1028 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[June 21, 1873. 
of Good. Accompanying this with as large an amount of 
material aid as we can afford, and thus encouraging the 
application of such scientific and truly valuable knowledge 
as the study of medicine may impart, we shall be reducing 
to practice one of the noblest duties we can be called upon 
to perform. This is not the moment to criticize the work¬ 
ing of our many hospitals and infirmaries, but certain it is 
that (like all matters wherein human agency is concerned) 
they are not an unmixed good. We scarcely know the 
harm they do with their sliarp-bladed and highly polished 
instruments, their youthful tyros, and their hundreds of 
gallons of nauseous physic. “ Two tablespoonfuls three 
times a day” by the pint and the quart is still the sine qua 
non of the hospital consulting-room and the hospital ward. 
There is an old saying, too, which perhaps may be com¬ 
mended to many of these institutions, namely, “Waste 
not, Avant not.” Again, are not hospitals antagonistic to 
the pecuniary interests of prescribers and dispensers of 
medicine who are unconnected with them, and who re¬ 
quire, in the ordinary course of things, to be remunerated 
for their talent and their labour F All this and much 
more may reasonably be set down on the “off” side. 
Nevertheless, making these and all necessary deductions, 
if need be, a large balance for good resides in the fact that 
the best efforts of our ablest men are directed to bringing 
back the sufferer stricken down by a cruel fate into the 
arena of life, able therein to battle successfully with the 
stern realities around him. Here, then, is a great truth 
which, if we are not reached by the preacher’s appeal, 
ought, without doubt, to command our sympathy and se¬ 
cure our material support. That the chemists of London, 
notwithstanding the apparent rivalry of hospitals, have 
helped liberally and cheerfully in this good work, there 
cannot be a question; and whilst the hospital ward with 
its trained superArision is an institution in our midst, eA T er 
ready to do battle with sickness and disease, we say un¬ 
hesitatingly let the duty remain alike to all, for even so 
shall the good cause progress, and a sympathetic voice be 
heard far and near, wishing God-speed to “ Hospital Sun¬ 
day.” 
“ How far that little candle throws its beams ! 
So shines-a good deed in a naughty world.” 
June 17th, 1873. _ W. W. 
A Potential Charm in Drugs. 
Sir,—From the letter of “ G. W.” it appears the age of 
superstition is not past. 
During my apprenticeship, in the West Riding of York¬ 
shire, now more than forty years ago, I acted for some time 
as amanuensis to a local astrologer, or “wise man,” as he 
was called, and who was celebrated for removing “ spells ” 
from cattle and evil wishes from human beings; he was 
also much consulted in love affairs. Many of his customers 
were of a respectable class. 
“ For removing the spell from cattle, take sulphur 2 oz., 
nitre 1 oz., aqua fortis 1 oz., spirit of salts 1 oz., devil’s 
dung | oz., cold spring water 1 quart; put all into an iron 
pan over hot ashes for half an hour; dig a hole in the 
ground two feet deep, pour in the contents of the pan and 
fill up the hole.” If the case was a very bad one, a sheep’s 
heart was also to be buried. 
For taking off an evil wish, use the same articles, adding 
1 oz. of powdered hell coke (pumice stone) and g oz. dra¬ 
gon’s blood, also (wrapped in paper) 9 new pins, 9 new 
needles, and 9 thorn pricks; read a chapter in the Bible 
and repeat the Lord’s Prayer; the whole to be completed 
between eleven and twelve o’clock at night. First thing the 
following morning a powder was to be taken, and repeated 
in nine days if the person was not cured. The powder con¬ 
sisted of jalap | dram, calomel 5 grains. If the incantation 
sometimes failed to operate, the powder never did! My 
master used to caution the “ doctor” that the powder was 
much too strong for females, but his reply was that the 
d—1 took as much driving out of a woman as a man. 
Love charms, for bringing back faithless swains, were 
packets containing a small square of parchment marked 
Avith cabalistic figures, worn next the heart for one moon, 
and repeated for three moons, if necessary. These amulets 
were said to be very successful, but whether from the po¬ 
tency of the “ charm ” or that “ the quarrels of lovers lead 
to the renewing of love ” I leave your readers to decide. 
Jas. Baynes. 
Hull, June 1 7th, 1873. 
G. H. Jones. —To be frightened by the external appear¬ 
ance of a book is but a poor preparation for the study of 
its contents. If not able or Avilling to work systematically 
and thoroughly at the book in question, the index at the 
end would point out the portions of the work treating of 
the subjects mentioned in the syllabus of the examination. 
W. L. —Apply to the Secretary at the College of Sur¬ 
geons. 
H. Campbell. —We answer your present question in the 
hope that after a few lessons on numeration you will be 
able to decide similarly difficult questions yourself. If 
A, B, and C, and no other, preceded D in a list, D would 
be the fourth on such list. 
C. X. —A candidate Avho obtains a certain percentage of 
the marks allotted to the questions would be passed. 
IF. R. F. —It would not be practicable to do what you 
speak of, but an emulsion may be prepared by suspending 
the oils in a strong solution of soap. 
R. Sturton. —Microscopically, dextrin can be detected in 
sugar by moistening a portion of it with ordinary spirits of 
wine, and then looking for the starch granules under the 
field of the microscope. Chemically, its presence can be 
discovered by taking 100 grains of the powdered sugar, dis- 
sohung it in the smallest quantity possible of lukewarm 
water, then adding to the sugar solution one ounce of con¬ 
centrated hydrochloric acid, and afterwards 8 oz. of me¬ 
thylated spirit. If dextrin be present there Avill be a 
flocculent precipitate almost at once; if absent, the solu¬ 
tion will remain clear. To proA r e the presence of the dex¬ 
trin the precipitate can be washed with methylated spirit 
till free from sugar, then redissolved in water and again 
precipitated, washed, and boiled with a few drops of sul¬ 
phuric acid to com r ert the dextrin into sugar, and then 
tested for sugar with the ordinary copper test. Alcohol is 
better than methylated spirits, but it is more expensive. 
The reason why alcohol must be used for the microscope 
is, that in commercial dextrin the starch cells remain in¬ 
tact. These cells are immediately soluble in water, but 
insoluble in alcohol. The starch granules can easily be 
distinguished from the bold sugar crystals, as the former 
are nearly all round or oval, with the exception of rice, 
maize, and oats. 
R. E. S.—Marking Ink. —We cannot give a reason for the 
brown colour. _ Perhaps a better result would be obtained 
Avith the following :— 
Nitrate of Silver, 
Bitartrate of Potash, ana. 
Solution of Ammonia 
Archil ... 
White Sugar 
Powdered Gum Arabic 
5IV 
fss 
3vj 
3x 
Rub the nitrate of silver and bitartrate of potash together, 
then add the ammonia, the archil, and the other ingre¬ 
dients. Linen marked with this ink will require to have a 
hot iron passed over it, or the part marked must be held to 
the fire until the marks have assumed a jet-black colour. 
“ Corolla.” —M. C. Cooke’s ‘Manual of Botanic Terms,’ 
published by Hardwick. 
“Lavender.” —It would not be possible to hold the co¬ 
louring-matter of the Sp. Lavand. Co. in solution in water 
without making the mixture alkaline, in which case the 
quinine Avould be precipitated. 
. “ An Apprentice of the Society.”— Details of the prepara¬ 
tion of artificial alizarine from anthracene may be found in 
the Journal of the Chemical Society and in the specifica¬ 
tions of the patents for the various processes relating to 
the subject. 
H. Amos. —From what you state about “water on the 
brain” it is probable that the disease referred to is what is 
commonly called “gid” or “sturdy,” and is due to the 
presence of hyatids on the brain, the result of sheep or 
cattle swallowing the ova from the tapeworms passed by 
dogs and deposited on the grass. See an article on the 
subject in the c Edinburgh Veterinary Review,’ A r ol. i. p. 301. 
“ Indignans.” —Inquiries are being made respecting the 
subject of your letter. 
Army Hospital Corps. —We are indebted to an anony¬ 
mous correspondent for a copy of the regulations respect¬ 
ing enlistment in the above corps. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Messrs. Fannin, Pocklington, Garside, Duguid, P. Kelly, 
Lomas, Marshall, Macdonald, “ Lamium,” “Botanist.” 
