700 
LIVERPOOL CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
of such proposition would be to place in almost every house a “ distinctive bottle of 
poison,” easily accessible to the suicidal and mischievous. 
Third. That this meeting recognizes the services rendered to the trade and the cause 
of technical education by the Pharmaceutical Society, but strongly deprecates all over¬ 
legislation or undue interference with a business so varying in its character and details 
as that of a chemist and druggist; feeling assured that the effect of any pecuniary 
penalty in inducing caution would be trifling and insignificant compared with that 
arising from the mental suffering and heavy loss of business following a case of poison¬ 
ing, whether accidental or otherwise. 
Fourth. That in the opinion of this meeting, in the cases of persons in the country 
failing to pass the Preliminary Examination, that the fee retained by the Society 
should not be more than five shillings, especially as the local secretaries have all the 
trouble. 
LIVERPOOL CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
Eleventh General Meeting, held March 17th, 1870; the President, Mr. J. Abraham, 
in the chair. 
The President spoke of the meeting of the Pharmaceutical Conference in Liverpool, 
and gave an account of the proceedings at the meeting of the Chemists and Druggists of 
Liverpool, held on March 9th. He invited those present to become members of the 
Conference. He then mentioned some researches on the igniting-point of petroleum, 
made by Dr. Calvert. 
Mr. H. S. Evans exhibited a spectroscope with an arrangement to mark the position 
of absorption bands in solutions of organic substances. A narrow line of light is cast 
upon the spectrum, and by means of a screw and index its position can be changed and 
registered. 
Mr. H. S. Evans, F.R.M.S., etc., then read a paper on “ Chloral Hydrate.” The 
author gave an account of the history of chloral and of its formation from absolute 
alcohol and dry chlorine, illustrated by a diagram of the chemical decompositions in¬ 
volved. It decomposes in presence of alkalies into chloroform and formic acid, and to 
this reaction Liebreicht ascribes its sedative action, the alkalinity of the blood causing 
the evolution of chloroform throughout the system. A process has been proposed for 
making it from glucose by saturating it with hydrochloric acid gas, and then distilling 
it from peroxide of manganese. Chloral unites with water to form a hydrate, in which 
state it is permanent; if kept anhydrous it is apt to pass into an allotropic state, in¬ 
soluble in water. 
In describing some experiments on animals made with chloral, the author took occa¬ 
sion to justify the study of therapeutics by chemists, as it was desirable that they should 
know the action of the medicines they dispensed, so that they might judge as to an 
overdose. As to the administration of chloral. Bouchet says that subcutaneous injection 
is dangerous, and that disagreeable consequences often follow when it is taken into the 
stomach, and he recommends injection per rectum. It is useful in insomnia, delirium 
tremens, hooping cough, and many spasmodic diseases. Chloral is also used in photo¬ 
graphy, as it increases the sensitiveness of the prepared plate, and the intensity of the 
picture. 
Mr. Mason said that the process of Professor Staedaler for making chloral from 
glucose yielded an impure and unsatisfactory product, contaminated with chlorides of 
carbon, etc., and that to the use of such a preparation some of the unfavourable symp¬ 
toms might be due. He had endeavoured to find out the process now used, but without 
success. The workmen could not be got to work at it more than about eight days, and 
the price would consequently remain high. He had been in communication with a 
medical man in Liverpool who had administered chloral very successfully in mania. In 
four remarkable cases cited, very beneficial results were obtained ; in one a complete 
cure of a bad case of madness in a lady was dated from the administration of twenty 
grains of chloral in two 10-grain doses. It was not found to interfere with the appetite 
of the patients, but it was essential that the bowels should be kept regular. It was 
administered in 20-grain doses, supplemented by ten grains at intervals, if required. 
