100 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[July 30, 1870. 
©Mtotjr* 
July 25, at Park Place, Leeds, after a short illness, 
Mr. Robert Goodall, of the firm of Messrs. Goodall, 
Backhouse, and Co., wholesale druggists. 
It is intended, as soon as the particulars can he ob¬ 
tained, to publish a biographical notice of the late Mr. 
Orridge, whose services in connection with the Benevo¬ 
lent Fund were so great. 
Communications for this Journal , and boohs for review, 
should be addressed to the Editor, 17, Bloomsbury Square. 
*** No notice can be taken of anonymous communica¬ 
tions. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authen¬ 
ticated by the name and address of the writer ; not necessarily 
for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. 
Citrate of Magnesia. 
Sir,—I hope I may, without appearing to be unnecessarily 
intrusive, be allowed to correct what looks like a misappre¬ 
hension of the whole scope of my letter on this subject, by 
Mr. Hughes, in his letter in last week’s number. I cannot 
at present refer to the letter, but I do not believe it contains 
any expression that conveys the idea that “ the sugar exer¬ 
cises any chemical action on the salts,” or on anything; but 
it will be quite apparent to anybody, that if 20 per cent, of 
sugar be used by one maker, and 30 or 35 per cent, by an¬ 
other, that the same percentage amount of carbonic acid 
cannot be given off by both samples. Therefore it is, as I have 
stated, the amount of carbonic acid which is the indicator 
of the value of the compound. 
F. M. Rimmington. 
Anonymous Writing. 
On the subject of “ Anonymous Correspondence,” I would, 
in reply to the several writers, observe that your Editorial note 
of the 16th inst. puts the matter on its right footing. Ano¬ 
nymous writing ought to be the exception, not the rule. Why 
should a writer, honestly expressing his sentiments, hide his 
identity by a fictitious signature ? I read the letters of those 
whose names appear and of whom I have any knowledge, 
either personally or by repute, with a real interest and as 
the communications of friends. It is not possible, as has 
lately been proved, that even great names can make non¬ 
sense pass for reason. The analogy between the correspond¬ 
ents of the secular press, and that of a journal devoted to a 
special interest, is not complete. The writers in the latter 
may be considered as members of a confraternity and, as such, 
willing to be known to their brethren; but a letter to the 
‘ Times,’ on a social or a political question, is a very different 
affair. 
I am, Sir, yours faithfully, 
Bradford, July 23, 1870. F. M. Rimmington. 
Sir,—Allow me, through the medium of your valuable 
Journal, to second the measure proposed by your corre¬ 
spondent of the 16th inst. viz., “ That while the subject of 
medical reform is being broached, pharmacists should agitate 
and strive to obtain the privileges belonging to their true 
position, which they have to study to attain.” Let us try to 
gain that pecuniary advantage from our profession which will 
sufficiently reward us for our pains in acquiring competence 
as dispensers and not depend on selling grocery and oils for 
our means of subsistence, thus making what should be a 
pharmacy into a general store, where pennyworths of arsenic, 
treacle, tobacco, and other incongruities are to be had with 
equal ease. However convenient this may be for customers, 
it does not require a knowledge of botany and chemistry to 
wait upon such customers, and they are the most numerous 
in country towns where medical men dispense their medi¬ 
cines. 
I am, Sir, yours respectfully, 
John Mills, A.P.S. 
Biarritz, France, July 2oth, 1870. 
“Rule of Thumb.” 
Sir,—In this week’s issue of the Journal you state “no¬ 
thing is more delusive than the eye as a measure of the 
weight of powders.” Why, may I ask, is the eye more liable 
to delusion in this kind of measuring than in that of distance, 
or any other kind of measuring ? Is a rifleman necessarily a 
good “ shot ” one day and a poor “ shot ” another day; or 
can he in this particular act trust to his eye on Saturday 
afternoon as well as on Saturday morning; and cannot bulk 
be measured with as much accuracy as distance ? I know a 
carpenter who never uses his rule for measurements less than 
six inches, and may not the pharmacist, with a tutored eye, 
dispense with his scales in the weighing of 1 or 2 gr. powder ? 
After all, what matters it whether or not the scales are 
used if the most potent ingredient in these patent medicine 
powders be no more than sacch. lact. ? There is far too much 
precision required in dispensing ingredients which are almost 
inert ? Besides, there is next to nothing in “ dose.” 
Anti-Humbug in Dispensing. 
Aberdare, July 23, 1870. 
The case of measuring lines or distance is much sim¬ 
pler than that of measuring irregular solids, such as little 
heaps of powder. In the actual instance quoted by us the 
practical effect of guessing was, that an infant would get 
sometimes half a grain and sometimes a whole grain of calo¬ 
mel; but since our correspondent objects to precision, and 
thinks there is nothing in dose, perhaps he will not attach 
much importance to that.— Ed. Ph. J.] 
“Fcho” informs “R. R.” (Leighton Buzzard) that the 
correct rendering of the sentence criticized at page 60 of the 
number for July 16th, would be “With Messrs.-’ com¬ 
pliments, soliciting the favour of Mr. or Messrs. -•’ orders.” 
If your is used, the sentence must be in the letter form, com¬ 
mencing “Dear Sir,” or “Gentlemen.” (For druggists read 
drug lists.) 
Ignoramus writes, “ I have found in my house some cu¬ 
rious little things—toys, I suppose; small hollow metal balls, 
the size of peas. Each ball is fastened, by means of fine 
wire, to a little capillary glass tube as a handle; they are in 
a box labelled ‘ Fil d’Archal.’ Will you, or some of your 
readers, be good enough to inform me of their properties ?” 
Perhaps some of our readers can give the desired information. 
A Minor Associate writes complaining of the M.D. who, in 
a recent number of the ‘ Lancet,’ criticized the presence of 
druggists at “ Mr. Squire’s cutaneous assembly at the Poly¬ 
technic,” and considers that invidious distinctions should bo- 
avoided by those attending such lectures for instruction. 
O. J. (Teignmouth) should apply to the Admiralty for in¬ 
formation. 
C. N .—The following is the formula:— 
R. Savon blauc, 96 grm. 
Carbonate de Potasse, 1 grm. 
Alcohol (21°), 384 grm. 
Mix, and filter the solution. 
II. W. Maleham (Sheffield).—Handed to the Secretary. 
J. S. (Edinburgh) will find, in the advertising columns of 
the Journal, particulars as to the price of the index. 
C. Gr. (Leamington).—Parrish’s ‘Pharmacy,’ Pereira, ‘Se- 
lecta e Proescriptis,’ Thomas’s ‘ Medical Dictionary ’ would 
probably suffice. We know of no single book containing the 
information required. 
B. J. (Southport).—The proportion of phosphate of iron in 
the syrup is 1 grain in the drachm ; the proportion of hypo- 
phosphite of iron in the syrup of hypophosphate is 2 grains- 
in the drachm. 
Inquirer (Birmingham).—The proportion of benzoin in 
ung. zinci benz. is 10 grains to the ounce of lard. (See 
Yol. XIY. p. 207.) 
Spot Stroke (Torquay).—Inquiries are being made as to- 
this matter, and we hope soon to have full information. 
JET. I. (Brighton) and J. C. Thesh (Pontefract) should 
apply at the War Office. 
W. M. Spooner (Witham).—Not on any account. 
F. F. (Manchester).—1. Siebe’s refrigerator worked with 
ether answers well. 2. Apprenticeship is not necessary. 
Instructions from Members and Associates respecting the 
transmission of the Journal should be sent to Elias Beem- 
ridge, Secretary, 17, Bloomsbury Square, W.C. 
Advertisements to Messrs. Churchill, Nciv Burlington 
Street, London, W. 
