142 THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST OP AUSTRALASIA. May 1, 1887. 
PATENT MEDICINES AND DISPENSING ARRANGE- 
MENTS. 
To the Editor of The Chemist and Druggist of Australasia. 
Sir, — You, Sir, as Editor of this journal, if sincere 
in advocating the interests of the chemists, should help 
he trade by refusing insertion, in your paper, of adver- 
tising matter lauding every new patent medicine and pro- 
prietary rubbish, which is being continually found in the 
market. You can scarcely serve two masters. Drop one side 
or the other, and be sincere. 
I would also like i o draw your attention sufficiently to cause 
you to make some remarks on the abject servility many of the 
trade display in their attitude towards doctors, by continually 
running after them and toadying to them in every form. 
What do you think of the system I have, only lately, seen in- 
troduced here, of supplying doctors with blank forms for pre- 
scriptions, such as 1 enclose ? How the medical men must 
despise us for resorting to such underhand methods of cutting 
■each other’s throats. You will notice that the one prescrip- 
tion has had the chemist’s name, which was at the head of 
the paper, cut off by the doctor. The other man hearing that 
this was done got his blank forms fprinted as you see, i.e., 
with the chemist’s name and address in the middle of the 
back of the form, so that it cannot be cut off. Can such 
•degrading measures be carried any further ? If we all run 
after the doctors what can they think of us? I should also 
like something said as to the practice of doctors and chemists 
entering into a contract, and prescriptions being so written, 
that the medicine ordered can be understood by the one mean 
wretch only. Is that honest to the patient ? and if the sys- 
tem becomes universal what is the great majority of the trade 
to do, without counting the scores of young men who are fit- 
ting themselves for a business, which will not give them a crust 
if the above evils are perpetuated ? 
I think the following also calls for some remark : Perliaps 
you have noticed'that every tinker or cobbler who, having suc- 
ceeded in introducing some rot on the market, straightway 
concocts a pill, than which, no other must be taken whilst 
the customer is using the Siegel’s Syrup— Fruit Salt — Safe 
cm-e — or the hundred and one other nostrums on the market. 
Every dodge to take the bread from us. — Yours truly, 
E. G. 
New Zealand, March 30, 1887. 
[As to the first point raised by our correspondent we natu- 
rally have every desire to help chemists, but we cannot see 
how it would be doing this to exclude from our pages 
advertisements of such , articles as Blackett’s Dialysed 
Iron, Sadler’s Dentifrice, Abraham’s Tills, Bonnington’s 
Iceland Moss, Squires’ Chemical Food, and similar pre- 
parations made by chemists ; nor do we know how a line 
could be drawn which would include all these, and exclude all 
■others whose proprietors do not happen to be pharmacists 
held in high esteem. 
The custom is growing in Australia as well as New Zealand, 
of chemists supplying doctors with prescription forms with 
their name and address printed thereon. We have before 
us a bolder stroke than that sent by our correspondent. 
An elaborate form, with the doctor’s monogram, hours 
of consultation, address, Ac., has on the back — “ This 
prescription to be dispensed at ’s Homoeopathic 
Pharmacy, street, three doors from the 
Town Hall.” Fortunately the growing education of the 
people leads them to disregard such devices, or the specimens 
sent would not have reached us. But, probably, a polite word 
to the doctor, pointing out that the use of such forms is un- 
fair to chemists, and derogatory to his own high standing, 
would have good effect. 
The subject of doctors’ arrangements with chemists will 
come up for discussion in our pages shortly. At present we 
■can only say, that while many leading pharmacists condemn 
it, other leaders are among the offenders. — En.] 
74/30 COMPOSITION POWDER, FORMULA AND DI- 
RECTIONS FOR USE. Dr. Coffin’s formula is Bayberry 
bark 4oz., Canadian pine (Pinus Canadoisis) 2oz., ginger 2oz., 
cayenne 2drs., cloves 2drs. Broadbent’s “ Australian Botanic 
Guide” gives the following Bayberry bark 2oz., ginger loz., 
Pinus Canadensis and Virg. snake root each Joz.; cinnamon, 
cloves, prickly ash, each Idrm., cayenne l^drm. Dose, one 
teaspoonful in a cupful of hot water, sweetened. Hot milk 
may be substituted if preferred. A milder mixture may be 
made in the case of children by putting in less of the 
powder. 
25/30 F. U. — It was in June, 1886, that our London 
journal was asked for the formula of CALOumc Fluid for 
dentists, to be used in the painless extraction of teeth. The 
reply was — “A solution of tannin and phenol in absolute 
ether was at one time used by painting on the gums, but it 
generally removed the epithelium. Cocaine is now em* 
ployed.” To this we would add that cocaine will relieve the 
pain of the laceration of the gums by the forceps, but not that 
caused by the rupture of the nerve at the base of the fang. 
Dec. Aloes. Co. Conc. — Dear Sir — Some of your readers 
may be able and willing to tell me how to make or procure 
Decoct. Aloes Co Conc. (1 to 7} one to seven, as in the 
following? I have seen 1 to 3 advertised in the B.P. 
Decoction of 30dr. there is 8dr. of Tr. Cardam Co. 
Dec. Aloes. Co. Conc. — Ext. Cascarie SagradcC, fl, ji. 
Decoct. Aloes Co. (conc. 1 to 7) ji. Spt. Chlorof., 5 ij. Aq 
Menth. Pip. ad. ^ij. Misc 5ij, scr. in die. — Modern Athens* 
Stub cuts’ Comer. 
^^Competition is the best training^ 
As stated in our last issue, the replies to the fourteenth com- 
petition should be delivered at our office not later than the 
15th inst. We hope there may be a goodly number of papers 
sent in. 
COMPETITION No. 15. 
In order to afford an equal opportunity to competitors resid- 
ing at a great distance from Melbourne, we will, as heretofore, 
publish the questions six weeks before the papers are required. 
For the same reason we have no report to make this month. 
QUESTIONS. 
1. What do you understandby allotropy? Give as many 
examples as you can. 
2. Define clearly, in at least two ways, the process of Ger- 
mination, describing the conditions favourable to the same. 
3. How may fixed oils be classified ? Furnish a list of those 
included in the pharmacopoeia, and state the botanical and 
geographical sources of the plants tha^t yield them. 
Answers to the above must reach us by June 15. 
The rules to be observed appeared in our January number. 
The Editor of The Chemist and Druggist of Australasia. 
Dear Sir, — I was very pleased to see that my papers had 
obtained first prize in your competition. Seeing a letter 
from “English Major” in your columns re increasing the 
popularity of the competitions, I most heartily concur with 
your correspondent, that something is necessary to awaken 
the interest of students in them. The suggestions he makes 
seem to me to be very plausible, and if some such sugges- 
tions were carried, I do not really see why these competitions 
should not be looked forward to with increased interest by a 
large number of students willing to benefit themselves by 
them. — Yours, Ac., 
JOHN A. ANDERSON. 
Ballarat, April 4, 1887. 
The Medical Age publishes the following paragraph as an 
instance of the universal talent of druggists A gentleman 
received a note from his lawyer which he was unable to de- 
cipher. On his way to his office he met a friend at the door 
of a druggist’s shop. The friend, after vainly attempting to 
read the note, suggested that they step inside and hand it to 
the druggist without comment. The druggist, after studying 
it in silence for a few minutes, stepped behind his prescription 
case and in a short time returned with a bottle of medicine, 
duly labelled and bearing directions. When the gentleman 
saw his lawyer he was informed that the note was a notice for 
him to call at his office between 3 and 4 p.m. on the following 
day. 
