494 
TIIE SALE OF LAUDANUM. 
Mr. Beard declined to cross-examine the witness, and stated that the charge in 
this summons was for not putting the name and address of the vendor on the 
article. It was labelled “ poison,” as his Worship would perceive. lie then handed 
up three or four specimens of poison labels in use by the defendant, some of which 
contained a blank space on which the name could be put, whilst others did not, 
and he said that unfortunately the defendant had been using some of the old labels 
which he had in stock previously to the passing of the Act and which had led to his 
committing this offence. 
Mr. Flux said he was not there to press for a very heavy punishment on this 
defendant, but rather for the purpose of laying before the Court and the public, 
as far as it could be done, the provisions of the Act of Parliament, and the necessity 
which existed for their being complied with. Here there was the case of a sale of 
strychnine in the bottle of medicine, and in the other case the sale of oxalic acid. 
He was informed that the accused had sold for a few pence enough to poison 100 
people. 
Mr. Knox said it appeared to him that the sale of oxalic acid was far more 
dangerous in the hands it was likely to fall into than that of the medicine contain¬ 
ing the strychnine. 
Mr. Flux said, this occurred in a neighbourhood where at least the poor people 
resident thereabouts were entitled to all the protection which the statute sought to 
provide for them, and he could not quite acquit the defendant of being altogether 
innocent in the matter, because he found that, knowing himself not to be a duly 
registered person, he took care not to call himself, on the exterior of his shop, a 
chemist and druggist, but to call the place a “ Medical Hall,” and also took the pre¬ 
caution not to disclose his name. In neither of these instances was the name disclosed, 
and it so happened that the prosecutors had to arrange for a third instance of a sale 
by the defendant in order to get at his name and address. He thought, therefore, 
that the appearances were somewhat against the accused; but, as he had said, he 
was not there for vindictive purposes, but simply for the administration of justice. 
Mr. Beard said he was much obliged to Mr. Flux, but he thought he would 
take it for granted that, on the occasion of the third sale, the defendant did act in 
accordance with the statute, and disclosed his name and address. There was no mo¬ 
tive for the name not appearing over the door. 
Mr. Knox .—I can only say that I consider cases of this description very serious 
indeed, and I must say I think we who are now discussing the matter here are 
much less likely to be injured than the poor people who live about Seven Dials. 
What are the penalties under the Act of Parliament ? 
Mr. Flux .—For the first offence a fine not exceeding £5, for the second £10. 
There are two offences here, but on the present occasion I do not press the second 
as a separate offence. I would rather withdraw one summons than that the defen¬ 
dant should be subjected to the £10 penalty. 
Mr. Knox .—I will permit you to withdraw the second summons. I think the man 
has certainly been guilty of something much more than negligence, habitual negligence. 
I think the defendant in this case has been guilty of habitual carelessness as to the 
entering and vending of these deadly matters, but, as you tell me you are not anxious 
to press for the full penalties, I shall impose a fine of 40s., and whatever costs have 
been incurred in the case. For the future I am perfectly prepared to put the Act in 
force to its full extent, so dangerous is it to the public that these articles should 
be sold improperly. 
THE SALE OF LAUDANUM. 
On Monday, January 3rd, Mr. Taylor, the Bolton coroner, held an inquest on the 
body of a blacksmith, named William Whalley, who had, while in a state of excitement, 
produced by indulgence in drink, taken six drachms of laudanum. The deceased went 
to the shop of Mr. Walter Ainscow, chemist, Deansgate, on the afternoon of Friday, and 
asked for fourpenny-worth of laudanum. Mr. Ainscow sold it, cautioning the deceased 
that ten or twelve drops was a large enough dose. When the deceased got home he 
