574 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS, 
[January 18, 1873. 
meeting- of assistants to consider the granting to them 
the use of the hall fortnightly, alternately with meetings 
of the Association.” 
This was seconded by Mr. Alexander Kinninmont, 
and agreed to. 
SHEFFIELD PHARMACEUTICAL AND 
CHEMICAL ASSOCIATION. 
The annual general meeting was held on January 
10th. The report as read showed a slightly unfavourable 
aspect, considering the position an association such as 
this should hold in the midst of such a large business 
centre. The expenditure also has been in excess of the in¬ 
come, and an appeal was made to the members to give 
their personal support to the society, and by so doing 
restore it to something like its former condition of use¬ 
fulness. 
Much anxiety is caused by the seeming indifference 
with which it is regarded by the bulk of the trade in 
this district: and it is felt to be most important that 
every exertion be used that may possibly increase its 
influence. 
The establishment of a Pharmaceutical Students’ As¬ 
sociation is a source of gratification, and it is hoped that 
hs it has hitherto gone on most .successfully, it may be a 
means of considerably increasing, which is felt in the 
doings of the society. 
The election of officers for the ensuing year placed 
Mr. AV. Ward, F.C.S., in the presidential chair, with Mr. 
W. V. Radley as treasurer, and Mr. E. R. Learoyd, 
secretary. The meeting, which was not so well at¬ 
tended as it might have been, was most sincere in its 
appreciation of the necessity for further exertion if its 
operations are not to be considerably curtailed in the 
future. 
SHEFFIELD PHARMACEUTICAL STUDENTS’ 
ASSOCIATION. 
The annual meeting of this association was held in the 
Music Hall (Tudor Place) on Thursday, January 9th. 
After a preliminary speech by the President, Mr. E. R. 
Learoyd, in which he congratulated the association on 
the success which had attended its efforts, a report of 
past proceedings was given, which was considered very 
satisfactory, bearing in mind the short time % the society 
has been in existence. 
n A latin class, a materia medica class, and a chemistry 
■ciass are conducted weekly under the supervision of 
able gentlemen, and it is hoped they will be appreciated 
by the chemists’ assistants and apprentices of Sheffield 
more than they are, although the attendance hitherto 
had been nothing to complain of. 
A list of officers and rules were then presented, and 
received confirmation, after which a very interesting and 
exhaustive paper was read by Mr. J. S. Wilson, on 
Nux Vomica and its Alkaloids,” much amusement 
being caused by the fact that Mr. Wilson (to better il¬ 
lustrate the therapeutical effects of strychnia) had been 
experimenting upon himself, and when reading his paper 
was still under the influence of that poison. 
A short discussion after the paper, and a vote of thanks 
to Mr. Wilson, proposed by the President and seconded 
by Mr. Dunnill, concluded the business of the evening. 
iparlianwntairs stP fain framimp. 
The Sale oe Vermin Killers containing Strychnine. 
Mr. Crabb Gillett, a chemist, of Peas Hill, Cambridge, 
has been charged with unlawfully selling a quantity of 
strychnine to A Valter Kirbyshire, on January 2nd, with¬ 
out entering the sale of the same in a book, against the 
provisions of the Pharmacy Act, 1868. 
Walter Kirbyshire, aged thirteen, said that he went 
on January 2nd to Mr. Gillett’s shop for a threepenny 
packet of “Battle’s A ; ermin Powder,” with which Mr. 
Gillett served him, and whilst he was in the shop Mr. 
Gillett did not enter anything in a book. The packet 
had on defendant’s name and address, and the name, 
“ Vermin Killer.” 
Detective Kirbyshire received the packet from his son 
and gave it to Mr. Deck, of King’s Parade. 
Mr. A. Deck, pharmaceutical chemist, said he received 
a packet marked “ Battle’s Vermin Powder” from Kirby¬ 
shire. He had subjected it to an analysis, and found it 
to contain strychnine in the proportion of a grain and a 
half to the packet. To take one-sixth of the packet 
would be very dangerous. The packet contained about 
forty grains. 
Defendant said that he had sold the powder under 
what was then law, vermin killers not being mentioned 
in the Act of 1868, but the day before there had been a 
fresh regulation, in which vermin killers were added. 
The Clerk said that that was only an explanation of 
the Act, and not a fresh regulation. 
Chief Superintendent Turrall said that the summons 
was not laid against defendant individually; but in 
summoning him he considered himself proceeding against 
all chemists in Cambridge who failed to comply with the 
Pharmacy Act. 
The magistrates mentioned that in August last a child 
had died from this same poison, and that in Cambridge 
nearly 100 dogs had been poisoned. 
Fined in the mitigated penalty of 5s., with costs. 
The Alleged Negligence of a Chemist and Drug¬ 
gist.'—Powell v. Hingston. 
This case came before the Court of Queen’s Bench on 
Wednesday last. The particulars, which were recently 
reported in this Journal, were as follows : — 
The plaintiff, a hairdresser at Liverpool, sent a child 
of 10 or 11 years old to the shop of the defendant, a 
chemist and druggist, for some acid. The truth was 
that the hairdresser used nitric acid in his business, but. 
at the same time, he wanted sulphurous acid for his 
throat. It was admitted, however, that the chemist did 
not know this, and he had sold the man nitric acid 
before, so he gave the child nitric acid, and labelled it 
so. The man, however, unfortunately did not observe 
the label, and applied the acid to his throat, the result of 
which was that he was very severely burnt. He sued 
the chemist for damages, and the case was tried at the 
last assizes at Liverpool before Mr. Justice Lush, who, 
upon the evidence thought that there was no negligence, 
and expressed that opinion to the jury, who found for 
the chemist. 
Mr. C. Russell, Q.C., moved on the part of the plain¬ 
tiff for a new trial on the ground of evidence of neg¬ 
ligence, but 
The Court thought there was no ground for disturbing 
the verdict, as there was no negligence on the part of 
the chemist. They thought, indeed, that it was foolish 
to send such a mere child on such an errand. The 
phial was duly labelled, and the mistake was the 
plaintiff’s. — Times. 
Suicide in Wolverhampton.— A Caution 
to Chemists. 
On Friday evening an inquest was held at the New 
Market Inn, Cleveland Road, by W. H. Phillips, Esq., 
Borough Coroner, on the body of Thomas Woodward, 
22, driller, employed at the Great AVestern Railway 
AVorks, Stafford Road, whose death had, it was supposed, 
been caused by poison. John Argyle, “boots” at the 
Coach and Horses, Snow Hill, was the first witness 
called. He said he had known deceased very well for 
