SHOP ARRANGEMENTS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS. 
71 
It is an ascertained fact that sugar is capable of associating itself with some 
hydrate of ferric peroxide, and rendering it soluble, because we find that syrup 
is capable of preventing the precipitation of a persalt of iron by an alkali, in 
the same manner that citric acid does. I believe that a transparent syrup of 
peroxide of iron has been for some time known in Germany ; an aqueous so¬ 
lution of pure ferric hydrate being prepared by the process of dialysis indicated 
by Professor Graham, and afterwards converted into a syrup. 
In estimating the dose of iron-sugar, the condition of the oxide should be 
taken into consideration. I apprehend that most ferruginous waters contain 
less iron than this preparation, while they are infinitely more unpleasant to 
take. However, my object is not to defend ]\I. Chanteaud s compound, but 
to exonerate myself from the suspicion of having made a statement on insuffi¬ 
cient authority. 
I am, etc., 
C. H. Wood, F.C.S. 
SHOP ARRANGEMENTS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Dear Sir.—The lamentable case of poisoning by cyanide of potassium which 
occurred in Dublin,—recorded in the July Journal,—induces me to send you a 
few remarks, should you think them worthy of publication. My only reason 
for sending them is the desire to assist in preventing the recurrence of such 
frightful catastrophes as the three reported in the Journal of this present 
month, and thus further prevent legislative interference on the part of the 
Government respecting the keeping and storing of u poisons, which will cer¬ 
tainly follow (and which will prove anything but an agreeable matter) unless 
druggists, tritons and minnows, cease to conduct their businesses in what cannot 
be characterized as less than a loose, if not reprehensible manner. 
According to the report, the fatal mistake is said to have occurred from tne 
circumstance that one person only instead of two—the usual practice ot the 
firm—was entrusted to replenish the carb. ammonia bottle. The true cause ot 
the sad occurrence was rather the almost incredible fact that a jar containing so 
deadly a poison (to say nothing of its close resemblance to an ordinary carbo¬ 
nate of ammonia jar) was suffered to be without any label on it whatever. 
I hold that, as a rule, the bottles on the shelves of druggists’ shops and ware¬ 
houses, and also in surgeries and dispensaries, should stand alphabetically, but 
in carrying out this rule certain possible contingencies should be carefully 
avoided :-Liq. plumb, d. and liq. plumb, d. d. should never be allowed to 
stand together, or, if possible, on the same shelf. The same remark will apply 
to the liq. ammonise and liq. ammon. fort., and other dilute and undilute pre¬ 
parations that will at once suggest themselves. If the alphabetical arrange¬ 
ment be too (i. e. quite) strictly followed, in nine cases out of ten it will bring 
the tinct. opii and tinct. rhei in close juxtaposition, of all things to be avoided. 
More mistakes probably have occurred by substituting tinct. opuTor tinct. rhei 
than from all other causes put together, and this possibly from the very fact of 
those bottles being allowed to stand close or near to each other. I he tinct. opu 
bottle should be, if possible, kept in a closed cupboard, and, if with ot ler 
bottles, they should be totally dissimilar in size and appearance both m them¬ 
selves and their contents,—say, with only very small bottles, if the laudanum 
bottle be a quart or a large one, or with bottles containing only dry articles. 
If there be no convenient cupboard for its reception it should be placed, no 
among the tinctures, or preparations similar in colour, but with the waters or 
