COFFEE. 
412 
liog’s-lard has some occult power of assimilating iodide of potassium with the 
livmo- organism, its abolition in favour of a solution in linimentum saponis or 
glycerine would give more satisfaction to the patient, and prevent many angry 
expressions of the dispenser. + 
The suggestion of Mr. Groves, at the Bath Conference, to add oil of pimento 
as a preservative, I look upon as an interesting chemical fact, but hardly think 
it would take with the public. Many will recollect the time (those were not 
the days of the Pharmaceutical Society) when it was a common practice to 
assist in the transmutation of lard into spermaceti ointment, a little essential 
oil being added “ just to cover the fatty smell,” and the frequent request of the 
customer that it was “ not to be scented.” % 
The concluding observations of Mr. Groves chime in so well with my own 
ideas that I take the liberty of quoting them as a sequel to my own remarks: 
“It is advisable when preparing ointments with a view to their preservation, to 
use ingredients retaining unaltered the odorous principles with which nature 
has, for obvious purposes, endowed them; that is to say, I would use yellow 
wax instead of white wax, yellow olive oil instead of bleached olive oil. In 
fact, experiment has shown the superiority of these bodies not meretriciously 
tampered with, over the same bodies to which a false appearance of excellence 
had been given by exposure to bleaching agents, no matter how simple and 
apparently harmless their nature.” 
Yours obediently, 
Thos. A. Barber. 
Islington , January 16, 1866. 
IMPORTANCE OF A KNOWLEDGE OF TOXICOLOGY TO THE 
PHARMACEUTICAL CHEMIST. 
At a meeting of the Wilsonian Association, held at 5, St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh, 
on the 5th of December, R. Carter Moffatt, F.R.S.S.A., President, in the chair, the Pre¬ 
sident, after some preliminary observations, proceeded to give his address on “ The Im¬ 
portance of Pharmaceutical Chemists keeping in Stock, ready for use, the Antidotes for 
the Common Poisons.” His remarks on this most important subject excited much atten¬ 
tion, and seemed to command the earnest consideration of the profession. Allusion was 
made to the practice of some eminent Pharmaceutical Chemists declining to exert them¬ 
selves to try and save the lives of persons who had been poisoned, or any way injured, 
either by design or mistake. They would send for a medical man, but, if none could be 
obtained, allow the poor creature to perish. Such conduct he (the President) characterized 
as unmanly and selfish in the extreme. The medical profession would not, he was cer¬ 
tain, entertain for an instant the idea that it was not the province of the Pharmaceutical 
Chemist to do all he knew in such an emergency, and where time was so valuable. 
Diagrams were suspended containing the various classes of poisons and their antidotes, 
together with the number of deaths from particular poisons in different countries. The 
address was also illustrated by numerous experiments, showing the modes of chemical 
combination of certain antidotes. There was a large attendance. A hearty vote ot 
thanks to the President concluded the public business of the meeting. 
COFFEE. 1 ; 
BY BARON LIEBIG. 
When a boy I had lessons in French of a Frenchwoman, whose husband was confec¬ 
tioner in the grand-ducal kitchen at Darmstadt. One of the sons—he became after¬ 
wards a brave and distinguished officer—was a great crony of mine, and with him I 
often paid a visit to the said ducal kitchen, which for me was not merely a source of 
material enjoyment. 
