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THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[May 3, 1873. 
and fuel, has so seriotisly affected the producers of pro¬ 
prietary articles that they are very generally raising their 
prices to the trade. The special hardship to the retailer 
is that the profits are fixed, not by themselves, but the 
proprietor or maker. If an ordinary article rises in cost, 
we put the increase on the selling price of the article, and 
thus the public, as should be the case, pay the increased 
value; but in the case of patent medicines and proprietary 
articles the price is fixed and advertised to the public. 
One finds now constantly in patent medicine invoices first 
one article and then another marked “maker’s price ad¬ 
vanced.” I may mention Ridge’s Food, Dinneford’s Mag¬ 
nesia, Rowland’s Kalydor, Lamplough’s Saline, and many 
others, of which the selling price remains the same. I 
have in view a one shilling article which used to be invoiced 
at seven shillings and has gradually expanded to ten— 
where will it stop ? I have no fault to find with any pro¬ 
prietor raising the price of his article to a remunerative 
amount; but why should the retailer bear all the burden 
of increased wages, extra cost of fuel, and advanced value 
of bottles ? It is not fair—it is not reasonable. The 
producer should as has been done in the instances of 
Bond’s Ink, and Du Barry’s Revelenta, raise the selling 
price of the article, it would then be a question entirely 
between themselves and the general public. The remedy 
is in our own hands; it is true the proprietor advertizes 
and creates a demand for his goods; but how largely is he 
aided by the efforts of the retailer, who exhibit in their 
windows, expose upon, and push, over their counters these 
goods, to the detriment often of legitimate trade. I would 
advise all retailers to discourage and discountenance in 
every way the sale of articles which are raised in price to 
them, without a corresponding increase on the price 
charged to the public. I think this would tend to stop 
this alarming rise, and that producers would find out what 
good friends they have had in the great body of the trade, 
who stand between them and the public. 
Wm. Barron. 
Cheltenham, April 29th, 1873. 
Pharmacy in Ireland. 
Sir,—I would not again have troubled you with any 
opinions of mine on pharmacy in Ireland, had not your 
correspondent Mr. Holmes accused me of being incorrect 
in many of my statements. I did not refer to the social 
position of the chemists and druggists of Ireland when I 
compared them with those of the same name in England 
and Scotland, but to their position as pharmacists. If the 
Irish chemists are so fully competent, as Mr. Holmes 
asserts they are, why does he not say how, where, and 
when they have gained that experience so necessary in the 
correct and efficient dispensing of physician’s prescriptions ? 
I have yet to learn how any one can be competent to dis¬ 
pense physician’s prescriptions who has never dispensed 
one in the whole course of his experience. If an Irish 
chemist were asked if he could dispense physician’s pre¬ 
scriptions, I am afraid he could give no better answer than 
that given by the Scotchman who, on being asked if he 
could play the violin, replied, “I dinna ken; I ne’er tried.” 
I should be very happy to think that my experience of 
Irish chemists was exceptional; but mere assertions can 
never convince any one. 
There are apothecaries to be found in Ireland, who de¬ 
vote themselves strictly to pharmacy, and abjure prescribing 
as rigidly as any first-class pharmacist in London. I could 
mention one of the most flourishing towns in Ireland where 
the dispensing is entirely done by such men, and I think 
Mr. Holmes could find many such in Dublin. 
I might for Mr. Holmes’ benefit (I hope no one else re¬ 
quires the information) mention, that the Modified ex¬ 
amination was never considered qualification enough for 
membership of the Pharmaceutical Society; it was merely 
instituted as a compromise with those who had been long 
enough in the business to give them a vested interest. 
Can the Irish chemist claim any such vested interest ? 
Were the proposed Act as it at present stands to become 
law, he would be no better—no worse. 
Alex. Anderson. 
277, Oxford Street, W., April 24,th, 1873. 
Pharmaceutical Curiosities. 
Sir,—Although the above is rather a hackneyed subject 
for a letter, I cannot forbear sending you a few specimens 
collected in this neighbourhood. The chemist here must be 
viewed as a superior being by the common folks, or they 
would never so severely task his sense of gravity, and if one 
should unfortunately express surprise at anything they ask 
for, they would probably say you had not “passed your 
diploma” (the expression of a native in reference to my 
examinations). 
What would our examiners think of “oil of lily,” “oil of 
Exeter,” or “oil of cabbage ?” 
A day or two ago I got an inquiry for “ black oil of 
snails.” 
Scarcely able to maintain my gravity I inquired what it 
was to be used for, but my customer was too wide awake 
to let me know that. 
I asked if it was not the gi’een oil she wanted, meaning 
to give her ol. virid., but she persisted in saying that it was 
black, and left the shop observing that she did not expect 
she should be able to get it about here ! Can ignorance go 
further ? 
Well, lately I have been looking over an old recipe-book 
of a registered chemist, and under the head of “definitions ” 
I find the following :— 
“ Cort. Granatur—Pome Granate bark.” 
“ Os. Sepise—Scuttle bone.” 
“ Lignum—Chips.” 
Further on iron filings and ferri carb. are given as synony¬ 
mous terms, and then we are told that “pioloygneous acid” 
is another name of acetic acid ! 
On another page “ amaris ” is defined as meaning “bitter,” 
and on another I catch sight of “ syrup of madenhare.” 
f But, really, it is too bad to pull a brother in the craft to 
pieces so ; and as I fear I am occupying too much of your 
space, these “ specimens ” must suffice for the present, but 
I promise to send you more ere long. 
J. Bower Williams, A.P.S. 
Kingsivinford, April 2nd, 1873. 
P.S.—The person referred to dispenses with B. P. form. 
J. Farmer. —Pyroacetic spirit is acetone, and pyroxylic 
spirit is wood naphtha. 
A. Kinninmont is thanked for his letter and inclosure. 
G. S. T. —Apply at Apothecaries’ Hall. 
M. A. M. .(Yeovil).—We agree with you thinking that 
such a practice as that you refer to would be very objec¬ 
tionable, and we are disposed to think that the instance 
you refer to must have been accidental. However, we have 
made inquiries respecting it, and will communicate further 
with you when we have the result. 
J. H. T. —The Act 29 & 30 Viet., c. lxiv., specifically pro¬ 
hibits the use of methylated spirit, or any derivative 
thereof, in the manufacture, composition, or preparation of 
any article whatsoever, capable of being used either wholly 
or partially as a beverage, or internally as a medicine. On 
this ground we should not consider the use of methylated 
spirit in the case you refer to would be legally an adultera¬ 
tion, although the preparation would not be strictly in 
accordance with the directions of the Pharmacopoeia. 
Mr. T. Collice. —Your letter has been forwarded to our 
correspondent. 
The following journals have been received:—The ‘British 
Medical Journal,’ April 26; the ‘Medical Times and 
Gazette,’ April 26; the ‘Lancet,’ April 26; the ‘London 
Medical Record,’ April 23 ; ‘ Medical Press and Circular,’ 
April 25; ‘ Nature,’ April 26 ; ‘ Chemical News,’ April 26 ; 
‘Gardener’s Chronicle,’ April 26; the ‘Grocer,’ April 26; 
‘ Journal of the Society of Arts,’ April 26; ‘Grocery News,’ 
April 26; ‘ Produce Markets Review,’ April 26, ‘ Practi¬ 
tioner’ for May; ‘Journal of the Women’s Educational 
Union ’ for April; ‘ Doctor ’ for May; ‘ Journal of Applied 
Science’ for May; ‘Practical Magazine,’ Parts I.—IV.; 
‘ American Chemist ’ for April; ‘ Mineral Water Trade 
Review’ for April; ‘Sanitarian’ (New York) for April; 
‘ Canadian Pharmaceutical Journal ’ for April. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Mr. Jenkins, Dr. Collins, Mr. Barron, Liebig’s Meat Com¬ 
pany, Mr. Lowe, Mr. Walker, Mr. Ekin, Caooethes Scri- 
bendi. 
