600 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[J auuary 25, 1873.. 
Fleet Street.30s. each frame. 
Drury Lane.32s. „ 
Temple Bar.36s. „ 
Charing Cross ...... 42s. „ 
Holborn.50s. „ 
Pall Mall.55s. 
Oxford Street West .... 62s. „ 
W ill the Globe solve the problem, and enlighten me as to the 
real value of my frames ? If this range of prices is common 
to other trades, I ask, shall not the charm and logic of variety 
be conceded to ours ? 
W. W. 
London , January 22nd, 1873. 
Co-operative Stores. 
Sir,—The letter in the Journal of 4th inst. from Messrs. 
Sanger and Son, shows how we as a body neglect one of the 
most powerful means of checking the Co-operative Stores. 
We do not as we ought resolutely refuse to do business with 
these houses supplying them (directly or indirectly.) 
Of course if they prefer the support of the Stores to that of 
the trade, let them have it by all means; but let it be 
thoroughly understood that as a matter of policy we decline 
to have any business transactions with such lirms, and let us 
make it our business to find out who they are, and close 
our accounts with them without delay. If the wholesale 
houses and manufacturers were on the alert, they could in 
almost every case discover if their goods were being bought 
for the Stores ; but the fact is they don’t want to, and will not 
so long as the retailers show such indifference. 
It is well known that many of them sell to the managers 
of the different Stores in their own private names, and thus 
think to escape the charge of supplying the Stores. Let all 
those who wish for the welfare of tiie trade, act as Messrs. 
Sanger and Son have done, aud they will be doing us a good 
turn. L. 
Milk Testing. 
Sir,—On referring to Pereira’s ‘ Materia Medica ’ and 
Fownes’s ‘ Chemistry,’ as quoted by Mr. Ekin, I find it 
stated that cows’ milk when recently drawn from the cow is 
slightly alkaline ; Mr. Ekin also says that if I examine milk 
directly it is drawn from the cow, I shall find that he is 
correct. 
In opposition to Mr. Ekin and the above authorities I beg 
to subjoin the following facts 
On Wednesday, January 15th, I went to a dairy in this 
town and tested the milk from six cows, in every case I 
obtained an acid reaction; from four cows the milk was 
drawn direct from the cow on to the test-paper, with the 
other two I dipped the paper into the milk contained in a 
tin pail. 
On Thursday, January 16th, at another dairy in Boston, I 
took the reaction of the milk of six cow t s (one an Alderney); 
again, in every ca-e, I obtained an acid reaction. 
Mr. Ekin also states that chalk is really never met with in 
milk: I do not suppose that either Mr. Ekin or I shall find 
milk in our districts adulterated with chalk, but the case may 
be very different in London. I should like to know Mr. 
Ekin’s authority for saying that “it really never is met with 
in milk.”* * 
With regard to Yogel’s lactoscope, I think Mr. Ekin is 
mistaken as to the use of it; in his letter he says, “I think no 
one would venture to rely upon the lactoscope alone to give a 
decided opinion in a court of law as to whether milk is adul¬ 
terated or not.” Vogel’s lactoscope is not to detect adultera¬ 
tion, but to estimate the amount of fat in milk. 
The system of estimating the percentage of water in milk 
by specific gravity is certainly open to many objections, the 
variable amount of cream and fat, still for want of a better 
method may be of use. 
Chas. H. Southwell. 
Boston, January 16 th, 1873. 
*The authority for this statement is Mr. Wanklyn, who 
has sought for chalk in hundreds of cases, and proved its 
entire absence in every one of those instances. Official in. 
vestigation in the United States has also led to a like 
result. We think that recourse should be had to the taking 
of milk residues, and that the lactometer should be aban¬ 
doned.—E d. Pharm. Journ. 
Erratum. —By a printer’s error the name of the sculptor- 
of the Priestley memorial was last week given as “ Williams ” 
instead of “Williamson.” 
Messrs. A. Payne, G. 7 V. Thomas, J. Winn .— The adver¬ 
tisements and post-office orders have been handed over to 
the publisher. They should have been sent to Messrs. J. 
and A. Churchill, New Burlington Street. See the Notice 
to Advertisers, published every week on the second page of 
the advertising sheet. 
Renovator.— We do not imagine that filtration through 
animal charcoal would injure the properties of either of the- 
compounds mentioned, unless perhaps it removed some of the- 
alkaloids. 
J. W. B. —Recipes for making Cherry Tooth Paste will be- 
found in the first volume of the present series of the Phar¬ 
maceutical Journal, pp. 557 and 577. 
“ Ph. C .”—We do not know of the existence of any pro¬ 
prietary right in the name mentioned. 
“ Perseverando Vinces.” —(1) Candidates who fail to pass- 
either of the examinations cannot present themselves again 
for three months. (2) Yes. 
“ Inquisitive .”— (1) The questions are put viva voce r 
and a knowledge of what they are can only be obtained 
by presenting yourself for examination. (2) The prescrip¬ 
tions in the book mentioned are only intended as examples.. 
(3) Apply to the Secretary, 17, Bloomsbury Square. 
“ One who will Suffer.” —Your .letter appears to have been; 
written under some misapprehension. The suggested increase 
in the Minor examination fee would not necessarily affect 
the assistant commencing at “ £80 a year,” since that exa¬ 
mination is at present only compulsory before commencing- 
business as a registered chemist and druggist, although assist 
tants would probably find it to their own interest to pass it as 
soon a3 possible. As to the preliminary expense incurred 
in a course of instruction at Bloomsbury Square, it has been 
repeatedly stated that the Minor examination only requires, 
an intelligent knowledge of the things daily met- with in a 
pharmacy, which you yourself suggest could be obtained more 
economically elsewhere. At any rate, after the expenditure- 
of the large sum specified by you, it would not be unreason¬ 
able to expect a man to go on for the “ Major” qualification, 
in which case the gross total of the fees would remain the- 
same. 
A. TV. Postans. —It would be quite justifiable to use am 
equivalent quantity of the strong acid, i.e., m y. to the thirty 
pills, adding it direct to the quinine, then mixing in the ex¬ 
tract and a little absorbent powder if necessary. 3 It has pro¬ 
bably been an oversight of the prescriber, but not such a one 
as the dispenser might get over without troubling the- 
writer. 
W. W. Bindley. —We quite agree with the opinions con¬ 
tained in your letter, but we think the form in which they 
are expressed is rather too much like the article complained 
of. 
“ Scientific.”— (1) Brough’s ‘Fairy Tales of Science’ is- 
published by Griffith and Farran, St. Paul’s Churchyard, 
price 5?. (2) A lecture was delivered under the title men¬ 
tioned at Exeter, by Professor Huxley, we believe, but we do 
not know whether it has been published. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Messrs. It. Shepperley, J. L. Holmes,' S haply, W. Guam 
M. C. Cooke, In. Smith, W. Lindley, F. R. Bell, Stathers, 
R. O. Fitch., T. M., E. A. G., A Major before the Passing of 
the Pharmacy Act. 
The following journals have been received:—The ‘ British 
Medical Journal,’ January 18; the ‘Medical Times and 
Gazette,’ January 18; the ‘Lancet,’ January 18; the 
• Medical Press and Circular,’ January 18 ; ‘ Nature,’ January 
18; the ' Chemical News,’ January 18; ‘English Mechanic,* 
January 18; ‘Gardeners’ Chronicle,’ January 18; the 
‘ Grocer,’ January 18; the ‘ Journal of the Society of Arts,* 
January 18; ‘ Grocery N aws,’ January 18 ; ‘ Medical Record*’ 
January 15 & 22; ‘ L’Union Pharmaceutique’ for January ^ 
‘Journal de Pharmacie et de Chitnie’ for January; ‘Anti- 
Adulteration Review’ for January; ‘Michigan University 
Medical Journal’ for December; ‘ Western Lancet’ for 
November; ‘Photographic Journal,’ January 10; ‘Dublin. 
Journal of Medical Science’ for January. 
