THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[August ?, 1872. 
04 
tually supplied to the public on a large scale by the drug 
trade; also that it was certainly destined for the pre¬ 
paration of absinthe liqueur by simple mixture, and that 
it was chiefly so used by the small makers. 
Some conversation then followed upon the difference 
which existed in the symptoms produced by the abuse of 
absinthe and that of alcohol, M. Boudet being of opinion 
that the more disastrous effects which followed the use of 
what was commonly known as absinthe liqueur, was due 
to the anise and other essences frequently mixed with 
it. MM. Delpech and Adrian said that some recent 
investigations brought before the Societe de Therapeu- 
tique showed that whilst the anise exercised upon 
animals only a slow, almost insensible influence, the 
action of absinthe was rapid and most fatal. 
M. Poggiale said that although the law might be 
wanting in clearness as to scientific terms, it was evident 
that the pharmacien alone would have the right to sell l 
the essence and concentrated preparations of absinthe 
upon the order of a medical man. 
M. Y uaflart read a note upon orange-flower water. The 
author having observed that orange-flower water, even 
when obtained from the most respectable pharmacies, 
lost its odour shortly after being opened, and even ac¬ 
quired a disagreeable smell, was led to think that this 
was caused by distillation by steam. This method of 
proceeding he believed to yield a product that is at first 
satisfactory, but which it is not possible to keep a long¬ 
time unchanged. Having mentioned this idea to M. 
Machet, he was informed by that gentleman that he had 
long renounced the distillation of roses by steam, as he 
had noticed that the water so prepared did not keep so 
well as that distilled over a naked fire in an alembic 
furnished with a diaphragm. The author, therefore, 1 
prepared orange-flower water by this method, which he 
succeeded in keeping unchanged for some years. He so 
arranged his supply as to be able to use water made the 
preceding year, in order to give it time to lose a 
Might taste of the fire, which disappeared completely 
with the first frost. He considers that distillation over 
the fire is more thorough, affecting all parts of the 
flower, and releasing some principles which tend to the 
conservation of the product. In adopting this process it 
is necessary, besides the diaphragm, to place in the cu- j 
curbit sufficient water to form a kind of bath for the 
flowers, and so to conduct the distillation as to keep 
them the least possible time in contact with the heat. 
_ M. Roucher said that the Arabs prepared this dis¬ 
tilled water with great care over the bare fire; the 
liquid, after several cohobations, being well saturated 
.strongly aromatic, and keeping well. 
prlhmratitrs snif fate fwmtags. 
HOUSE OF LORDS. 
Adulteration of Food, Drugs, etc., Bill. 
. Thursday, July 25th, this Bill was read a second 
time, on Monday, July 29th, it passed through Com¬ 
mittee ; on Tuesdaj'-, July 30th, it was reported and the 
.amendments agreed to. The third reading is set down 
for Thursday, August 1st. 
Poisoning by a Vermin Killer. 
An inquest was held at Leeds on Thursday, Julv 25 
concerning the death of Kate Groocock, an infant “"that 
had been poisoned by Battle’s Vermin Killer, admi¬ 
nistered by its mother, who had also taken some herself, 
from the effects of which she was recovering. Evidence 
^\as given to the effect that the child was found by the 
servant dead, and the mother in convulsions and suffer¬ 
ing % ery much. Mrs. Groocock told her husband after- i 
wards that she had given the child the contents of a 1 
threepenny packet of Battle’s Vermin Killer in some 
treacle, and had taken another herself. It was stated by 
several witnesses that the mother had for some time 
past been suffering from great mental depression. 
Mr. John Wm. Longley, druggist, North Sreet, said a 
female came to his shop on the previous Monday and made 
some purchases. She put down the money for them, and 
as he was turning for change she said, “ I might as well 
take some Battle’s Vermin Killer.” Witness said, 
“ You are aware it’s poison? ” and she smiled, and said, 
“ Perfectly well.” He then gave her two threepenny 
packets, which she had asked for. He put a label on 
to the packets with his name and address; the word 
“ poison” was already on the packets. 
The Coroner asked the witness if he did not know 
that it was against the law to sell strychnia in this 
manner ? Did he not know that he was required by the 
Pharmacy Act to observe certain specified regulations ? 
Mr. J. G. Turner, solicitor, here interposed, and said 
he appeared for Mr. Longley. He urged that Battle’s 
Vermin Killer did not come within the first part of the 
schedule, and that when the packets were labelled poison, 
and had on them the name and address of the seller, 
that was all that was required. 
The Coroner said he had had to warn druggists that 
the restrictions mentioned in the 17 th section of the 
Pharmacy Act applied to Battle’s Vermin Killer as it 
contained strychnia. Strychnia was expressly men¬ 
tioned in the schedule of the Act, but he should not dis¬ 
cuss the matter there with MiC Turner, as he could not 
decide it. 
Mr. Turner said that Battle’s Vermin Killer was 
defined by the Pharmaceutical Society (who had the 
authority so to define) to belong to the second section 
poisons,* and if that were so he had done all that was 
required. 
The Coroner replied that if that was the case he would 
have the question settled by the magistrates. 
Mr. Turner, after some further conversation, said that 
if the Coroner gave it as his opinion this composition 
should he dealt with as a poison—coming within the 
first part of the Act, he should advise Mr. Longley to act 
upon that opinion. 
The Coroner said that if Mr. Longley would promise 
that hereafter he would carry out the 17th section in 
reference to Battle’s Vermin Killer, he did not suppose 
anything more would be said about it. 
Mr. Longley said he most decidedly would. 
The Coroner then intimated to the jury that the case 
would certainly have to go to the assizes, as the question 
of the sanity or insanity of the mother was not one for 
them to decide. It was desirable to have an adjourn¬ 
ment for a post-mortem examination. The inquest was 
accordingly adjourned. 
At the adjourned inquest, Mr. Scattergood deposed 
that he had examined the body and found no natural 
cause for death, while all the external appearances of the 
body were consistent with death from strychnia. He 
found a quantity of blue colouring matter in the stomach 
which he had set aside for analysis. 
* This is incorrect. As we stated recently, under the 
powers given by Section 2 of the Pharmacy Act, upon the 
resolution of the Pharmaceutical Council, and the approval 
of the Privy Council, a list was published in the * London 
Gazette ’ of December 21st, 1869, of articles that ought to be 
deemed a poison within the meaning of the Pharmacy Act, 
1868, which list contained among other articles, “ Every com¬ 
pound containing any poison within the meaning of the 
Pharmacy Act, 1868, when prepared or sold for the destruc¬ 
tion of vermin,” and then the resolution goes on to say, “and 
also that of the same, each of the following articles, viz.,— 
Preparations of prussic acid, 
Preparations of cyanide of potassium and of all metallic 
cyanides, 
Preparations of Strychnine, 
Preparations of atropine, 
ought to be deemed a poison in the First Part of the Schedule 
A to the said Pharmacy Act, 1868.” 
