68 
EXTRACTS FROM MINUTES OF EVIDENCE 
iliis, I think, is a sine qua non with regard to the safety of the public, the certainty 
as to medical prescriptions, and the proper status of the druggist’s profession. Then, 
lourthly, !t Under no circumstances should boys or girls, or persons who cannot read 
or write, be permitted to sell poisonous drugs.” I think this will be undisputed. 
There have been several cases where boys have been allowed to sell poisons, and se¬ 
rious consequences have followed ; they have mistaken one thing for another . 5 Then, 
fifthly, “ Some rules are required for the management of a licensed retail trade in 
poisonous drugs. No youth should be allowed to sell them who is not above the a<m 
o eighteen years, and who has not been at least one year engaged in the practice of 
pharmacy under a pharmaceutical chemist or licentiate of the Apothecaries’ Society, 
ulus restriction not to be applied to one who has passed an examination either at the 
Pharmaceutical Society or at Apothecaries’ Hall, as to his knowledge of poisonous 
drugs, or, at any rate, passed an examination somewhere, to show his knowledge of 
hem. I do not wish to limit it to the Apothecaries’ Company or to the Pharmaceu- 
tical Society; any properly-constituted body would meet my view. Sixthly, “That 
poisonous drugs and medicines having a similar colour and appearance should not be 
kept near to each other m similar bottles, drawers, or boxes, with similar labels.” 
m en n }, lat less facility should be given for the purchase of arsenic, strychnia, 
and otner deadly poisons which can be used for the purpose of suicide or murder.” 
Fugntiiiy, That no poisonous drugs should be sold to girls or bovs, under the age of 
twenty years, on any pretence whatever; and that, in all cases of purchase or sale, 
here should be a witness of adult age.” Ninthly, “ All poisonous drugs sold should 
CCliame of the dru g> the address of the vendor, and the 
' sa e ' -tenthly, ihat noxious substances, such as arsenic, corrosive subli¬ 
mate, sugar of leaci, and tartar emetic, and others of the like nature, when stored in 
laigo quantities m casks or packages, should be distinctly labelled, and kept apart 
aom other substances of an innocent kind which they resemble.” That, I may ob- 
pT'/if 1 l ntro $ lc ^on account of the cases of poisoning by arsenic which occurred at 
.> m oh , m orkslnre, some years ago : 120 persons were poisoned by some lozenges, 
who n°n f VVelYe to ®7, entee ?. died from the effects of the poison. There the person 
u ho sold it was not able to distinguish arsenic from plaster of Paris. 
• “ y - f-l 3art ±rom the question as to defining what culpable negligence would mean 
TW • C f S f 5 T ‘ y0L ! W ? U l d P rovide P ersous the least likely to show negligence?— 
i at is what I intended. I should mention another instance to the Committee. 
"F^ards of 300 cases of poisoning by arsenic came before me at 
1 ‘ C • < ? ua . an i industrial school near London. A messenger brought to me the 
saturaTeVlnf F ^ - the lll ? GSS ’ ° n exam ining it, I found it to be a strongly 
werp T 7 H m u\ ° U 0t V * nd ’ ? n goin S mto the history of the case (I think there 
' f t maC !° x 1 P’ 1 f °uud that arsenic had been mixed with the milk, and 
nut into 1 Itpi tal ; en aboufc a § Tam f the poison. Many pounds of arsenic had been 
had been d eam ' b ^ ler ^ Soda > tbewbole had been allowed to mix, and the water 
sufferedll ff steam-boiler to mix with the children’s milk : 370 children 
ueHoiU Ev n S n°e ? arSemc> fortunately they all recovered, at different 
the SccreHiw nf ^ ,t mdment - 0n g oin g mto the matter, which I laid before 
-be ! ■ ! / / State at tb ® tune , lt was found that nothing could be done, because 
removing 1 ^^ bad no , fc bee f, ^; it had been used by some engineer for the purpose of 
ofT thefl 6 S ? am ' b0ller - Tlle mau had used a large quantity to clean 
know tw’ll d i g F 6n n ° 1 xnformatlon about {t > and thus led to the accident. I do not 
lesmp^q in iinfl a l0ueo . ,dd mee t all these cases, but I attribute this accident to care- 
nep'hVpnpp on iavin g § lven a proper intimation of the nature of the liquid. There was 
<mnce * part ° f n0 one? becanse d did llot amount in law to culpable negli- 
™ Kefy-l 33 Are you aware there is now no check or restriction, by law, 
noisow aifd tW 18 ° a MS fhcmselves chemists and druggists, and not only dealing with 
\r - | i lo0nous substances, but in the making up of medical prescriptions ?— 
oneninp- n dm,? f < 5[ S ° n , nxay ' . „ T,1 cre is no prohibition on any person in this country 
window ?id i ni v hmiself a chemist and druggist, putting coloured bottles in his 
wmdow, «nd holding himself out as a fit person to deal with. 
tions ?—Yes° th pUl ’ p0SeS 5 for P oisonous matters, and for making up medical prescrip- 
