March 29, 1873.] 
THE PJtiARM AOEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
777 
married in a fortnight’s time. He was in the habit of 
taking a large quantity of chloral to procure sleep. 
Mr. Alfred J ames Mitchell, a medical student, said that 
about half-past five o’clock on last Tuesday evening the 
deceased called upon him, when they both went out together 
in the direction of Stepney Green. The deceased went to 
the post office, and sent a telegram to his lawyer’s stating 
that he would call the next day and explain all. He said 
that it was his intention to go to Belgium the next day, 
and that he had written to his friends to meet him at the 
evening boat. He then went to a tavern, called the King 
Harry, where a disturbance took place, in which he was 
concerned. Witness afterwards saw the deceased coming 
out of a chemist’s shop. He said he had been to get a 
draught to quiet himself. They then went into the King 
Harry together, and about five minutes afterwards the 
deceased said, “ Will you have a parting glass with me, 
as we shall never meet again.” Shortly afterwards he 
exclaimed, “I am a dead man,” and added, “ I have 
taken a drachm and a half of chloral.” The deceased was 
taken to Dr. Todd’s, and as soon as they laid him on the 
surgery floor he expired. He believed that he took the 
poison whilst in a state of excitement arising from the 
disturbance. 
Mr. Alfred Rushton, chemist, 285, Mile End Road, said 
that about eight o’clock on Tuesday night the deceased 
came to his shop for a draught, which he gave him. He 
came in a second time, at a quarter to ten o’clock, and 
asked to be served with tAvo drachms of chloral, when 
witness said that he had not so much in the house, but 
would give him what he had, which was 1 drachm 25 
grains, which he had put into a one and a-half ounce 
bottle. The bottle was labelled, “ Poison—a teaspoonful 
to be taken three times a day.” He knew him to be a 
medical man, or he should not have served him with it, 
he having been in his shop several times before. He was 
perfectly sober at the time he served him. 
The Jury returned a verdict of “ Suicide ’ whilst in a 
state of Temporary Insanity.”— Standard. 
The First Book of Botany. By E. A. Youmans. 
London : H. S. King and Co. 
The Pharmaceutical Calendar is a rather respectable 
looking book, containing a good deal of valuable informa¬ 
tion, but the Calendar proper to be found therein is very 
meagre and destitute of interest. We find a few Phar¬ 
maceutical “ fixtures,” and here and there are references 
to the illustrious departed, but saints are unknown in the 
Pharmaceutical Calendar. There is no Beatus Paracelsus 
nor Beatus Gerardus , Raymond Lully and Cornelius 
Agrippa have no name days ; Dioscorides and Pliny, the 
early Pereiras—so to speak, are not claimed as apostles 
of the craft. This blankness struck us in dipping into 
the Calendar—between its two pages we should say—but 
we referred to it to see if there was any notice of the 
Pharmaceutical seasons. We have no doubt that Francis 
Moore, Physician, gives information on many points of 
Pharmaceutical interest, at least he did formerly, but 
here we find naught but empty spaces. It is probable, 
however, that very feAV people consult the Calendar as an 
almanack, but who knows how many might not, if it was 
made generally interesting ? 
What then are seasonable considerations ? Is this the 
season for dandelion roots and colchicum corms, or for 
coltsfoot flowers ? According to ordinary almanacks the 
sun enters Aries this month, when, of course, it follows 
that spring commences, though it is difficult sometimes to 
assure ourselves of the fact. The incipient botanist may 
therefore leave mere book study and look out for flowers 
on which to apply his sharpened intelligence. Hellebovus 
niger and Viola odorata were in flower in January, Daphne 
Mezereon and D. laureola, also pharmaceutical plants, are 
now bursting into blossom. Corylus Avellana, Alans glu- 
tinosa , and other amentaceous trees are putting forth 
their catkins. The male junipers are golden. Primulas 
and many herbaceous exogens are already in bloom, whilst 
the early bulbs supply almost daily new endogens. A 
crocus or a Dutch tulip furnishes multum in parvo , and 
garlic will soon be to hand, Avith the additional charm of 
odour. Last year, during March, we were staying in 
Somersetshire, beloved of Flora, and in a short time noted 
nearly se\ r enty plants in floAver. Any sunny old wall Avill 
be sure to repay research in spring, later on in the season 
its plants Avill have withered aAvay. On such a place we 
may look for the lovely little crucifer Draba verna, which 
is already in fruit by the end of the month, when its Avhite 
seed-vessels glitter in the sun an inch above the surface, 
whilst a av hole plant would safely bear removal on a half¬ 
penny. Coltsfoot, almost neglected by the pharmaceutist, 
thrusts up his flowering-stems and golden heads. SAveet 
violets are to hand, but the dark blue pansies that do 
much duty instead of them, are early summer flowers. 
Arum maculatum, “Lords and Ladies,” hunted after by 
boys, allied to pharmacy, and having Rosicrucian affinities, 
will soon thrust up its pale membranous spathes, sheath¬ 
ing its mysterious spadices. The sallow, Salix caprea , not 
rich in salicine, but renoAvned for its golden “Palms,” 
feathery and redolent of pollen, Avill be ready by Palm 
Sunday. Butcher’s Broom, Ruscus aculeatus, sole English 
representative of shrubby endogens, produces at this time 
of year its small green flowers, curiously placed in the 
centre of its spiny leaves or cladodes. It may be found, 
in gardens at least, in most of the southern counties. 
A my (plains communis , the almond tree, though not a 
native, is frequent in gardens, and its early floAvers have 
great beauty. Its relative, the common or cherry laurel, 
flowers rather later. These and many others display their 
treasures to the young pharmaceutical botanist, and show 
clearly that it is time to begin out-of-door’s work. Many 
features of structural botany may also be studied now better 
than at any other time. Vernation is one of these, and 
in working it out a good deal of information Avill be picked 
up respecting the formation of stems and branches as well 
as of leaves. A juvenile botanist often despises buds 
when he has leaves and floAvers to work upon ; but every 
leaf-bud has a history, and the buds of the horse-chesnut 
and garden rhubarb, for example, are large enough to 
resist the attacks of the most rudimentary of beginners. 
The little work, the title of Avhich is placed above, is 
an attempt to carry out in a simple manner the schedule 
system of the late Professor Henslow. It is compiled by 
an American lady, who claims for the system that it is 
not merely a course of botanical instruction, but a good 
method of carrying out the systematic training of the 
perceptive faculties. It is properly described as a “ First 
Book,” being evidently intended for children. The child 
uses it, not to read or to learn off by heart; but by its aid 
is enabled to distinguish, by the comparison of living 
specimens Avith the figures and descriptions Avhich it con¬ 
tains, what are the actual characteristics of any leaf or 
flower. The first exercise is on the parts of a leaf. A leaf 
is found, pinned to a piece of ruled paper, and on referring 
to the book, it is seen that the several parts are called 
blade, petiole, and stipules. These terms are written 
doAvn on the paper and constitute a schedule, proper 
forms for preparing schedules being given in connection 
with each exercise. 
In this manner the different features of roots, stems, 
leaves, flowers, etc., are described and examined. The 
language is simplified as much as possible, the Avork being 
intended for children ; and of course so small a volume 
can include only a preparatory course ; but the ground¬ 
work of knowledge obtained in this AA r ay appears pretty 
sure of being efficient. It may be asked how far such a 
plan is likely to prove acceptable to ordinary children, 
and the answer is said to be favourable wherever it has 
been tried. Our oavii experience is limited to the fact 
that our little girl of twelve, seeing the book, was in 
