218 
Oct. 1, 1895. 
THE CHEMIST AND DEUGGIST OF AUSTRALASIA. 
NEW ZEALAND. 
tiona except the water. The new tariff will make P. D. & 
Co.’s and all other proprietary articles subject to an ad 
valorem duty of 40 per cent. 
^ One for the Parson.— Country chemist, pounding some 
Had. SeneoiC in a mortar to make Inf. Senegal. Enter clergy- 
man, who says — “He never can remember” which is the mortar 
and which the pestle. “ I can quote you Scripture to make 
you remember that,” said the chemist. “Can you though? 
What is it?” “Though thou shouldst bray a fool in a 
mortar among wheat, with a pestle, yet will not his foolish- 
ness depart from him,” Collapse of parson. 
Poisoning* Cases. — A well-known Christchurch photo- 
grapher, C. H. Manning, was found dead in his studio on 
beptember 11. A bottle which had contained nitrate of silver 
pointed to the cause of death, and financial worries and 
insomnia were afterwards adduced as supplying the reason. 
“Hough on Hats” was taken by an old man named J. 
Shepard, at Ivaiapoi, with fatal results. The poison was 
bought from Mr. W. M‘Kinney, chemist, on the statement 
that it was wanted for rats. 
Mr. T. H. Ellis, editor of SharlaiuVs Jour}ial, and one of 
the directors of the firm, visited Wellington during the 
middle of September, having come from Auckland with the 
object of interviewing the Government on tariff questions. 
It is to be hoped Mr. Ellis did some good, as there is doubt- 
less room for it ; but Ministers are apt to fancy that men 
who take long journeys in order to point out the iniquity of 
their proceedings are not always actuated by pure patriotism, 
and it often happens that more harm than good is done by 
such visits. 
Chemist Burnt Out. -A most disastrous fire occurred at 
Eketahuna at 2 a.m. on September 7. It started in a 
billiard room, near the railway station, and on account of 
the tierce gale which was blowing at the time it spread to 
six other buildings, including Mr. Kelso’s chemist’s shop. 
\'ery little could be saved, and as no water could be procured 
nothing could be done to check the progress of the fire. In 
less than an hour all that was left of the buildings 
named was a heap of smouldering ruins. A boarder at the 
Kailway Hotel had to jump from a window and had a 
narrow escape. Mr. Kelso, whose name does not appear on 
the Register of Pharmaceutical Chemists, was only insured 
to a small extent. 
Fruit Spraying.— The Hawke’s Bay Herald gives the 
following instructions for circumventing the ravages of the 
codlin moth : — “ The trees should be sprayed just as the 
fruit is forming — that is just before the blossoms fall, with 
a solution of 1 lb. of Paris green to 170 gallons of water ; 
then, ten days later, another dressing of 1 lb. Paris green in 
200 gallons of water. If possible, the Paris green should be 
obtained in paste, as when in powder it is difficult to get a 
thorough mixture. If a proper sprayer can be begged or 
borrowed — we don’t add stolen — it should be used, but an 
ordinary garden syringe will do, though wasteful, if the 
blossoms and branches are soaked. [Eull particulars about 
fruit spraying will be given in “ The Chemists’ and Druggists’ 
Diary” for the coming year. — Euitor.] 
Obituary. — Mr. John Baxter, chemist, of Christchurch, 
died there on the morning of September 12. He was a son 
of the Kev. Matthew Baxter, and took little part in public 
affairs, but was much respected for his private character. 
He had been suffering from Bright’s disease for some 
time. Mr. William H. Anthony, for many years head 
chemist at Mr. Welsman’s pharmacy at Napier, died 
early in the month. Prior to this appointment the deceased 
had been for some time in the employment of Mr. Barraud 
of Wellington. Quiet and unassuming in manner, he was 
generally liked. He was 46 years of age, and had been 
twice married, his second wife and a family of children sur- 
viving him. His first wife met her death in Wellington 
some years ago through an explosion of chemicals with 
which her husband was experimenting. 
Linseed Oil and the Tariff.— The duty of is. od. per 
gallon which was put on linseed oil has now been reduced to 
is. A deputation of men interested in the painting busi ness 
waited upon the (’olonial Treasurer, and made statements 
which must have been very gratifying to manufacturers of 
the oil. One man said it was “absolutely worthless for 
good work.” Another large buyer said he had packed back 
hundreds of drums of the oil as being too inferior to use. 
Then it was pointed out that it could not even be used in 
Government contracts, the English oil being stipulated for. 
Evidence has been published to the opposite effect ; also 
Mr. Ward, in dealing with this question, made a very 
characteristic statement, viz.: — “One section clamoured for 
increased duties and another for a reduction, and it was 
found difficult to decide between the contending parties.” 
The old story of the man and his ass. 
A Morphia Maniac. — A man named Benjamin Shure, 
a Russian Jew, managed to “ shuffle off this mortal coil” by 
taking morphia at Sydney a few weeks ago; he was found 
out while still alive and taken to the hospital, but all efforts 
failed to revive him. This gentleman has been known to 
try the game before, and one or two chemists have narrowly 
escaped coroner’s inquests over him. Some time ago he 
went to Mr. Fitz Gerald, in Wellington, and asked for some 
opium. He was told that opium could not be sold to 
strangers, but he assured Mr. Fitz Gerald that he knew all 
about it, and that he did not want to take it, but was going 
to conduct some experiments with it, and was very par- 
ticular that he should get exact weight, viz., 17 grains. He 
complied with the law and was saved. The next phase of 
the affair was that Mr. Fitz Gerald was consulted about a 
man who lived at the workingmen’s boarding house, and 
who was very ill after taking a powder. ThinMng the case 
looked a bit familiar, he went to see the man, and found it 
was his friend Mr. Shure who had taken the 17 grains of 
opium, and was in a comatose state. Mr. Fitz Gerald 
tumbled to the right antidote in a very short time, and not 
only gained credit for his remarkable diagnosis, but a 
guinea for his trouble as well. 
Customs Revision. — Something approaching to con- 
sternation was felt by the chemists of Wellington when 
they found on July 14 that the rise on tinctures which was 
announced to take place on January 1, 1896, was to date 
from September 14. Also that various other radical 
changes in the tariff had been made, viz.:— Acetic acid, n.o.e., 
containing not more than 30 per cent, of acidity, IJd. the lb.; 
for every additional 10 per cent, or fraction thereof of acidity, 
^d. the lb. Tinctures and medicinal spirits — Duty imposed 
by resolution of July 30, 1895, to come into operation from 
and after September 14, 1895. Photographic chemicals, in- 
cluding glacial acetic acid, 20 per cent ad valorem. Euca- 
lyptus oil, in bulk or bottle, 20 per cent, ad valorem. Patent 
medicines, 40 per cent, ad valorem. Proprietary medicines 
or medicaments— (1) Bearing the name of the proprietor on 
label or package ; (2) bearing a prefixed name in the posses- 
sive case; (3) not otherwise enumerated, prepared by any 
occult secret or art, 40 per cent, ad valorem. 
Free List. — Class V.— Drugs, Ac. : — Acids — viz., boracic, 
carbolic in bulk, tiuoric, muriatic, nitric, oxalic, oleic, pyro- 
gallic, salicylic, sulphuric. Disinfectants — -Drugs and che- 
micals — viz., alum, sulphate of aluminium, sulphate of 
ammonia, anhydrous ammonia, aniline dyes, arsenic, blue- 
stone or sulphate of copper, borax, catechu, chloride of 
calcium, nitrate of silver, cochineal, creosote — crude or com- 
mercial glycerine — crude gum — arabic and tragacanth 
gum benzoin, artificial gum arabic, gum damar, phosphorus, 
potash, caustic potash and chlorate of potash, pearlash, 
cyanide of potassium, sal-ammoniac, saltpetre, acetate of 
soda^ — crude soda -ash, caustic soda, nitrate of soda, silicate 
of soda, sulphate of soda, sulphide of sodium, strychnine, 
sulphur, chloride of zinc, iron sulphates, gall-nuts, turmeric, 
saffron, nitrous-oxide gas, tree washes, insecticides. Essen- 
tial oils, except eucalyptus, cod-liver oil, oil of rhodium. Scrub 
exterminator, sheep-dip, sheep-drenches. Surgical and 
dental instruments and appliances. Scientific and assay 
balances, retorts, flasks, and other appliances for chemical 
analysis and assay work. Water-hardening chemicals for 
brewers’ use. 
The Vinegar Question.— An interesting question as to 
whether an article sold, as table vinegar, but which on 
analysis proved to be a mixture of acetic acid, burnt sugar, 
sulphuric acid, ash, and water, came under the provisions 
