1008 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[June 14, 1873. 
Notice has been received of the death of the following:— 
On the 9th May, 1873, Mr. Charles Palmer Gibson, 
Chemist and Druggist, of Whitefriargate, Hull. Aged 
32. Mr. Gibson had been a Member of the Pharmaceu¬ 
tical Society since 1869. 
On the 25th May, 1873, Mr. Henry Savage, Chemist 
and Druggist, of Brechin. 
On the 2nd June, 1873, Mr. George William Pickles, 
Chemist and Druggist, of Leeds. 
On the 4th of June, 1873, Mr. James Orissa Peggs, 
Chemist and Druggist, of Norwich. 
gta anir pitches. 
[340.]—TINCTURA LARICIS.— 1 Isca ” asks for 
information respecting the proportions for making Tinctura 
Laricis. 
[In 1858, Dr. Moore read a paper before the College of 
Physicians, Dublin, on the “ Therapeutical Properties of 
Larch Bark” (Pharm. Journ. 1st Ser., Yol. XVIII., p. 
35), in which reference was made to an extract of larch, 
prepared and made from the watery infusion, and a tinc¬ 
ture, made with proof spirit in the proportion of one pint 
to two ounces of larch bark. This tincture is of a “ dark 
carmine colour, has an agreeable ‘ pinic ’ smell ; in taste 
it partakes of the oleo-resins, is styptic and carminative.” 
—Ed. Ph. J.] 
[341.]—CAPSULAE PAPAYERIS.—Will any corre¬ 
spondent furnish a few hints for the cultivation of papav. 
alb. so as to produce good marketable capsules (or give 
a reference to a work on the subject), and oblige an 
Inquirer ? 
[The poppy likes a strong, rich soil, not too dry. The 
cultivation is, we believe, of the simplest character. The 
seed is sown in the spring in rows, the plants being in 
due time thinned, out, so as to allow each proper space.— 
Ed. Ph. J.] 
ARTIFICIAL EIBRIN.—Dr. Goodman of Southport 
describes ( British Medical Journal, May 17th) the pre¬ 
paration of an “ artificial fibrin,” which he believes will 
prove a valuable dietetic substance in cases of feeble 
alimentation and deficient nutrition, especially where 
rejection of food constitutes a prominent feature. It is 
formed by exposing albuminous material, such as the 
ordinary hen’s egg, to the action of cold water for a given 
period. Pie states that if the shell be broken and re 
moved, and the contents immersed in cold water for about 
twelve hours, they are found to undergo a chemico-mole- 
cular change, and to become solid and insoluble. This 
change is indicated by the transparent white of the egg 
assuming an opaque and snowy white appearance, far sur¬ 
passing that of an ordinary boiled egg. The product and 
the fluid in which it is immersed must now be heated to 
the boiling point, and the fibrin will then be ready for use. 
[The application of the term “fibrin” to this prepared 
albumen is quite arbitrary, and does not represent any 
real chemical resemblance.—Ed. Ph. Journ.] 
BOOK RECEIVED. 
Foods. By Edward Smith, M.D., LL.B., E.R.S., etc. 
(International Scientific Series). London : H. S. King 
and Co. 1873. From the Publishers. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Messrs. Ekin, C. Marshall, D. Amos, Harper, Zimmermann, 
R. R., C. U., “ Corolla.” 
*** No notice can be taken of anonymous communica¬ 
tions. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authenti¬ 
cated by the name and address of the writer; not necessarily 
for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith. 
A Potential Charm in Drugs (?) 
Sir,—The following incident occurred a few weeks since 
in a market town in Lincolnshire, and will serve to illus¬ 
trate one of the popular beliefs in that locality as to the 
nature and qualities of certain drugs in subduing the other¬ 
wise unruly and naughty propensities of a certain class of 
wives and husbands. 
A man, by occupation a pedlar, entered a druggist’s shop 
and, in a serious and dejected tone, asked to be supplied 
until a pennyworth of devil’s dung and a pennyworth of 
dragon’s blood. The curiosity of the druggist being aroused 
as to the purpose for which they were required, he there¬ 
upon asked his customer what on earth he was going to do 
with them. After a little hesitation he replied, “ Why ? 
I’ve a purpus for ’em,—I don’t mind telling you,—my wife 
has run away from me, and I’ve been told by a woman that 
if I burnt the devil’s dung and buried the dragon’s blood, 
it will fetch her back—she can’t help herself.” “Well,” 
replied the druggist, “ I have never known them used for 
that purpose before, but you can try them.” A few days 
afterwards, the pedlar, on being asked how he got on with 
the devil’s dung and dragon’s blood, said, “ 0, it’s all 
right, she came back next day.” 
Dragon’s blood is believed to be very efficacious, and is 
frequently sold to village girls, or to old crones who pro¬ 
cure it for them (generally in ounce packets) as a means of 
ascertaining who are to be their future husbands. The 
method of using it is, so I have been informed, to put 
the packet of dragon’s blood under the pillow on going to 
bed, and the damsel will see in a sweet vision, about the 
hour of 12 P.M., the village swain she is to marry. 
I may say that at least three-fourths of the dragon’s 
blood sold in these parts is used for this purpose. It is 
invariably sold in the powdered state, and it is to be hoped 
that the packet does not get burst during the visionary ex¬ 
citement. G. W. 
May 21st, 1873. 
A Botanical Excursion. 
Sir,—By all means have dinner, conversazione, ball, etc., 
quantum velis; but besides all these for the dlite, can no¬ 
thing be done for or by those whose tastes he out of the 
sphere of a white cravat and a dresscoat ? 
Were I to suggest an object for a free and easy gather¬ 
ing, it would be a botanical excursion. The summer is be¬ 
fore us, what better use could be made of a bank holiday ? 
The general public set us druggists an example by going to 
Bushy Park to see the horse-chestnuts (Whit Monday to 
wit); or again, the May-blossoms in the Pagoda vista at 
Kew. Wishing to see a revival of the old “simpler’s” spirit, 
I am, etc., _ Gerarde’s Ghost. 
H. Proctor. —We regret the inconvenience you have ex¬ 
perienced through the late receipt of your journal. Your 
letter has been handed to the Secretary, who will, no 
doubt, make inquiries respecting your complaint. 
W. Ganderton. —Your advertisement, and the stamps 
enclosed have been handed to the publishers. 
W. A. M.' —Having made inquiries respecting the occur¬ 
rence mentioned by you, we are informed that it was quite 
by an accident the list in question was put upon the table 
of the reading-room. The librarian has found out where it 
came from, and will take care that it dees not appear in the 
room again. We think you were quite right in calling 
attention to the circumstance. 
J. C .—(1) We do not know. (2) We think it quite 
possible. 
J ■ A. —Probably the name is the result of an arrangement 
between the prescriber and a particular dispenser, or it 
may refer to a special Pharmacopoeia. 
W. Fingland. —We purpose publishing shortly an article 
descriptive of the apparatus you refer to. 
C. Davies. —We do not know of any such preparation. 
Mr. Baynes (Hull).—We are obliged for your communi¬ 
cation. 
