ComjDany would have been liable if the parcel had ^Droved to 
contain anything but what was specified on the bill of lading. 
When the bisuliihide reached Melbourne it was all unshipped 
safely with the exception of one drum, which caught on a nail 
and was ri^Dped o^ien. The bisuljphide esca 2 )ed and jDoured 
over the clothes and boots of one of the stevedores, and the 
drum was thrown overboard. It is alleged that the men found 
me soles of their boots rotted off next morning. The late 
CaiDtain M‘Calluni, surveyor to the Underwriter’s Association, 
made a re^^ort to Mr. Cleverland, the secretary, which was 
printed as a circular and sent round to members of the Asso- 
ciation. The report stated that after much enquiry he had 
feund that the carbon bisulphide was shipped as sheepwash. 
TheArguH^ after enquiry into the matter and on the strength 
of Captain M‘Cullum’s report published the paragraph com- 
plained of. These seem to be the leading facts of the case. 
1 • ^ lasting over two days found that the 
bisulphide^ was not shipj^ed as sheepwash, thus exonerating 
the plaintiffs of fraud, but on the questions — was the ^Dara- 
graph libellous, were the facts true on which comment was 
made, was the comment fair, and were the defendants guilty 
of malevolence ? They gave a general verdict for the defen- 
dants. A motion will be made for a new trial. 
Quack Mei>icines.— At the instigation of the Tlevald news- 
paper Mr. Blackett has analysed various nostrums which have 
been sold in Melbourne. He reports : — “ I have analysed the 
two samples of medicine which were submitted for examination 
No. 1, called ‘ Seal Oil,’ is composed chiefly of turpentine, some 
essential oil and fish oil, turpentine being the active ingre- 
dient, two-pennyworth of which would be of about the same 
value as an apiflication. No. 2, ‘ Praieie Flower,’ so-called, 
IS composed of aloes, carbonate of soda, cayenne pepper and 
Bome aromatic. Total amount of solid matter I found to be 
eleven per cent. Aloes is really the active agent. Being a 
powerful purgative, it ought not to be given indiscriminately, 
but under medical direction. ‘Prairie Flower’ is, therefore, 
an alkaline solution of aloes, made warm with cayenne (a very 
favourite substance with American quacks), is of little value 
other than as a common drastic and nauseous a^ierient. C. 
R. Blackett, F.C.S.” This was sold in large quantities by 
I “ Professor” Hartley, who of course contradicted the analy- 
sis. But a casual visitor at a wholesale druggist’s saw the 
Professor hand in an order for aloes, capsicum, Ac. The ex- 
posure seems to have driven him from Melbourne. 
Mr. J. H. A. Nash has opened a new pharmacy of^posite the 
Royal Park gates, in Flemiiigton-road. 
Septimus Ludwig, a German Jew, formerly country travel- 
ler to Stiles and Co., manufacturing chemists, North Fitzroy, 
was charged at the City Court on April 14, with obtaining 
money under false pretences. Since his discharge from the 
emifloy of Messrs. Stiles and Co. he has been travelling over 
the colony collecting money from their customers ostensibly 
on their behalf. He was committed for trial on Aiiril 26. 
Rabbit Poisoning. — At a meeting of the Bacchus Marsh 
Shire Council it was stated that chaff and arsenic is the best 
poison during the summer months; phosphorised grain is 
taken very well along the coast, and rough fresh country, but 
it is not a success in the warm districts of the colony. Car- 
bon (bisulphide) is extensively used, and is one of the best 
means for the destruction of the pest. 
[ Chloride of Lime for Thistle Destruction. — The Bun- 
! garee farmers see no reason why they should not have a share 
of Government money. Mr. Pearson, the chemist of the 
Department of Agriculture, reports that the application of half 
a ton of chloride of lime to an acre would destroy all thistles 
in one season. Thereupon the Bungaree Shire Council resolved 
that the Government ought to supply chloride of lime to the 
farmers at £4 a ton delivered at Ballarat instead of £8 or £9, 
a inuce offered by Mr. Mansfield, and that the Government 
should be asked to take steps as early as possible to enable 
this to be effected. 
Fish Oils. — At a recent meeting of the Field Naturalists’ 
Association, Mr. A. M. Cornwall exhibited specimens of oils 
I in’epared from the following fishy and other sources in ^Yestem 
I Port: — Bull shark ( Odontaapis Titarus) ; Yellow-sided dolphin 
I (Dolphinus novm zealand'ue) ; Piked dog-fish (Acanthias 
I (TnjgonPastUiaca) Mutton-bird (Puf- 
, fums Bvevicauda)\ Fiddler (Trighirina Fasciata.) The 
j first two are of good colour and odour, and oil of bull shark is 
used by the fisherman as a substitute for cod liver oil, and 
externally for cuts, bruises, Ac. The three last are muddy 
and strong smelling, but all are used by curriers, Ac., in the 
colony. 
TRADE MARKS— FIJI. 
The Trade Marks Registration rules have been published 
in the Fiji official gazette. The following are the fees 
apf)roved : — 
£ a. d. 
On application to register trade-mark for one or more articles 0 5 0 
For registration of a trade-mark . . . . . . ..100 
Where the same person is registered at the same time for more 
than one trade-mark, for registration of each additional 
trade-mark after the first . . . , . , . . 0 10 0 
For entering notice of objection, for each trade-mark . . ..100 
For registering subsequent proprietor, for each trade-mark . . 0 10 0 
For altering address on the register . . . . . . ..050 
For every entry in the register of a rectification thereof, or an 
alteration therein not otherwise charged . . . . . , 0 10 0 
For continuance of trade-mark on or before day of expiration 
of seven years .. .. .. ..100 
Additional fee when fee is paid within six months after expir- 
ation of seven years .. .. .. .. ..100 
Additional fee for restoration of trade-mark when removed for 
non-payment of fee . . . . . . . . ,.200 
For certificate for each trade-mark . . . . . . ..050 
For inspecting register .. .. .. ..OlO 
For office copy of documents, per folio of seventy-two (72) words 0 0 6 
Settling a special case .. .. .. .. ..100 
For a sketch or copy of a trade-mark, such fee as may be de- 
termined in each case by the Registrar General. 
The following was written in reference to a prescription for 
four powders, one to be taken three times a day ; — Please am 
j I to give one powder for a dose, or am I to make three halves 
j of the powder. Mrs. E. 
' Prevention op Phylloxera.— Professor E. W. Hilgard, of 
I Berkely, Cal., states that it is perfectly practicable to iirotect 
I vines planted in infested ground from attacks coming from 
I without, by surrounding the stocks with a layer of mercurial- 
‘ ised soil, eight to ten inches thick. 
