1048 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[June 28, 1873. 
Corosptkttt. 
*** 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. 
“ Professional Patronage ”—A Caution. 
Sir, —A few nights ago I was aroused from my slumbers 
by a loud knocking at the door and a violent ringing of 
the nigbt bell. On my hastily throwing up the bedroom 
window, a gentleman called out that he was a medical man, 
and requested that I would come down directly and supply 
him with some medicine that he required. On his entering 
the shop he asked for 1| oz. of chloroform, made from pure, 
not methylated spirit, and at the same time wished for a 
glass of water. After drinking about a pint of cold water 
he seated himself on a chair, and, taking a piece of lint 
from his pocket, saturated it with the chloroform and com¬ 
menced rapid inhalation. Yery quickly he was fully under 
its influence and snoring. Not liking the appearance of 
things, I rang for one of my assistants, and requested him 
to look out for a policeman. After a lapse of about twenty 
minutes, and during the absence of my assistant, my noc¬ 
turnal visitor roused himself. I thought it probable he 
would now make a move, but no such luck ; he vigorously 
plied himself with another “ go” of chloroform, and again 
became insensible. I hesitated to “ tackle ” him alone, for 
in addition to a determined look, he carried a formidable 
stick in his hand, and I felt that I could not afford to have 
my head broken. At last my assistant returned with a 
policeman, to whom I explained the circumstances, at the 
same time requesting that he would at once remove him. 
With a little vigorous shaking,but still in a semi-stupid state, 
we got him into the street, and finally into a cab. I 
retained the bottle of chloroform, from which about half 
an ounce had been used, and even that he said he had 
no money to pay for. He was dressed in a suit of grey, 
and had a real or assumed contraction of one hand. 
From three to four o’clock in the morning this pseudo 
medical man kept me cooling my heels in attendance on 
him, and I have just been informed by my friend, Mr. 
Taylor, of Baker Street, that he has also been favoured 
with a similar visit. To prevent others parting with their 
chloroform and losing their night’s rest in a similar manner 
is the object of this communication. 
Thomas Greenish. 
20, New Street, Dorset Square. 
Since receiving the foregoing letter another chemist 
has written to the Times as follows, under the heading, 
“A Dishonest Dipsomaniac : ”— 
“ On Sunday night last, or rather at 2.30 a.m. on Monday, 
I was aroused by the ringing of my night bell. _ As is my 
usual habit, I looked out from my bedroom window and 
saw a man waiting at my door. In answer to my inquiry 
as to what he wanted, he told me he was a medical 
man and required medicine. I dressed myself and came 
down into the pharmacy, and on opening the door was asked 
if I could supply some chloroform. I stated that it was 
not my practice to retail such a preparation to those I had 
not the pleasure of knowing, but if he were a medical man 
and would give me his name and address, I would let him 
have it. He told me he was Dr.-, of-Terrace. The 
address I pui-posely suppress, a3 I find there are respectable 
practitioners residing on the same terrace, and I have since 
discovered that the name and address were both false. He 
was evidently au courant with his subject, for he described 
the particular kind of chloroform he required, and which 
was to be that made by Messrs. Duncan and Flockhart, 
from pure alcohol. I told him that I supposed I ought to 
feel flattered (which I did not) at his selecting my pharmacy 
when he must have so many chymists nearer his own home 
than I was, but presumed that he required it for some 
accouchement in this neighbourhood. No, he wanted it for 
himself, as he suffered from epileptic fits, and felt Fiat he 
then had one coming on, and that nothing relieved him but 
the inhalation of a few drops of chloroform. I expressed 
my surprise that he did not keep such a remedy by him, 
but was met by the ready excuse that on going to his 
bottle he found it had all evaporated, and that he had been 
to half a dozen different druggists before he came to me, 
and that not one of them would get out of bed. They 
were wiser than I was. However, it ended by my letting 
him have the chloroform. As soon as I handed it to him 
he sprinkled a drachm or so on his white cambric hand¬ 
kerchief, and seating himself comfortably began to inhale 
it. I suggested to him the expediency of his employing 
the remedy in the privacy of his own chamber, but it 
was in vain, he would not move. I told him I was 
anxious to get to my bed, and that I was getting tired of a re¬ 
ception that had been forced upon me at an unseasonable hour 
of the night. Affairs began to assume a disagreeable 
aspect. I opened the door wide, and looked up and down 
the street for a stray policeman or a passing cab, but in 
vain; not a soul could I see, and I could not readily 
summon any of my own household. He was a tall powerful 
man, and I felt how unequally matched we should have 
been had it ended in a trial of physical force. He had not 
inhaled enough to thoroughly satisfy him, but sufficient to 
make him an exceedingly disagreeable visitor. At last, by 
dint of threats and persuasion, I induced him to leave, but 
he flatly refused me the slightest remuneration, and reeled 
off with my bottle in his pocket. 
“ Now, this man is evidently a confirmed dijisomaniac ; he 
has not the means of indulging in the usual stimulants 
resorted to by that class, neither does he care to pay for 
his chloroform. He has cunning enough to know, as a 
rule, that at the dead of the night only one would attend 
the summons of a cliymist’s night-bell, and that he would 
have a favourable field for his plans. 
“For the information of my professional brethren, I 
would mention that he is a well-built, broad-shouldered man, 
about six feet high, dressed in a light tourist suit, and 
with large flowing whiskers—such, I think, as are techni¬ 
cally termed “Piccadilly weepers.” Should such an 
individual present himself at night to any of my fellow 
chymists, I hope they will not allow themselves to be 
swindled of their goods and robbed of their night’s rest 
as I was. “ John Taylor, Chymist. 
“ 13, Baker Street, Portman Square, W., June 2Mh.” 
We have also been informed that a person answering the 
above description, between the hours of nine and ten p.m. 
on the 14th June, went to a West End house and wrote a 
prescription, ordering 1 oz. of chloroform, of which he 
inhaled two drachms and became insensible. The same 
person has also practised this trick at other places. 
J. Abraham (Liverpool).—Your communication has been 
received with thanks. 
_ M. Doughty .—Your communication shall receive atten¬ 
tion next week. 
Messrs. T. H. Smith and Co. will find, on referring to our 
report of this case, and the editorial remarks upon it, that 
the particulars they mention respecting themselves were 
fully pointed out. 
C. Kidd, M.D .—The opinion expressed as to the com¬ 
parative safety of the two substances would find a more 
appropriate place in the pages of one of our medical con¬ 
temporaries. 
“ Lamium.” —(1) Lamium purpureum. (2) Nepeta gle- 
choma. (3) Veronica anagallis. (4) Senecio Jacobgea. 
(5) Fumaria officinalis. 
“Botanist.” —(1) Juncus Gerardi. (2) Scirpus mariti- 
mus. (3) Nepeta glechoma. 
T. A. Wedge .—Your letter has been handed to the pub¬ 
lishers, who will communicate with you upon the subject. 
“ Calyx .”—We do not think that there is any deficiency 
in the supply of works similar to that described by you. 
X. Z. Y. is referred to the rule respecting anonymous 
communications. 
“ Theta.” —(1) Section xii. of the Pharmacy Act, 1852, 
provides that it shall not be lawful for any person, not 
duly registered as a Pharmaceutical Chemist, “to exhibit 
any name, title, or sign implying that he is ” a member of 
the Pharmaceutical Society. (2) Yes. (3) Yes ; by virtue 
of having been in business before August 1, 1868. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
W. Wilkinson (Manchester), Gallois (Paris), H. C. Pollard, 
J. Hallawell, P. L. Simmonds, Symes, J. Bayner, Mudge, J. 
