222 
THE CHEMIST AND DEUGGIST OF AUSTRALASIA 
Oct. 1 , 1895 
QUEENSLAND. 
Of the 386 persons who became insolvents durin^f the year 
1894, four were chemists, with liabilities amounting to 
£46,572, and assets £43,598. One only was a medical prac- 
titioner, with liabilities £211, and assets £666. 
Mr. N. Girney, of Gladstone, is in Brisbane, on his way 
to the south for an extended trip, which will probably em- 
brace Tasmania and New Zealand. During his absence his 
business will be managed by Mr. R. B. G. Rose, late of 
Hughenden. 
Mr. T. be Bracy, of Rockhampton, was in town for a few 
days. He reports that the understanding which existed 
between the chemists in that town has fallen through, and 
that there is in its place the same independent action which 
existed before the days of the agreement. 
Arsenic and Strychnine Antidotes.— The Central 
Board of Health has issued a circular describing the symp- 
toms of poisoning by arsenic and strychnine, and giving 
detailed treatment. Moist peroxide of iron is recommended 
to be made by adding powdered washing soda to steel drops 
until effervescence ceases. To be poured on a handker- 
chief and the sediment squeezed dry. 
“Injustice to Queensland.” Mr. J. n. M‘Kee, who 
recently returned to Ireland, not being satisfied with this 
colony, writes : — “ My lioiirs here are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with 
an hour each for dinner and tea — that is, 10 hours work 
a day. No night or Sunday duty, and a civilised climate 
thrown in for nothing as well, so I can't grumble.” 
Another injustice to Queensland. 
A Memorandum of Information is being distributerl 
by the Pharmaceutical Society to all the chemists, chemists’ 
assistants, and apprentices in the colony. Should anyone 
who would like to have a copy not receive one, he has only 
to apply to the Secretary of the Pharmaceutical Society, 
Brisbane. It i6 hoped that the information supplied will 
clear away the doubts which exist as to what are the 
functions of the Board and Society ; at the same time the 
particulars of the examinations of the Board should prove 
generally useful to embryo chemists. 
Chemists’ Assistants’ Institute. -A special meeting 
was summoned for Tuesday evening, August 13, to 
consider the application from Rockhampton for a branch 
to be formed in that town. Owing to the heavy rain 
which fell during the evening some of the members 
were unable to be present, and the meeting lapsed for 
want of a quorum. The ordinary meeting was held on 
Tuesday evening, September 10. One new member was 
proposed. Permission was granted to the members living 
in the Central district to form a branch at Rockhampton, 
the expenses of the branch to be defrayed out of the sub- 
scriptions received from the local members. 
A Lodge Patient and Six Gross of Pills. — A chemist 
reports being called upon to make up six gross of Blaud’s 
pills for a lodge patient. He supplied half the quantity, and 
refused to give more until the patient had taken these. 
The case was submitted to arbitration, and the decision was 
that the chemist should have supplied the quantity ordered, 
as the patient lived in the bush. The fact that there were 
three mails a week to the patient's residence, and that the 
chemist was quite willing to supply any quantity when it 
required, had no weight. The chemist had no occasion 
to supply the second three gross, as the patient died, and it 
was ascertained that only two or three dozen out of the first 
three gross had been taken. Query~\Vere the doctor and 
chemist on the best of terms? 
Pharmacy Board of Queensland v. Dixon.— On 
Friday, September 20, an application was made by Mr. 
Virgil Power, with him Mr. A. S. Lilley {instructed by Mr. 
T. O. Cowlishaw), before Mr. Justice Real, in Chambers, for 
an order nisi to quash the conviction of the magistrates 
made on the 11th inat. After hearing argument, His 
Honour granted the order returnable at the next sittings of 
the Full Court on the following grounds:— (1) That the 
complaint discloses no offence in that “carboys” and the 
words “manufacturer of homoeopathic medicines” are not 
signs withip the meaning of section 26 of the Pharmacy Act 
1884; (2) that the complaint is bad for uncertainty in that 
the words “and other vessels and articles commonly ex- 
hibited by chemists and druggists” are too general, and in 
tliat the offence is charged in the disjunctive or alternative; 
and (3) that evidence was improperly admitted. 
Prosecutions under Poisons Act.— At the Police 
Court, Goondiwindi, Henry Ah Foo, tlie proprietor of a 
general store, was charged with selling a box of “ Rough on 
Rats.” The defendant pleaded guilty, but stated there was 
no intention of breaking the law. The package had been 
handed to the constable who purchased it by a youth who 
was acting as defendant’s assistant and without his know- 
ledge. It had been procured for the purpose of ridding the 
store of mice and not for sale, no more had been sold. The 
bench pointed out that the Act relating to the sale of poisons 
was very strict, and that the defendant had rendered him- 
self liable to a tine of £20, and after commenting on the 
danger of keeping a deadly poison among ordinary sale 
goods, where it could be handed over the counter by a boy 
to whoever chose to ask for it, imposed a tine of £4 with £2 
8s. lOd. professional and witnesses’ expenses and costs of 
court. 
Bismuth in Queensland.— The annual report of the 
Queensland Mining Department for 1894 tells ns that the 
Mount Biggenden mine i.s principally worked for bismuth, 
but contributed 394 ozs. of gold as a by-product. The 
machinery has been greatly improved, and after the ore 
leaves the mine hardly any handling is required in the pro- 
cess of bringing it up from perhaps 1 or 2 per cent, to 
something over 30 per cent. Some new bismuth discovery 
has also been made near Mount Hastings, not far from the 
former mine. Bismuth is raised only in two mining dis- 
tricts— Gayndah and Ravenswood. In 1H93, 55 tons, valued 
at £8700, were raised in the Gayndah district, and 19 tons, 
valued at £1976, in the Ravenswood district. In 1894 the 
quantity was 35 tons, valued at ,£4680, in the Gayndah dis- 
trict, and 30 tons, valued at £1590, from the Ravenswood 
district. The statement of exports, however, accounts for 
only 36 tons 3 cwts., valued at £4702. 
Bills of Sale. — The statistics of Queensland for 1894, 
which have just been published, give an interesting state- 
ment as to the number and amount of bills of sale registered 
and released during the year 1894, and the occupations of 
the persons giving the bills of sale. The total number of 
bills of sale registered during the year was 3160, and the 
amount £3,217,278. We refer to the figures because in the 
table of occupations we find that 30 chemists— 25 in the 
southern, and 5 in the northern divisions— gave bills of sale 
amounting to over £2400. This seems to be a larger propor- 
tion than can be found in any other occupation, when the 
character of the business and the value of the stocks is taken 
into consideration. Thus the number of bills of sale given 
by drapers was only 11 ; the amount, £17,471. Of grocers, 
23 ; the amount under £1200. Storekeepers, the number 
was larger— 73— but the totals under £3000. A striking 
fact in connection with the bills of sale is that only 59 were 
released daring the year. 
Bowen Downs Poisoning Case.— At the Police Court, 
Muttaburra, Robert Langhorne, Michael Maher {alias 
Baxter, alias Ferguson, alias McMahon, alias Alick Piper), 
and George William' Bristowe have been charged before Mr. 
E. F. Craven, police magistrate, on suspicion of murdering 
John Henry Thomas by putting poison in the food at the 
shearers’ mess at Bowen Downs on July 18. Some of the 
evidence has been published, but it has been decided by the 
bench that it would not be advisable in the interests of 
justice to publish some of the witnesses’ names nor their evi- 
dence at present. Of the evidence made public the most im- 
portant is the manager’s. Tie produced a letter from the senior 
police coBstable at Aramac, and dated August, 1894 warn- 
ing him of a rumour that three men were leaving the union 
camp there with the intention of poisoning the food of the 
free labourers at Bowen Downs if they could get the chance 
by being taken on. Other evidence showed that two of the 
accused declined to take an emetic when the men were ill, 
and that the third kept out of the way when the poisoned 
dinner was placed on the table. The case stands remanded 
until September 26, but will be resumed should witnesses 
arrive before that date. 
