378 
ADDITIONS TO THE SCHEDULE OF POISONS. 
And to Part II.— 
Preparations of corrosive sublimate. 
,, „ morphine. 
lied oxide of mercury (commonly known as red precipitate). 
Ammoniated mercury (commonly known as white precipitate). 
Every compound containing any poison within the meaning of the ‘(Phar¬ 
macy Act, 1868,” when prepared or sold for the destruction of vermin. 
The tincture and all vesicating liquid preparations of cantliarides. 
We had occasion last month to draw attention to complaints which had been 
made in various quarters of the alleged insufficiency of the Pharmacy Act, and 
we think the course taken by the Council of the Society, and approved by the 
Lords of her Majesty’s Privy Council, will go far towards remedying the de¬ 
ficiency. 
But there is yet more to be done, not by the Council, but by the Society it¬ 
self. We know the difficulty of prescribing a fixed rule to be observed by all 
chemists in storing poisons, or by all dispensers in sending out medicines to their 
customers. Over and over again we have declared in this .Tournal that such a 
thing would be impracticable ; that one unbending rule, applied without regard 
to ever-varying circumstances must very often break down. Nevertheless, it is 
perfectly well known that in almost every pharmacy of any repute (and those 
which are carefully conducted soon acquire for themselves an individual repute), 
precautions are adopted to lessen the chance of error and accident. Those pre¬ 
cautions, founded on the capabilities of each establishment, are carried out with¬ 
out inconvenience, and with so much apparent ease and advantage, that a dis¬ 
regard of them would be a positive nuisance to the parties concerned. Therefore 
taking the various systems as alternative rules to be observed by all can be no 
hardship to any. It may suit A. to keep all poisons in a compartment where 
no other medicines are stored. It may be more convenient for B. to keep them 
intermixed with other articles, but it would be very easy for him to put poisons 
in distinctive bottles or vessels ; not all in bottles of one shape or form, which 
would to some extent be mischievous, as there is as much danger in mistaking 
strychnine for morphine as in using morphine instead of some other less dan¬ 
gerous poison, but all in bottles unlike those containing ordinary drugs. 
On the other hand, C. may feel both these systems irksome or unsuited to 
his case, and he surely may promote safety by tying over bottles in such a way 
that the very fact of having to loosen the cap must draw attention to the danger 
of the contents of the vessels. Here then are three distinct and simple methods 
known to be in common use, not put down now in black and white for the first 
time as some cunningly-devised theoretical scheme, but adopted from practical 
experience ; and to such a code of regulations the Council have determined to 
ask the concurrence of the Pharmaceutical Society at the general meeting in 
May next. The three intervening months will give ample time for considera¬ 
tion, nay, even for trial of the propositions, and we shall be greatly surprised if 
there be not a general acquiescence in the arrangement. 
Even in the last clause of the “ Regulations,” the one on dispensing poisons, 
the same regard to present practice is observable. It is not stated that bottles 
of one shape only shall be used for liniments, etc., but that they shall be dis¬ 
tinctive or made distinctive. We have Gilbertson’s bottles and Savory’s bottles, 
both excellent for the purpose ; but it is quite possible that sometimes neither 
one nor the other may be at hand of the size required when medicines must be 
supplied instantly, and then the words “ made distinctive ” come to our aid by 
enabling the dispenser to cover enough of an ordinary bottle with rough saud- 
paper to make it recognizable to the touch, even though no light be at hand by 
which the nurse of the sufferer may read the label. 
