NOTE ON TIIE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTAL POISONING. 197 
Liq. Ferri Persulph. 2| oz. (fluid). 
Liq. Ammonise q. 8. 
The precipitated oxide of iron, alter being thoroughly washed and pressed 
as dry as possible, is to be dissolved, without heat, in 520 grains, or, approxi¬ 
mately, S fluid drachms, of glacial acetic acid, and the solution diluted with 
distilled, water to o fluid ounces. One part of this, with three parts sp. vini 
rect., will represent the tinct. ferri acetatis, B. P. In this way a very ele¬ 
gant and convenient preparation may be obtained, which will keep for a con¬ 
siderable time, samples so prepared having been kept over twelve months 
without any change beyond the formation of a small quantity of a crystalline 
deposit, which, however, is entirely soluble on dilution with either sp. vini 
rect. or aq. destillata ; the solution is, in fact, slightly supersaturated, but it 
was found that any attempt to make a more dilute solution, such as twice or 
thrice the strength, of the tincture, interfered with its keeping properties. 
Professor Attfield remarked that spirit was quite useless in this preparation, which 
miijht have been aqueous, just as liquor ferri perchloridi. 
Mr. T. B. Groves, Mr. Brady, and the President, also added a few words. 
NOTE ON THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTAL POISONING. 
BY MR. G. BURRELL. 
The lamentable cases of accidental poisoning recently recorded in the 
Pharmaceutical Journal, should stimulate the ingenuity of every member of 
the profession to guard against the possibility of such mistakes. 
For it is obvious that such occurrences, if repeated, will likely end in some 
mischievous legislation, which, without securing the object aimed at, may 
subject us all to vexatious interference. 
If a man do not see it to be his interest as well as duty to exercise every 
precaution, however troublesome, to ensure the safety of his customers, it is 
absurd to expect any legislative Act, however stringent, will compel him. 
I would supplement the sensible remarks of Mr. Chipperfield and others, 
on shop arrangements, in last number of Pharmaceutical Journal, with a sug¬ 
gestion or two. 
My first is, that all bottles containing the more deadly poisons in fre¬ 
quent or occasional use, should be enclosed in wooden or paper cases,—each 
carefully labelled, and having the maximum dose legibly written or painted on. 
The case might be painted green or red, or covered with paper of either colour, 
and all such potent substances should be kept in a press not so accessible as 
the other medicines we are continually handling. 
My second suggestion is, that every bottle containing an energetic medi¬ 
cine, poisonous or non-poisonous, should have the maximum dose on it, and 
thereby unconsciously fix that important characteristic as indelibly on the 
minds of our young men, as the name of the medicine itself. 
Mr. G. Cooper said that about two years since he and Mr. Dowling had patented a 
poison-bottle. Its peculiarity was in the surface being studded over with small projec¬ 
tions. Professor Attfield had told him that the idea had been anticipated by an earlier 
patent. (Specimens of the bottles were placed upon the table.) He believed that the 
use of peculiar bottles for remedies intended for external use would prevent many 
mistakes. 1 J 
