410 
THE PHAKMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [November 30 ,1872. 
Cffmsprtau. 
* # * No notice can be taken of anonymous communica¬ 
tions. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authenti¬ 
cated by the name and address of the ivriter ; not necessarily 
for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith. 
Death by Misadventure. 
Sir,—In your Journal of November 16th, your report of 
an inquest held at Paddington is calculated to mislead the 
public, as it does not contain the facts of the case. The 
following is a more correct account of the proceedings:— 
On the 6th of November, Dr. Hardwicke, coroner, held 
an inquest at 13, Devonshire Terrace, Paddington, touching 
the death of a lady named Scott, aged 74. From the evidence 
it appeared that Mr. Dickenson, a chemist, of Queen’s 
Gardens, Bayswater, prepared a prescription for the deceased 
without the help of an assistant, and being hurried, he used 
solution of morphia in mistake for water. The jury, after 
long deliberation, returned a verdict of death by misadven¬ 
ture. 
One op the Jury. 
Evasion op the Pharmacy Act. 
Sir,—The following case has recently come under my 
notice:—A man who has proved his inability by “being 
plucked” carries on the business or profession of chemist, 
but sheltered from the law by transferring it to another who 
is on the liegister, thus holding out to speculative chemists 
on the Register an opportunity of making an addition to 
their income by lending their names to incompetent persons, 
who could then carry on business in defiance of the Pharmacy 
Act. Surely we who are duly qualified ought to be protected 
against such piracies. Am I unreasonable in asking that as 
the law is so stringent, it should go one step further and pro¬ 
hibit the sale of all medicines for internal use by any but 
competent persons ? We should then probably hear less of 
accidents from laudanum given for tincture of rhubarb, arsenic 
for magnesia, or from over-doses of Godfrey. 
Many grocers, bakers, and small shopkeepers sell patents 
and drugs, driving a snug trade with the former, and with¬ 
out a licence, that I really begin to think the time and money 
spent in obtaining the qualification of pharmaceutical chemist 
has not been well laid out, and fail to see the advantage ot 
belonging to a Society where such palpable evasions are 
tolerated either from want of power or unwillingness to 
arrest the evil. I venture to express a hope that other 
chemists will take up the subject, and do all in their power to 
promote the suggestion £< that medicines for internal use should 
be sold by none but qualified persons.” 
W. Metcalee. 
November 18 th, 1872. 
f *** We think our correspondent has in his own hands the 
remedy for such cases as are within his own cognizance.— Ed. 
Pn. J'ourn.] 
Errata,— “Specific Gravities of the Liquids of tlieB.P .” 
—Through a printer’s error a correction in Mr. Umney’s 
article on this subject in last week’s Journal becomes necessary. 
Page 402, col. i. line 21, the sp. gr. of “ No. 4” should be 
1-053 and the c< available chlorine” 2-600, instead of as it now 
stands. “Sirius,” also, referring to his letter on p. 420, 
col. i, says that he intended to have written the last line of 
the fourth paragraph “ exempt from the payment of more 
than 10s. or even 5s. per annum.” 
The report of the meeting of the Manchester Chemists’ 
Assistants’ Association on the 18th inst. has been received 
too late for insertion this week. 
“ Occult Pseudo-Scientific Influence .”—We have received 
what appears to be a proof-sheet of a work in the press, con¬ 
taining a vigorous attack upon the germ theory and the 
advocates for the U6C of carbolic acid and the carbolates. 
F. J. Barrett. —The articles mentioned by you are prepa¬ 
rations of a poison within the meaning of the Pharmacy Act, 
1868, and therefore cannot be legally retailed or dispensed by 
any person not qualified according to the provisions of that 
Act. The Act, however, does not interfere with wholesale 
dealings in such articles. 
“ Spes.” —Apply to the Secretary for a copy of the Regula¬ 
tions of the Board of Examiners. 
J. A.—Pil. Taraxaci —The following formula is given by 
Cooley:—“Extract of dandelion, ldr.; powdered rhubarb, 
q. s .; divide into 3^-grain pills.” 
“ A Lover of Fair Play.” —All the information that was in 
our possession at the time was published, and on our applica¬ 
tion to the coroner for further particulars he declined to fur¬ 
nish them. 
Messrs. Macdougall Brothers— Your communication has 
been received and shall have early attention. 
J. Goodfellow. —Your letter has not been overlooked, but 
it was not thought desirable to publish it, inasmuch as you 
appear to be under considerable misapprehension as to the 
facts of the case. For instance, it is not in the power of the- 
Pharmaceutical Society to allow a man. to pass on to the- 
Major examination without first undergoing the Minor exa- 
amination, since the latter has been prescribed by. Act of 
Parliament as compulsory upon all who enter the business as- 
chemists and druggists. Again, it is wrong to say that any 
person who has passed the Major is “ excluded from the list 
of pharmaceutical chemists, simply from not paying fees to- 
become so titled,” since every person passing the Major 
examination becomes thereby entitled to call himself and be- 
placed on the Register as a “ pharmaceutical chemist,” and 
this is not at all dependent upon the payment of any fees or 
joining the Pharmaceutical Society. Some of the incon¬ 
gruities you refer to are unavoidable, having been imposed 
by Parliament, but they will disappear with the lapse of 
time. 
X. Y. Z .—The deposit referred to is not due to evaporation, 
but probably to a chemical change which takes place in this 
and other proof-spirit tinctures, especially under the influence- 
of light. 
A. Wright. —Tallow is commonly purified by melting it- 
together with water, or water containing about two per cent, 
of sulphuric acid. Another plan is to blow steam tor some 
time through the melted tallow. See vol. II. (1871) p. 322. 
“ Leeds.” —Much would depend upon the nature of the 
substance referred to in the word translated “ salt,’’which could 
scarcelv have been identical with what is popularly called 
by that name in this country. Possibly it was an earthy 
matter impregnated with chloride of sodium, which “lost its 
savour” as the salt crystallized out. We do not know te 
what Mr. Maundrell refers. 
“ Units ex Alumnis.” —As the matter is under the con¬ 
sideration of a committee which has not yet made its report 
to the Council,’we think it would be premature to discuss it, 
but we do not see that there would be any hardship involved 
in a person waiting until he is twenty-one years of age before 
going up for the Minor examination. 
“ A Minor Minor.” —The new regulations respecting the 
Bell Memorial Scholarships, adopted by the Council at its 
last meeting (printed, ante, p. 367) are now in force and apply 
to the next competition. 
Mr. J. PL. D. Jenkinson is thanked for his communication. 
“ Chemist.” —The prescription sent no doubt illustrates the 
frequent disregard of incompatibilities by prescribes, but we 
do not see how such a case can be dealt with otherwise than, 
by bringing it under the notice of the medical man. 
G. Masson.—Vermin Killers .—If you refer to the proceed¬ 
ings of the Council at its meeting in August and September 
(ante, pp. 112 and 188), you will see that amended regula 
tions with regard to vermin killers have been prepared, whicn 
are ordered to be sent to all chemists and druggists on the- 
Itegister. 
L. V. O .—Phosphate of iron is reprecipitated. Mako 
the phosphate yourself carefully, and keep it suspended in 
water, and we think that you will obtain satisfactory results. 
The author of the paper referred to informs us that he hasi 
not experienced the difficulties which you name. 
B. B. B. —The green precipitate is protoxide of iron, and 
it is formed because magnesia precipitates oxide of iron from 
solutions of ferrous salts. 
H. E .—No reaction takes place. 
“ Pharmaceutical Chemist.” —The subject of your letter- 
has been already considered, as you will see by this week’s- 
J ournal. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Mr. G. Masson, Dr. Kernot, Mr. G. B. Clarke, Mr. D. L. 
Jones, Mr. Shaw, Dr. J. Leon Soubeiran, Dr. Stone, Mr. S. 
Wylde, Mr. Pearse, Mr. Macdowell, Aberdeen School of 
Pharmacy, ‘‘Chemist,” Edinburgh Assistant,” “Pharma¬ 
ceutical Chemist,” R. S., N. A, K., R. B. 
