540 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[January 4, 1873, 
Chemists’ Profits ! 
Sir,—A short time ago I receive! for preparation a prescrip¬ 
tion as follows:— 
R. Ext. Cinchon. Fiav. Liq. 5 yj 
Potass. Iodidi. 5 ij 
Potass. Bromid. 5 yj 
Aq. ad . 3 xij 
M. etc. 
for which with bottle I considered 4s. a fair price. 
My customer, a lady on whose word I can thoroughly rely, 
and who offered to show me the bills, states that at°the first 
establishments in two large towns near she only paid 2 s. 6 cL 
and 2s. 8 d. respectively. Now, ext. cinchon. flav. liq. costs 
26?. per lb., and has (or ought to have) a specific gravity of 
P200 f 5vj. would weigh 5 vij. and would cost . Is. 51. 
3 ij Potass. Iodid., over ^'oz. at 2s. 3d. per oz. Os. 7 d. 
5 yj Potass. Bromid. at 6 s. per oz.Os. id. 
Bottle.Os. Hd. 
Aq. Best.Os. 0 \d. 
Total cost of materials.2s. 6 1. 
I am puzzled as to whether my worthy confreres of the 
larger towns keep shop for the fun of the thing, or to live by 
the losses, or whether (can it be possible) they forget that f 5 yj 
of a liquid having a specific gravity of 1*200 will weigh much 
more than foz. Whatever may be the explanation, such 
practices cause great inconvenience and annoyance to those 
tradesmen (by all means let us sink the idea of profession) 
who look for a fair profit on each transaction. 
I trust that calling attention to this occurrence will tend 
to prevent the repetition of such a scale of charge. 
Pharmaceutical Chemist. 
November 22nd, 1872. 
Commercial Morality. 
Sir,—Having just unpacked an “ original ” case of “ Honey¬ 
comb Sponges” from a well-known London firm, I beg to 
send you another version of “ Commercial Morality.” 
Although the sponge was large and forty-eight pieces in 
the case, after well beating, 2 J lb. of sand was all that could be 
got out; the sponge was ail that could be desired, and in this 
instance will leave a wider margin for profit than, as hitherto, 
buying ready cleaned. Apologizing for troubling you on 
this subject again. 
J. Colenutt. 
Sandown, Isle of Wight, 
December V2th, 1872. 
[*#* It may fairly bj inferred that this case, as well as that 
mentioned by Messrs. Newham, were exceptional in opposite 
directions, but the two extremes indicate that there is always 
a considerable amount of uncertainty in purchasing original 
packages of sponge.— Ed. Pharm. Jo urn.] 
Earlier Closing. 
Sir,—Seeing that the examinations in 1874 will be some¬ 
what more difficult than they are now, I think we, the pre¬ 
sent assistants and apprentices, would do well to make some 
endeavour to curtail the long hours that now exist. What 
studying can a youth do after a hard day’s work and ten p.m. 
before that ceases ? Perhaps existing masters may say “ We 
have had to do it;” but that is no reason why circumstances 
which are bad should not be altered. Give the young stu¬ 
dent a chance to improve himself, and then it is his own fault 
if he does not make good use of that time. There is no profes¬ 
sion or trade, as far as I am aware, that suffers so much from in - 
door confinement as a chemist, and I do not see any reason 
why such cannot be amended. There is no doubt many objec¬ 
tions will be raised against the short-hours’ movement; but let 
assistants and apprentices join in a body and go the ri°*ht 
way to work. I think the task would be found compara¬ 
tively easy. Drapers close at seven p.m., and so might phar¬ 
macists if they would. I think some one should always be in 
readiness to dispense urgent medicines, but 1 do not think it 
'requisite to accommodate any person with a ha’porth of hair 
oil or a pen’orth of pills at ten p.m., when it is only for the 
customer’s convenience to come for them at that hour ; but 
they know they can get them just as well then as at 5 p.m. 
How can a young man’s health be what it should b« when he 
is con-fined in a shop or laboratory all day, and then four or 
five hours in the evening breathing certainly not pure oxvgen 
and nitrogen, but an atmosphere vitiated with the noxious 
products of the combustion of London gas. Hoping some 
abler pen than mine may take further steps in the matte*, L 
remain etc. 
17, Bloomsbury Square. W. S. Stables. 
Chloral Hydrate. 
Sir,—Referring to “ Dispensing Note on Chloral Hydrate,” 
vide Pharmaceutical Journal, last issue, I forward the 
following prescriptions ordering chloral hydrate, etc., pre¬ 
scribed bj r a medical gentleman of extensive practice, for a 
gentleman of ample means (but unfortunately of most in¬ 
temperate habits) and dispensed by myself and assistant:— 
R. Chloral Hydrat.5 ij- 
Syr. Simple. 3 i y - 
Aquae ad. 3 iv- 
Take one 3rd part every 2nd hour. 
6. 12. 72. Sigued. 
R. Rept. Mist. 
Chloral Hydrat. 
Signat. One half to be taken for a dose. 
6. 12. 72. Signed. 
R. Chloral Hydrat . . ... 3 i*j- 
Tinct. Aurant. ... . . 3 iv. 
Aqase ad . . . . . 5 iv. 
Take one half for a dose. 
7. 12. 72. 
R. Rept. Mist. 
Chloral Hydrat. 
Had this morning. 
7. 12. 72. 
R. Chloral Hydrat ...... 
Morph. Muri. 
Aquae ad . 
Take one fourth part everv second hour. 
8. 12. 72. 
R. Magn. Sulph. 
Conf. Sennae . 
Liq. Sennae Dulc. 
Tinct. Jilapae ana. 
Inf. Sennae ad. 
M. ft. Haust. statim sumend. 
9. 13. 72. 
Signed, 
Signed. 
5iij. 
gr. iv. 
o 
Signed, 
-oj- 
5 tj. 
5i'j- 
3 i>j- 
Signed. 
Last Monday evening the medical man called to tell me¬ 
ins patient was “all right with the exception of considerable 
depression, and debility generally.” The above prescriptions 
are given 03 written. 
Tnos. C. Morris. 
W. and L .—You will find an answer to a question on the 
same subject at p. 519 of the last volume. Should you re- 
quire more definite information it would be advisable to apply 
to the Inland Revenue authorities. 
F. W. P .—It cannot be made clear without adding more 
acid than is ordered. 
Pimgency of Watercress. —J. Tully (East Grinstead) is of 
opinion that the difference of flavour in our correspondent's 
two specimens of watercress was due to the relative absorp¬ 
tion of substances from the water in which they grew. Pos¬ 
sibly the pungency was due to excessive manuring. 
P. 31. Ghirnell .—We have received your letters referring 
to the nuisanoes which you describe as existing at Bethnal 
Green, and would advise you to communicate the facts to some 
of the medical journals. 
r d '-—We believe the work you name is out of print. 
“ Query .”—A solution may be made as follows :— 
Bimeconate of Morphia . 10 grains. 
Rectified Spirit. . . . 1 fluid drachm. 
Distilled Water ... 13 fluid drachms. 
“ Studens .”—(1) It is evident that there was something 
faulty in the manner in which the experiment was conducted. 
(2) For the Major examination a knowledge of the Linncean 
and De Candolle’s systems is required. 
^Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Messrs. J. Tully, J. F. Brown, J. Wilson, J. David on, 
W illmott, Ekin, Benger, J. R. Marraek, T. B. Groves, 
G. Turner Robertson, T. Farnsworth, and It. G. Mumbraj*. 
