514 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST 
October 5, 1895 
Playing "with Explosives, 
At Blackburn, on Monday, William Cowell (17) was 
fummoned for breach of the Explosives Act. Defendant 
mixed a compound of potash and sulphur, and filled an iron 
nut into which an iron bolt was then inserted, and a heavy 
>stone dropped upon it. An explosion followed, the bolt 
tiding upwards and killing William Southworth, aged 13. 
'The Bench said the popular game amongst boys was most 
■dangerous. Defendant, who appeared to feel his position 
•acutely, was fined 10s. and costs. 
Plymouth Chemists’ Conference. 
At the conference to be held at Plymouth on October 16, 
the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great 
Britain (Mr. Michael Carteighe), together with Mr. C. B. 
Allen, member of the Council, Mr. K. Bremridge, Secretary, 
and Mr. E. M. Holmes, Curator, will be present, and take 
part in the proceedings. At 7 P m. on the same day the 
annual dinner of the Three Towns and District Chemists’ 
Association will take place at the Freemasons’ Hall, when 
the delegates will again be present. Chemists residing in 
Devon and Cornwall will in the course of a few days receive 
Dvitations to be present, and the largest gathering of 
knights of the pestle ” that has been known in the Western 
Counties is expected. 
L C.C. and Chemists’ Premises. 
At the weekly meeting of the London County Council, 
lield on Tuesday at the County Hall, Spring Gardens, it was 
resolved on the recommendation of the Building Act Com- 
mittee, “ That the consent of the Council be not given to the 
erection of a store-shed at Church Road, abutting upon 
Garden Wharf Lane, Battersea, as shown upon the plans 
submitted with the application of Messrs. Tinker & More- 
wood, on behalf of Messrs. May & Baker, manufacturing 
chemists, as it is considered undesirable to permit the erec- 
tion of the building in the position proposed.” 
L C.C. Chemical contracts. 
At the weekly meeting of the London County Council 
held at the County Hall, Spring Gardens, on Tuesday, it was 
reported by the Main Drainage Committee that they had 
given icstructions for an advertisement to be issued inviting 
tenders for the supply of 5,250 tons of sulphate of iron to 
the two outfalls. 
Agricultural Scholarships. 
The Royal Agricultural Society are offering fen scholar- 
«'hips of 202. each for the most successful candidates in an 
examination including the following subjects : — (1) Chem- 
istry as applied to agriculture ; (2) the principles of agri- 
< ulture, rotation of crops, &c. ; (3) mechanics as applied to 
-agricaltme ; (4) land-surveying. Particulars can be obtained 
of the Secretary, 13 Hanover Square. 
The Public and the Apothecaries Act. 
A public indignation meeting was held in the Masic-hall, 
Biikenhead, last week, for the purpose, to quote the handbill 
sinKounning the meeting, of “protesting against the action 
< f the Apothecaries’ Society of London, who have recently, 
I hrough the County Court, fined Mr. A. Pleavin, M.D.U.S., of 
Esmouth Street, Birkenhead, the sum of 202. for visiting and 
prescribing to certain patients who desired his advice and 
ueatment.” Mr. William Inglefield (Tranmere) presided, 
smd Mr. Pleavin, who was warmly received, referred to the 
■«: barges brought against him by the Apothecaries’ Society, 
shnd said he considered such persecution nothing less than 
21 malicious act of certain persons in Birkenhead, taking 
<indue advantage of a professional brother. (Applause.) He 
t-lenied that he had ever, as alleged, acted as an apothecary. 
He was a botanical professor, and had always acted as such. 
< applause.) The speaker then proceeded to detail the plots 
^nd schemes of which he alleged he had been the victim 
the bands of various persons in Birkenhead, acting on 
behalf of the Apothecaries’ Society, who had ultimately put 
tbelaw in motion against him. In corclasion, he said the 
■ocly object he had in view was to alleviate suffering and 
relieve pain. (Applause.) Mr. J. Tempest, M D., LL.D. 
< Accrington), then moved a resolution affirming that the 
fillofathic portion of the medical profession of Birkenhead 
were trying to monopolise the practice of medicine, and ex- 
pressing the abhorrence of the meeting at the conduct of 
such people in taking proceedings against a highly respected 
and duly qualified botanical physician. Mr. J. Haworth, 
M.D (Burnley), seconded, and the resolution was ultimately 
carried. 
A Chemist Dies from Laudanum. 
An inquest was held at Withington.on Monday, respecting 
the death of Thomas Edward Palmer, 42 years of age, a 
commercial traveller, who resided there. Deceased travelled 
for a firm of oil and colour merchants in London, and was 
formerly in business as a chemist and druggist. On Sep- 
tember 10 he left home on a journey to the West of England. 
He wrote to his wife frequently from the various towns he 
visited, but when he got to Birmingham he did not write. 
On Thursday last week Mrs. Palmer went to Birmingham. 
When she found her husband he appeared to be under the 
Infiuence of drink. He seemed much depressed, and returned 
home with her. Early the next morning he left the house 
unknown to any of the inmates, and called up Mr. Thomas 
Woodruff, chemist, Lapwing Lane. He told Mr. Woodruff that 
bis wife was dangerously ill, and asked to have a prescription 
made up which he had written out himself. This prescrip- 
tion contained a good deal of laudanum. It was made up 
and labelled “ Poison.” About 8 o’clock the same morning he 
went again to the shop with the empty bottle, and said the 
doctor wished the presciiption to be made up with an in- 
creased quantity of laudanum. This was done, and the 
deceased appears to have drunk the contents. He died in 
consequence. The jury were of opinion that the deceased 
took the laudanum to induce sleep, but had no suicidal 
intention, and they returned a verdict of death from mis- 
adventure. 
Spirituous Ginger-beer. 
At the York Police Court on Monday, Ann Gibson, of 
Bond Street, and Thomas Bradley, of Lawrence Street, York, 
were summoned for selling beer without a licence. The 
supervisor of Inland Revenue stated that the defendants 
sold what was commonly called ginger-beer. According to 
the Act of Parliament, not more than 2 per cent, of proof 
spirit should be contained in the liquid, but the beverage in 
question contained 4'4 per cent. The defendants were fined 
10^. and 32. costs. 
A Chemist Assaulted at 3 o’clock in the Morning. 
At the Worship Street Police Court on Tuesday last, Arthur 
Phillips, aged 39, described as a cook, of Brick Lane, Spital- 
fields, was charged with assaulting Thomas Maloney, chemist, 
of Dorset Street, Spitalfields. The prosecutor, in the course 
of his evidence, stated that be was walking along Commercial 
Street about 3 o’clock that morning, when the prisoner went 
up to him and asked him for twopence. Witness refused, 
whereupon prisoner made a blow at him with a knife. 
Prosecutor threw up his arms, and the knife fell out of 
prisoner’s hand. The prisoner then struck him in the mouth, 
knocking him down. A youth named Cleary stated that, 
hearing cries of “ Murder,” he ran to the spot and saw 
prosecutor on the ground, the prisoner on top of him. Police- 
constable H 326, who also heard the cries, went up and 
arrested the prisoner. Mr. Bushby said the case was a scan- 
dalous one, and prisoner would be sent to gaol for two 
months with bard labour. 
The Birmingham Poisoning Cases. 
The Birminglidm Mail says that the Home Secretary has 
been consulted in regard to the recent phenacetin-poisoning 
case at Hockley. The whole of the circumstances have been 
stated, and it was left to the Home Office to say whethar an 
inquest should be held on the woman who died so suddenly 
after taking a powder supposed to be pbenacetin. A coroner’s 
inquiry would necessitate the exhumation of the body, and 
the Home Secretary has advised that, as an investigation has 
been conducted by Mr. Pemberton, the reopening of the case 
would not serve a useful purpose. 
Chemists’ Prices for Photographic Developers. 
A correspondent of the Photographic News tells the editor 
of that paper that he tried four different places for the 
compounding of a certain photographic prescription. In 
Bayswater the local chemist cha’-ged him 3s 9i. ; in Ox'ord 
