THE PRESENT STATE OF PHARMACY IN IRELAND. 
41 
in my opinion, sufficiently answer all purposes. The proposal of my noble friend (Lord 
Eedesdale) is defective, inasmuch as the schedule of poisons for which the bottles are to 
be used omits mention of many substances more harmful than those it contains, and the 
result will be, that poisonous liquids will be placed in ordinary bottles, and compara¬ 
tively harmless liquids in poison-bottles. I would recommend my noble friend not to 
press the clause. 
Lord Redesdale : It is difficult to know what to do, but the arguments offered 
against my proposal seem by no means conclusive. Respecting the statement of the 
noble marquis (Lord Salisbury) that it is contrary to English practice to make laws for 
the safety of those who are well able to take care of themselves, I would remind the 
House that many instances of such legislation already exist. Persons are every day 
being punished for slepping from a train in motion, and it is held to be no excuse that 
they know how to do so without danger. I think it will be better to insert the clause 
that it may be fairly discussed in the House of Commons. 
The Earl of Kimberley : Chemists are of opinion that security will not be gained 
if the use of the bottle be insisted on. I have received a letter from a chemist in proof; 
it is to the effect that a case may arise in which diluted prussic acid will be dispensed 
for internal doses of a spoonful each, in company with a highly poisonous lotion of 
belladonna ; both will be dispensed in poison-bottles, and no security will be had that 
the lotion will not be taken for the diluted acid. My correspondent hopes that your 
lordships will not adopt the clause unless you wish to be killed by Act of Parliament. 
The Earl of Airlie : I cannot vote for this proposed clause, as it will clash in 
operation with clauses already inserted in the Bill, as, for instance, with clauses 16 and 
17. I certainly am of opinion that under all the circumstances it will be far better to 
leave this clause out. 
After a few words from Lord Stanley of Alderley across the table, 
Their lordships divided on the question that the clause be added to the Bill, and there 
appeared— 
Contents.39 
Non-Contents.45 
Majority against . . 6 
The clause was consequently rejected. 
The Marquis of Clanricarde : I have to express a hope that the provisions of this 
Bill will next session be embodied in another Bill, to be made applicable to Ireland. 
The motion that the Bill do pass was then agreed to. 
THE PRESENT STATE OE PHARMACY IN IRELAND. 
TO THE EDITORS OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Gentlemen,—I beg to draw attention to the present backward state of 
pharmacy in Ireland and the cause of the same. 
The law, as administered at present in this country, strictly prohibits any 
person from opening a shop for the compounding of physicians’ prescriptions, 
unless he be a Licentiate of the Apothecaries’ Hall, Dublin. Even a qualified 
u pharmaceutical chemist ” cannot legally make up a prescription ; if he does, 
the Apothecaries’ Company will be sure to spring upon him and take legal pro¬ 
ceedings against him for thus trespassing on their property. Now that we have 
a national pharmacopoeia, whereby the name, preparation, and strength of every 
medicine should be the same throughout the United Kingdom, I see no satisfac¬ 
tory reason why a person who practises pharmacy in England cannot carry on 
the same profession in this country without let or hindrance. 
But the Irish apothecary is something more than a pure pharmacien, because 
u the licence of the Apothecaries’ Hall, Dublin, entitles its possessor to be re¬ 
gistered as a medical practitioner under the ‘ Medical Act, 1815,’ and to prac- 
tise medicine and pharmacy in any part of her Majesty’s dominions.” If a 
L.A.II. and an M.D. are the only two medical men that reside in a small coun- 
