November 9,1872.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
377 
p, Liq. Bismuth! et Ammon. Cit. 3 ij* 
Tinct. Lupuli.3j* 
M. ft. Mist. Capt. coch. mag. ij ter in die e cyath. 
vin. aq. 
After referring to the apparent insolubility of ferri 
citras, and a case where potassii iodid. and a dilute acid 
were ordered together, he thus concludes: “We fre¬ 
quently hear the sneer from medical men about ‘ignorant 
chemists ’ (and often, I am sorry to admit, with truth) ; 
but when we see the blunders—nay, deliberate mistakes— 
that even first-class physicians make through their ig¬ 
norance of the chemical decompositions which occur in 
dispensing their prescriptions, I think they ought to 
reflect a little before making such charges. Let them 
remember that ‘ those who live in glass houses should 
not throw stones.’ As an instance, I may mention that 
of an eminent physician, and a professor at a school of 
medicine, who recently prescribed,— 
p, Vin Ipecac. 5 ij. 
Potass. Bicarb. 5 j. 
Liq. Ammon. Acet. . . . jij. 
Syr. Rhoeados . . . . * ss. 
Aq. ad.jviij. M. 
I found the effect of the alkalies on the syrup was 
to make the mixture a villanous dingy purple colour, 
not at all pleasing to the eye. Now, I take the 
liberty of asking why syrupus rhoeados need be used ? 
.Syrupus simplex would have done j ust as well, and not 
have interfered with the colour. Doubtless the physician 
would have said the same, but he evidently did not 
know, and he ought to. I have seen prescriptions from 
this same physician with magnes. sulph. and potass, 
bicarb, ordered together. And I can well recollect a 
form for a cough mixture a certain country surgeon was 
in the habit of using, which contained, among other in¬ 
gredients, oxymel scillse and liq. ammon. acet. Pro¬ 
bably, too, some of the gentlemen whom I see around 
me occasionally meet with prescriptions containing some 
preparation of hyoscyamus, stramonium, or belladonna, 
and liq. potassae ordered together, when we well know, 
and every work on materia medica will tell you the 
same thing, that the caustic alkalies effectually destroy 
the active principles of these three solanaceous plants. 
I have been looking through some of our prescription 
books, and, luckily, have come across one or two to give 
you as illustrations. The writer of the first is a gentle¬ 
man well known for the lowness of his fee and the extent 
•of his practice. The date is only as far back as Septem¬ 
ber, 1871. Here is the precious document. 
Liq. Potassae. 5 iij. 
Tinct. Hyoscyam.5v. 
Inf. Uvae Ursi.3vij. 
Here is another in the same month, but with no signa¬ 
ture to it, so I cannot tell who the writer is. 
£ Liq. Potassae. 3 j- 
• Tinct. Hyoscyam. 5 vj. 
Inf. Gent. Co. ad ... . 3 viij. M 
Another, still, I find written by the first gentleman, and 
dated August, 1871. 
P> Liq. Potassae . . . . . 3 ss - 
Tinct. Hyoscyam. . . . , 3 ss - 
Inf. Buchu. 3 vij. M. 
And I have not the least doubt but that I could find a 
•dozen or two more ; but these are abundantly sufficient 
to bear out my statement. I have not written this out 
of envy, spite, or malice, but simply to show that it 
would not be very difficult to pick holes in other people’s 
coats if we were so disposed. It is to the intelligent 
and educated pharmacist of the future that we must look 
to effectually annihilate such remarks as ‘ ignorant che¬ 
mists,’ and perhaps I may venture to hope that in that 
Time there will be no ‘ ignorant medical men.’ ” 
A long and interesting discussion ensued on the pointr 
raised in Mr. Williams’s paper; and eventually a cor¬ 
dial vote of thanks was unanimously passed to him fos 
iis paper. 
Mr. Williams, in thanking the meeting for their kind¬ 
ness, remarked that, as the subject was almost inex¬ 
haustible, hehoped that some gentleman who was more 
competent than himself would favour them with a paper 
next month. 
MANCHESTER CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS 
ASSOCIATION AND SCHOOL OF PHARMACY. 
The first ordinary monthly meeting of the session was 
held in the class-room, 37, Blackfriars Street, on Friday, 
afternoon, November 1st, Mr. W. Wilkinson, vice- 
president, in the chair. 
An interesting paper “ On the Alkalies and their 
Tests’’ was read by Mr. Pidd (an Associate). 
The Secretary announced that thirty-four gentlemen 
had entered themselves for the chemistry lectures, thirty 
for materia medica, and twenty-nine for botany. 
BRISTOL PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION. 
In addition to the systematic courses of lectures to 
be delivered upon chemistry, botany and materia me¬ 
dica, of which announcement was made in the Phar¬ 
maceutical Journal of October 12th, 1872, the follow¬ 
ing monthly evening meetings have been arranged— 
Friday, November 15th, 1872, “Papers and Discus¬ 
sions.” 
Friday, December 13th, 1872, Lecture by Thos. 
Coomber, Esq., F.C.S. 
Friday, January 17th, 1873, Lecture by Thos. Wills, 
Esq. (Royal Institution). 
Friday, February, 14th, 1873, Lecture by Dr. Tilden 
(Professor of Chemistry at Clifton College). 
Friday, March 14th, 1873, Lecture by Dr. Armstrong 
(Professor of Chemistry, London Institution). 
Friday, April 4th, 1873, Lecture by Michael Car- 
teighe, Esq., F.C.S. 
.clmto. 
Chemistry: General, Medical, and Pharmaceutical: 
Including the Chemistry of the British Pharmacopoeia. 
A Manual of the General Principles of the Science, 
and their applications to Medicine and Pharmacy. 
By John Attfield, Ph.D., F.C.S., etc. Fourth 
Edition. London: Van Voorst. 1872. 
The fact of this work having attained its fourth edi¬ 
tion within as many years is a sufficient proof that it is 
appreciated by a large class of readers. The exhaus¬ 
tion of the three previous editions represents a sale (as 
the author tells us) of upwards of ten thousand copies; it 
is unnecessary therefore for us to offer any analysis of 
the book further than to point out the changes and ad¬ 
ditions which have been made in the present edition. 
The most important alterations occur in the sections 
treating of the general principles of chemical philosophy. 
These chapters have been re-written, extended, and to 
a considerable extent re-modelled—we may add also 
that they have been much improved. Neverthe¬ 
less, they still remain the weakest part oi the work. 
Professor Attfield excels as a teacher of experimental 
chemistrv. His book is an admirable manual for the 
laboratory. The experiments are well conceived, 
and are described in clear and concise language. In 
the explanation of individual phenomena he leaves little 
to be desired. But in [dealing with the philosophical 
G. F. SciIAC'HT, ) 
John Pitman, j 
Hon. Secs. 
