334 
THE METHYLATED SPIRIT LICENCE. 
In reply to Mr. Mackay’s remarks, the composition was that of the B. P., 
cacao butter , etc. ; and I have not known a single instance of a suppository or 
pessary cracking. I obtained the cacao butter from Messrs. Warwick Brothers, 
Garlick Hill, London. 
In reply to several, I think it desirable to avoid contaminating the surface of 
the suppositories with glycerine, soap, or oil, when the foil answers the same 
purpose, and leaves the surface clean. 
My assistant, who has had the principal part of our suppository making, says, 
after making some hundreds of them, he has not had one in which there was 
difficulty in removing the foil, or any disposition to split, as we frequently 
found in the metal mould before the foil was adopted. 
Barnard S. Proctor. 
Grey Street, Neivcastle, December, 1867. 
THE METHYLATED SPIRIT LICENCE. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Sir,—I observe that the best thanks of the Bath Chemists 1 Association have 
been recorded “ to the late President for his exertions in memorializing the 
Board of Inland Revenue to reduce the methylated spirit licence from £2. 2s. 
to 10.s\, which, through the influence of the Pharmaceutical Society, is now an 
accomplished fact, and available to the whole drug trade of the United King¬ 
dom.” 
I am exceedingly pleased to see that Mr. Merrikin has received the grateful 
recognition of his services which he so well deserves ; but the few lines con¬ 
veying the thanks of the Association contain one little error, and it is this, viz. 
that the spirit licence reduced is not “ available to the whole drug trade.’’' 1 
On application to the proper quarter for a licence, I was informed that it 
could not be granted because I had already taken out a “ sweets ” licence (alias 
was a retailer of British wines). This appears to be a great injustice, as it 
would be hardly possible to improve British wines by adding methylated spirit; 
and the question of saving by so doing is exceedingly difficult to prove. 
Again, a friend of mine has a spirit licence, and that has been alleged as a 
reason for not granting him the methylated spirit licence. 
In the country, Mr. Editor, chemists cannot live by the physic trade only, 
as surgeons do all the dispensing, greatly to their discredit; and if every 
chemist who has a “ sweets” licence is to be debarred from availing himself of 
the reduced licence, I feel sure that such narrow-minded policy will result in 
a smaller exchequer, as chemists will continue to sell the methylated finish, 
for which no licence is required. 
My object in writing this is to prevent any inaccurate idea being formed from 
the statement that the reduced licence is available to the whole drug trade of 
the United Kingdom. 
Hoping it soon may be “an accomplished fact through the influence of the 
Pharmaceutical Society,” and thanking you for the space afforded, 
I remain, Sir, yours very truly, 
“ Sweets.” 
Newbury , December 18 th, 1867. 
