338 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[October 26, 1872. 
Iris shop last Saturday evening, and asking for one 
ounce of prussic acid. He represented that he had a pig 
in an unsound condition, and wished to poison it and 
hury it in the'garden without the neighbours knowing. 
Witness explained to him that half an ounce would he 
more than ample, and supplied him with that quantity. 
Deceased seemed quite calm and collected, and knew 
what he was doing. He signed a book as required by 
Act of Parliament. On the 9th of September witness 
supplied him with the same quantity of prussic acid. 
Mr. Ilitfe, surgeon, having given evidence as to the 
cause of death, the jury returned a verdict “That 
deceased destroyed himself while of unsound mind.” 
Serious Charge against a Chemist and Druggist. 
On Monday, October 21st, Edwin Eastwood, chemist 
and druggist, of Dukinfield, was brought up on remand 
before the county magistrates at Stockport, charged 
with causing the death of Ann Jones, at Marple, by ad¬ 
ministering to her a noxious drug for an unlawful pur¬ 
pose. The deceased, a domestic servant, in the early 
part of the year formed the acquaintance of the prisoner. 
In March she left her situation to live with a married 
sister, at Marple. It being discovered that she was 
enceinte , the prisoner was communicated with on the 
subject. Deceased complained of intense suffering up to 
the beginning of October, when Mr. Hibbert, surgeon, 
who was called in sent for Mr. Moore, another surgeon. 
The young woman had been in labour four days, and 
her life being in danger, a magistrate was sent for and 
her dying deposition was taken. She died a few hours 
afterwards. The prisoner made no reply to the charge. 
The effect of the deceased’s testimony was that the 
prisoner had given her medicine several times. He gave 
her two bottles of stuff in his own shop ; a bottle pro¬ 
duced was one of them. 
Evidence was given that sealed packets containing the 
medicine and the stomach had been handed to Professor 
Grace Calvert, of Manchester, for analysis. 
The prisoner was remanded.— Manchester Guardian. 
Double Suicide by Strychnia. 
On Wednesday, October 23rd, Mr. Bedford, the 
coroner for Westminster, held an inquest upon the 
bodies of a man and woman, names unknown, w T ho on 
Saturday last were found dead in their apartments in 
Golden Square, Soho. 
Mr. Slight, surgeon, deposed that when he saw the 
bodies they had both been dead some hours. Upon the 
hearthrug was a small bottle with a label upon which 
the words “ Strychnine—Poison ” were written in 
pencil. The bottle contained several crystals. There 
was also a mug upon the mantelpiece containing several 
grains of crystals. The bottom of the mug was blackened 
as if it had been held over a candle to heat it. The 
analysis of the stomach had not been completed, but 
strychnine had been found. 
Evidence was also given as to the finding of a paper in 
which the deceased stated that they had taken strychnine 
and that nobody was to blame. The inquest was ad¬ 
journed to allow of the completion of the analysis, anc. 
also if possible the identification of the deceased. 
©Mtonr. 
ERIEDRICH WELWITSCH, M.D., F.L.S., etc. 
Dr. Welwitsch, the well-known African botanist, diet, 
on Sunday last, aged 65 years. He was bom in the 
Austrian Duchy of Carinthia, and in earl}’- life showec. 
his great love for the study of nature. He dated his firs; 
lessons in botany from an apothecary, who seeing him pass 
his door with a bunch of flowers, engaged him in conversa¬ 
tion, told him the names of the plants and instructed him 
in preserving them. This gave an incentive to his exer¬ 
tions, and every week found him in the good apothecary’s 
company. When old enough, Welwitsch was sent to 
Vienna to study law, but this very soon became dis- 
asteful, and he entered himself for the study of medi¬ 
cine as likely to give him the best groundwork for the 
study of natural history. For this step his father for 
some time suspended his allowance, and young Welwitsch 
' lad to support himself by writing dramatic, musical and 
other critiques for the papers. His progress was rapid, 
and before he had obtained his diploma, he was appointed 
on a cholera commission to visit Savoy, etc. This high 
mark of distinction brought about a pleasing family re¬ 
conciliation. It would be impossible in a notice like this 
;o give a full account of such a varied and useful life, 
and we must content ourselves with a mere outline. 
While still young he was sent by a Society of Friends 
of Natural History (Unio Itineraria of Wiirtemberg) to 
collect plants in Portugal, etc., and afterwards he was ap¬ 
pointed to the directorship of the Botanical Gardens 
of Lisbon. An offer being made to him to take charge- 
of a nobleman’s garden, he relinquished the royal gardens, 
as the new appointment would give him more time for 
examining the flora. He was also engaged in getting 
up collections for the 1851 Exhibition as well as those of 
1862 and 1867. In 1853 he started to Africa in order to 
explore for the Portuguese Government their possessions 
on the west coast. There he remained till 1861 collect¬ 
ing and examining the flora and fauna of Angola, 
Benguela, etc., and on the magnificent results his fame? 
will rest. His collections of critically studied plants- 
are unique, and are undoubtedly the finest ever brought 
from West Tropical Africa ; and the ‘ Flora of Tropical 
Africa ’ (two volumes of which have already been pub¬ 
lished) will owe much to his labours. In other depart¬ 
ments of natural history his collections are no less- 
valuable. In Entomology his collections are unrivalled*, 
and in Zoology he enriched our knowledge amongst other- 
things with a new species of Hyrax near to II. Capensis , 
and which has been called Hyrax Welw it schii. Amongst 
plants one can hardly particularize individuals. One he- 
discovered, and named Corinanthe paniculata , has a very 
Cinchonaceous habit, and its bark is used by the natives 
for the same purposes as that of Cinchona is used. His- 
name is preserved in a very curious and interesting 
Gnetaceous plant, which Dr. Hooker has fully mono¬ 
graphed under the name of Welivitschia mirabilis. Since 
his return from Africa he has occupied himself in work¬ 
ing up his collections, and during the whole time has 
suffered in his health from fevers, etc., enough to daunt 
an ordinary man from any work whatever.| During 
the last few months, however, his friends clearly saw he 
could not last much longer, but he kept to his work as 
long as he had strength to hold his pen. 
His explorations have been recognized by two or three 
decorations of knighthood and by many scientific 
societies. 
His funeral took place on Thursday, the 24th inst., at 
Kensal Green, a number of botanists being present. 
Notice has also been received of the following deaths— 
On the 15th October, Mr. Mark Ward Cooper, phar¬ 
maceutical chemist, of Bridlington. Mr. Cooper had been 
a member of the Pharmaceutical Society since 1845. 
On the 15th of August, Mr. John Newton, chemist 
and druggist, of Kennilworth. 
On the 19th of October, Mr. Edward Hart, chemist 
and druggist, of Kegworth. 
BOOKS RECEIVED. 
Sanitary Science as applied to the Healthy Construc¬ 
tion of Houses in Town and Country. By R. Scott 
Burn. Glasgow: Collins and Co. 1872. 
First Principles of Human Physiology, and a fevr 
Applications of them, with Suggestions for Practical 
Work. By W. T. Pilter. London: Kempster andi 
Co. 1872. 
