226 
THE CHEMIST AND DEUGGIST OF AUSTRALASIA, 
Oct. 1, 1895. 
TASMANIA. 
(from our own correspondents.) 
PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF TASMANIA. 
Meeting of Council. 
The ordinary monthly meeting of the Council was held 
at Miller’s Chambers, Murray-street, Hobart, on Monday, 
September 2, at 11 a.m. 
Present — Mr. H. C. Drake (in the chair), and Messrs. J. 
T. Weaver, H. T. Gould, and J. B. Hickson (Registrar). 
An apology was received from Mr. A. P. Miller, who had 
important business which prevented his attendance. 
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and 
confirmed. 
Correspondence was dealt with as follows : — From the 
Commissioner of Police, enclosing report from the Super- 
intendent of Police at Scottsdale, which showed that Mr. 
H. L. Fletcher had left the township, and Mr. Anderson 
D’Argavilie had come to take his place. Resolved that the 
necessary change of address be made in each case. From 
Mr. Ockleton, of Launceston, a gentleman who “coaches” 
candidates for the Preliminary Examination, complaining 
of the stiffness of the recent examination paper, and stating 
that he had put the candidate through the same examination 
since, with the result that he had passed it to his entire 
satisfaction and that of a Mr. Gye. It was decided to 
simply acknowledge the letter. Mr. Gould produced a long 
correspondence which Mr. Ockleton had addressed to Mr. 
Clemes, the examiner, and to himself on the same subject, 
which went far to show that the gentleman in question was 
aftlicted with cacoetlies Kcrihendi. Mr Ciemes had submitted 
a few specimens of the lad’s blunders, which proved that he 
was far from being prepared for such an examination. 
Financial Statement. 
The Hon. Treasurer submitted his half-yearly statement 
which showed that there was a balance in hand and in bank 
of £59 19s., with about £20 of outstanding subscriptions 
due. All liabilities were paid, and the financial position 
was therefore considered satisfactory. Several members 
were a good deal in arrears, some as much as three years, 
but it was hoped all would be paid before the end of the 
year. 
This was all the business, and the meeting closed. 
Hinsby & Clewer write to us that they obtained two first 
awards for the eucalyptus globulus oil at the Tasmanian 
Exhibition. 
Mr. E. R. Ash left Hobart last week for Victoria, where 
he intends to try and settle. We hope he will find an 
opening, and wish him all that is good, wherever he settles 
Business in Hobart is about as bad as we ever remember 
it. We might all take a holiday this mouth as far as busi- 
ness is concerned. 
Departure.— Mr. J. Whitton, formerly of Lygon-street, 
Carlton, Vic., took his departure for Sydney per s.s. Oonah 
on Saturday, August 21. Mr. Whitton has been for some 
time in the employ of Mr. A. P. Miller. Mr. Gavin (of 
Drake & Co.) was also a passenger by the same steamer, but 
merely on a holiday tour. 
The Annual Chess Match between Hobart and Laun- 
ceston clubs came off on Saturday, September 21. The 
games were played at the Telegraph-offices at the two cities, 
and the various moves wired through by Mr. F. P. Bowden, 
as usual. For Hobart, Mr. J. W. Toplis played, and 
amongst the Launceston players were Dr. Holmes and Mr. 
E. G. B. Powell. Hobart won all the games except one. 
Mr. W. T. H. Brown, M.H.A., moved in the House of 
Assembly the following resolution recently That it is 
desirable some steps should be taken to enable the meanest 
capacity to distinguish between strychnine and all other 
chemicals and articles of food having a similar appearance.” 
He said the cases of strychnia escaping detection when 
mixed with food were numerous. If strychnia were coloured 
in some distinctive fashion a good deal of that risk would 
vanish and many lives be spared. Had the drug been so 
coloured in the recent case at Bruni Island it would have 
been detected, and the child’s life saved. The Government 
Analyst, he said, approved of his motion, and stated that it 
was quite practicable. The motion was agreed to without 
opposition. 
The Victorian Preliminary Examination. —The 
examination in connection with the above was held at 
Hobart on Monday, September 2. Two candidates pre- 
sented themselves, and one has passed — Philip L. Andrews, 
an apprentice of Mr. Tomkys’, who passed the Tasmanian 
Preliminary some 12 months ago. A very unpleasant cir- 
cumstance happened during the examination, which has 
since been reported to the Pharmacy Board of Victoria, 
and the candidate implicated has been suspended from 
again presenting himself for a period of 12 months. More 
need not be said now than this, viz., that examiners should 
never allow candidates to sit at an open window, even if 
complaining of headache, and if they leave the room 
suddenly, the examiner, as at Hobart, should follow ! 
Miller’s Corner. — The lucky winner of the first prize in 
the V.D.L. lottery has been in Hobart since I last wrote, 
and everything is fixed up satisfactorily. Mr, Miller retains 
the control of his business, and has resumed, on what he 
considers most liberal terms, full control of the block of 
buildings, &c., hitherto occupied by him. Mr. Miller says 
Mr. Smith has been more liberal to him than he would have 
been to himself, so that naturally he is jubilant at the turn 
events have taken. It seems Smith has a partner named 
Hamilton, who always goes in with him into all his little 
speculations, such as sweeps on the Melbourne Cup, Ac., 
and, although the ticket was in Mr. Smith’s name only, and 
he might therefore have taken it all for himself, he said — 
“ Hamilton would have done the same by me if he had won 
it, and we have been mates for years, and have always 
understood that we shared the losses or gains obtained in 
this way.” Mr. Smith gave each of the little girls who 
drew the prize for him a gold watch suitably inscribed, and 
appears to have done everything in a handsome manner 
throughout. Mr. Miller has been heartily congratulated by 
the press of Hobart, as well as by his friends, at the happy 
termination of what, as a matter of course, has been a 
source of great worry and annoyance for some time past. 
The Pharmaceutical Society of Tasmania v. 
Castley Bros., grocers, of Launceston. This case came 
on before Mr. Whitfield, P.M., and Mr. Kent, J.P., at the 
Launceston Police Court, on Friday, September 20. The 
defendants were charged on the information of Mr. J. B. 
Hickson, Secretary of the Pharmaceutical Society of Tas- 
mania, with selling a drug — Anderson’s Corn Cure — without 
a license from the Court of Medical Examiners. The accused 
pleaded guilty after some hesitation. They had previously 
sent a notice to Mr. W. F. Stephens, the solicitor to the 
Society at Hobart, that they intended to do so, and desired 
all law costs saved. 
Every preparation had been made for the prosecution, 
and Mr. Gould had found on analysis that the bottle— a 
one-drachm phial — contained sulphuric ether with a trace 
of salicylic acid, and just coloured with Cannabis Indica. 
It was marked Is., and had been sold for 9d. to the pur- 
chaser. They had advertised this in connection with 
“ Toothache Exterminator” in the press for some time, and 
had been warned against selling them. When asked for the 
toothache remedy, they said, after a good deal of hunting 
about, that they had sold it all out, but would have more in 
in a few days. When Mr. Stephens received the letter an- 
nouncing that they intended pleading guilty, he sent full 
instructions to Mr. Mandall, the local Secretary, who ap- 
peared for the Society, and on the defendants finding no 
counsel present for the prosecution, it seemed doubtful how 
they would plead. Mr. Mandall, however, produced their 
letter, and the case proceeded. Armed with copious notes 
and a copy of a book which resembled the “ British Phar- 
macopoeia,” one of the defendants proceeded to the box, and 
began arguing as to the definition of a drug. The P.M. 
consulted with his colleague, and then proceeded to fine the 
defendants Is. and costs, remarking that “chemists had too 
much of a monopoly in patent medicines.” This case will 
not end here. A deputation from the Society intends wait- 
ing upon the Attorney-General (Hon. A. J. Clark) on Mon- 
day, September 23, at 10.30, to lay before him certain facts 
about this and another case, and get his opinion bn the duty 
of magistrates in carrying out the law. 
