DEBATES ON PHARMACY BILL. 
39 
to be sold in bottles or not, need not at present be mentioned in the Bill, for the second 
clause enacts that other poisons may be placed in the Schedule by resolution, and then 
that this addition shall become law after a publication in the ‘Gazette;’ and that will 
be the only way of making these poisons generally known in the country. Now it may 
meet the views of my noble friend if there be a provision in the Bill, that the shape of 
the bottle be left to the determination of the Pharmaceutical Society; afterwards to be 
approved of by the Privy Council; and afterwards that these resolutions shall be in¬ 
serted in the ‘ Gazette,’ and that the bottle ordered to be used shall be known as the 
poison-bottle. This, I think, will be sufficient information to the public, and it will 
become, I feel sure, very generally known throughout the country. 
Earl Granville : I quite concur in the view, that an enactment in an Act of Par¬ 
liament is the best way of causing anything to be generally known in the country; but 
perhaps we can agree upon a clause providing that the Pharmaceutical Society shall 
determine what shaped bottle shall be used. 
Lord Redesdale : My objection is, that there will not be sufficient notice unless we 
insert a clause in the Bill. That is the only way of making a thing known all over the 
country. The same objection may be raised to the second clause. Why leave the 
poisons there mentioned to be published in the ‘Gazette’? Then again, it may be ob¬ 
jected that certain poisons shall be sold in boxes. My great object is, that there shall 
be an article known as the poison-bottle, and the insertion of a clause in the Bill is by 
far the best way of attaining this end. I have known of the loss of lives under most 
distressing circumstances, which, if there had been in any Act of Parliament a provision 
of this sort, might have been prevented. The noble marquis has objected to the term 
“corrugated,” and as there may be something in the objection, I will consent to insert 
“fluted” instead of “corrugated,” but with this amendment in the clause, I must divide 
the House, if necessary. 
The Earl of Malmesbury : Are we seriously to divide upon the shape of a bottle? 
Earl Granville : I would suggest that we should have a little more time to consider 
this question of a bottle’s shape. 
Lord Redesdale : If it be thought more desirable that I should propose my clause 
upon the third reading, I have, considering the discussion which has taken place, no 
objection. I will, under the circumstances, have the clause reprinted, and propose it 
upon the third reading, and I hope, in the meantime, my noble friends will seriously 
consider this matter. It they will do so, they will see that there is no valid objection to 
inserting this clause in the Bill. 
Thursday, June 18 th, 1868 . 
On the motion that the Bill be read a third time, 
Lord Redesdale said, I now move the introduction of the clause of which I have 
given notice, and which will secure for the protection of the public the use of one uni¬ 
form bottle for holding poisons, to be called “ The Poison Bottle.” Its introduction 
may be gradual, but in course of time it will come to be recognized by all. I originally 
suggested the adoption of a particular bottle, but on reflection I have no objection to 
leave the matter to the decision of the Privy Council and of the Pharmaceutical Society. 
I believe that there is no objection to the introduction of this clause, which I feel con¬ 
fident will tend in practice to the prevention of very serious danger. 
The Marquis of Salisbury : I must oppose this clause, on the ground that the 
noble lord has failed to answer the objection raised on a former occasion by the noble 
and learned lord on the woolsack,—that many of the poisons which are proposed to be 
put into these special bottles are poisons entering into the almost daily prescriptions of 
physicians. 
Lord Redesdale : The noble marquis is mistaken. The only poisons with regard 
to which my clause w T ill enforce the use of a special bottle are those which by the pre¬ 
vious clause are required to be labelled as poisons. 
The Marquis of Salisbury : One so well versed in the rules of the House as the 
noble lord, must see that there is great inconvenience in discussing a totally new provi¬ 
sion, of which no notice whatever has been given. The distinction taken by the noble 
lord, it will be seen on examination, is not well founded, for the earlier clause provides 
that no person shall sell any poison, wholesale or retail, unless in a wrapper distinctly 
labelled. A letter in the ‘ Times ’ recently has given the names of some of the drugs 
