20 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
[July 2, 1870. 
viz. getting my name cancelled from the list. This would ap¬ 
pear an easy matter, but it is not so; for I find the county 
select the jury from one list and the borough from another, 
and unless you annually trouble yourself in the matter your 
name is put upon the list, and when once summoned you are 
in duty bound to attend to claim exemption. This, of course, 
is a morning wasted. I thought this year I would be very 
particular in the matter, and you can, therefore, imagine my 
surprise on receiving another summons about a month ago. 
This I found was owing to my private residence being in the 
parish of Penn, and my name, unknown to me, being put 
upon another list altogether. This is very unpleasant, and 
the object of my writing to you is to ascertain if chemists in 
the larger towns are put to similar annoyance, and if not, 
the means they adopt to effectually prevent it. There is cer¬ 
tainly fault to be found with the officials, who ought, by this 
time, to be aware of our exemption. I believe my neighbours 
have been troubled in a similar manner. 
Yours truly, 
W. Y. Brevitt. 
Wolverhampton, June 24 th, 1870. 
Order oe Merit at Examinations. 
Dear Sir,—There is one part of our present system of ex¬ 
aminations that I do not think is altogether right; for this 
reason I beg a portion of your space in the Journal. The 
point I wish to bring before you is this, “ the arrangement of 
successful candidates in order of merit” That, Sir, I think 
is not quite justly carried out. Eor instance, a candidate 
presents himself for the Minor, and fails in three out of six 
tables, therefore is plucked, as it is commonly termed. He 
gets a note to say he is eligible to again appear in three 
months, when he will be re-examined in those subjects in 
which he previously failed. He is, at the end of that time, 
well up in those subjects; and the marks of the subjects he 
passed in at the previous examination are added to those 
acquired at the second examination. When the Journal is 
published, and the list appears, we find him perhaps second, 
or third, with several behind him, who have passed at their 
first attempt. 
To the various readers of the Journal these facts are not 
shown, as no difference is made between those who pass first 
or second time, and often it makes those who have two ex¬ 
aminations appear superior to one who passes the first time. 
This takes away the credit of passing without failure. 
If to be placed in order of merit, I think they should be 
again examined in all the subjects, to entitle them to be 
arranged in the list as is now the rule. 
Indeed, as matters are now, many will not mind failing 
first time, in order to get to the top of the list the second 
time. This is not written simply on my own account, but for 
the benefit of those who may follow. 
Trusting others better able than myself will take up the 
subject, 
I am, Sir, respectfully yours, 
A Successful Minor Candidate. 
Pendleton, June 21, 1870. 
[We understand that an alteration has already been made 
in the mode of classifying successful candidates which will 
meet the writer’s views.— Ed. Pharm. Journ.] 
The Yalisneria Plant and the Breeding of Leeches. 
Sir,—In the April number Mr. Colton asks for information 
respecting the propagation of the Yalisneria in leech aquaria, 
but observing no reply I venture to offer the following re¬ 
marks :—• 
A mixture of sand, small stones, and shells is all that is 
required as ground for the root. 
The plant should be placed lightly in and allowed to rest, 
and should not be rejected though apparently dead, as fresh 
shoots sometimes spring up when the leaves appear decayed. 
The Yalisneria does not appear to enjoy direct light, nor 
does it thrive in a dull corner. A good reflected light seems 
best suited for it, and the nearer to the open door of the shop 
the better; this I think is important. 
By following these simple rules my stock of plants has, in 
less than three years, increased forty-fold. I shall be happy 
to send Mr. Colton one or two healthy plants, etc., if he will 
tell me how ; and while on the subject of aquaria, which, as I 
think, are neither uninteresting nor out of place in our shops, 
may I ask him whether the breeding leeches are of the ordi¬ 
nary size, or, as I am told, much larger, and how his young 
brood is getting on ? 
Yours respectfully, 
B. 
33, Norfolk Terrace, W., June 24, 1870. 
P. S. I should say the above are but jottings of my own 
experience; I do not give them as scientific facts.—B. 
Anonymous Correspondence. 
Sir,—I think it very desirable, and I hope it will be a point 
insisted on by the Editors of the new series of the Journal, 
that correspondents subscribe their communications with their 
names and addresses. Many letters lose half their value from 
want of attention to this. .How much more valuable would 
the letters of “ One who has known the drug trade more than 
thirty years,” and that of N. H. in the supplementary num¬ 
ber of the 15th of June have been, if the names and addresses 
of the writers had been given! A real bona-fide name is some¬ 
thing substantial; but there is something shadowy and un¬ 
real in initial letters and fictitious names. 
One correspondent who asks a question, relating to cough 
lozenges, that may be called “silly,” because it has been so 
often answered, and has appended initials corresponding to 
my own, might, but for this denial, be mistaken for me. 
I am, Sir, yours faithfully, 
E. M. Eimmington. 
Carbolate of Iodine. —Dr. Evans, of Dublin, has sent us a 
communication on this subject, in which, referring to Dr. W. 
G. Smith’s note in our last number, he says, there was no 
controversy as to the fact, that ammonia will decolorize 
tincture of iodine, but as to the question, whether the so- 
called “ carbolate of iodine ” was decolorized in that way, 
which had been proved in the negative. This controversy 
must now be considered closed. 
Barnsley Chemists. —A correspondent from Barnsley, who 
signs himself “ Pipes and Tobacco,” has written to vindicate 
himself and fellow-chemists from the imputations implied in 
the letter of “ Spes,” in the May number of this Journal. He 
says, “ I feel persuaded, in my own mind, that our brother- 
tradesman (whoever he may be) has written upon first 
thought; for who would not fain think, that had he (‘ Spes ’) 
coupled kindness of heart with his intelligence, he would 
never have presumed to interfere with another man’s business. 
After reading Spes’s complaint over several times, I have 
come to the conclusion that the true cause of it is, in the fact 
of a customer having stood before him with a prescription 
dispensed by another chemist at a lower rate than he himself 
named; and by duly acknowledging this to be the true cause 
of his letter, and not what is sold, but how it is sold, the 
chemists of Barnsley will, I have no doubt, unanimously 
adopt the motto, ‘Spectemur agendo.’ ” 
Amateur wishes for a process by which he can prepare 
condensed milk. 
Pepper's G-host. —Mr. Pollard, of Rliyde, refers “ Inquirer,” 
on the above subject, to Pepper’s ‘ Cyclopaedic Science Simpli¬ 
fied’ (Warne and Co.). 
“Nemo” (St. Andrew’s) would probly find the filtration of the 
water through animal charcoal effect what he requires. 
“Minor P. Z.”—Chloral Hydrate and Alcoholate of 
Chloral. See Yol. XI. (n. s.) pp. 150, 721, and 846. 
“An Inquirer.” — Chloric Ether and Spirit of Chloroform. 
See Yol. I. (n. s.) pp. 304, 343; Yol. III. (n. s.) p. 533; and 
Yol. XI. (n. s.) p. 662. 
“Major Maude” (Watton).—The apparatus for preparing 
nitrous oxide gas may be obtained of Messrs. Ash and Son, 
Broad Street, Golden Square. When the gas is used largely, 
it may be stored in a gasometer with advantage. 
S. G. —Dissolve the tannic acid in the glycerine, the 
sulphate of zinc in the water, then mix the two solutions. 
The resulting lotion should be clear. 
Mr. Wilkinson's communication on the Regulations for 
Storing Poisons will appear next week. 
Instructions from Members and Associates respecting the 
transmission of the Journal should be sent to Elias Brem- 
ridge, Secretary, 17, Bloomsbury Square, W.C. 
Advertisements to Messrs. Churchill, New Burlington 
Street, London, W. 
