120 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[August 6, 1870. 
tions; probably tbe reason of this is due to its length, the 
word “chemist” being much more easily written without 
than with “ Pharmaceutical ” tacked to it. I think this would 
be obviated by the adoption of either of the words suggested. 
Trusting the subject will be taken up by those capable of 
bringing it, if thought desirable, to a successful issue, 
I remain, yours truly, 
W. Milner Thompson. 
Navy Dispensers. 
Sir,—I cannot agree with your correspondent of the 23rd 
inst., “J. T. D.,” respecting the remuneration to Navy dis¬ 
pensers ; he thinks they will be underpaid, and states that a 
qualified assistant can earn 5s. a day, or more. 
In order to form a fair comparison we must remember that 
the Navy dispenser will not require any capital, and in this 
respect he is on a par with an assistant in civil service life, 
but not with the man who starts or purchases a business. 
Now, Sir, I have been an assistant about eleven years, and 
am receiving £40 per annum, with board and lodging. Sup¬ 
posing I had been a Navy dispenser for the same period, my 
pay would be £2. 5s. 6 d. per week, and quarters; deducting 
12s. per week for rations (which is ample in the service), my 
pay would be, free of all drawbacks, £1. 13s. Qd. per week, 
more by 18s. per week than I now receive. 
Yours obediently, 
An Assistant. 
P.S. I have not touched upon the very important item of, 
superannuation. 
Free Trade in Surgical Instruments. 
Sir,—Having read the article in question, which appeared 
in a medical contemporary, and also your remarks thereon, I 
cannot refrain from expressing my astonishment and regret 
at the extraordinary strong language, of which you justly 
complain. Surely, such ugly insinuations as the following, 
“ If the public can be combined against the profession, cannot 
we can retaliate?” and again, “we can very easily endanger 
their regular trade,” cannot embody the spontaneous senti¬ 
ments and charitable expressions of the honourable profession 
whom your contemporary assumes to represent. If a few 
members of the Nottingham Association have ventured to 
give utterance to their own private feelings, that is no reason 
why he should fire such explosive missiles indiscriminately at 
the “ enlightened and respectable pharmaceutists ” of whom 
he speaks, and who, if he forgets not, are in possession of 
vested rights, privileges, and honourable pursuits far more 
profitable than the “grasping conduct” he alludes to. The 
days for such a menacing attitude and vain-boasting having 
gone by, and the overture of a more glorious era having 
already commenced, I sincerely trust that the magnifying 
and deceptive spectacles wherein he beheld a Nottingham 
gnat assume the proportions of a prodigious camel will 
never be taken up again, and that language so offensive and 
uncalled for will be avoided in future. 
T. C. Jones. 
ChaUc Farm Road, N. IF., August 1, 1870. 
Case of Explosion. 
Sir,—Some time since, I had occasion to prepare a strong 
solution of iodine and iodide of potassium, and, having filtered 
the solution, left the filter paper in the funnel, where it re¬ 
mained until the following morning, by which time it was 
quite dry; to my great surprise when I took hold of the filter 
to throw it away, an exceedingly loud report occurred, shat¬ 
tering the paper and funnel to fragments; the wall of the 
room was marked in various places by the iodine, my face 
also being covered with iodine stains for weeks. I am quite 
at a loss to account for the explosion, perhaps some of your 
readers may be able to throw light upon the subject. 
Judy 27,1870. F. j. Trauten. 
Poison Regulations. 
Sir,—The keeping and dispensing of poisons is a subject 
which can, in my opinion, only be disposed of when some de¬ 
finite plan is accepted by pharmaceutists, and this will require 
to be easy of application, inexpensive, and effectual. Now, 
the two first methods recommended by the Council are objec¬ 
tionable, inasmuch as they involve expensive alterations, 
either by the adoption of distinctive bottles, “ angular, fluted, 
or corrugated,” or of a large “poison cupboard,” or rather 
small room to keep poisonous drugs apart from others. 
The first of these plans would require either a very con¬ 
siderable number of new and expensive bottles which, in 
thousands of cases, could be ill afforded; or an amount of 
room which could be as ill spared, if it could be found at all. 
One other proposal remains, viz. “ that bottles or vessels 
used in any shop or dispensary to contain poison, shall be 
tied over, capped, or secured, in a manner distinguishable 
from the way in which any bottles or vessels not used to con¬ 
tain poisonous or dangerous articles used in the same shop or 
dispensary,” etc. 
To carry this into effect, I can offer a simple, efficient, and 
inexpensive plan which I have used in my own pharmacy, and 
with most satisfactory results for several years. It consists 
in the use of a neatly constructed india-rubber capsule, which 
goes most readily over the stopper and shoulder of the bottle, 
fixing itself by its elasticity alone. It can be put on or off 
instantaneously, and it bears the word Poison prominently 
on the side. These are the capsules of which Mr. Sandford 
spoke at the Annual Meeting, but at the time he had not 
seen them. 
A bottle containing laudanum, tincture of aconite, or any 
other dangerous drug, protected by one of these capsules 
could not without incredible carelessness be taken down in 
mistake for a different bottle not requiring protection. Their 
general adoption by Pharmaceutical Chemists and the che¬ 
mists and druggists of Great Britain would, I believe, fully 
meet all the requirements of the Pharmacy Act, and render 
unnecessary the interference of Government or Parliament, 
so as to affect the free action of members of the Pharma¬ 
ceutical Society, which will certainly be endangered if this or 
some other plan be not voluntarily adopted. 
I enclose you two of the capsules which, if fitted on the 
proper-sized bottles, will enable you to form a judgment on 
them. 
Your obedient servant, 
H. C. Baildon. 
73, Princes Street, Edinburgh, August 2, 1870. 
Note .—Subordinate to the safe keeping of poisons, but still 
one of some importance to pharmaceutists, evaporation is 
prevented by the use of these capsules in the case of spirituous 
preparations. I need hardly say how great the loss is from 
this cause, or that the greater number of liquid poisons are 
spirituous preparations. 
“Navy Dispenser” (Rochester) should apply to the Ad¬ 
miralty Office. 
“ Zeta” (Liverpool).—Inquiry shall be made. 
“Rees Lloyd” (Dowlais).—In the press. 
“ Physicians' English.” —Mr. D. Carroll (Framlingham) 
writes, in reference to the letter of “Echo,” in the Journal 
of July 16th, pointing out that physicians are also liable to 
the commission of errors in the use of English and Latin. 
E. Trinder (Solihull).—Received with thanks. 
“ Leno” (Sheffield) wishes to have a formula for Quinine- 
Balm for the Hair. 
M. E. L. (Southport).—Apply at Apothecaries’ Hall. 
“A Member” (Stroud).—Apply to the Secretary. 
C. B. A .—Assistants to Chemists and Druggists need not 
be on the Register of Chemists and Druggists. 
“Flora of Hampshire .”—In answer to Mr. Brook, jun., of 
Southville, Mr. Gibbs, of Winchester, writes: “There is no- 
‘ Flora of Hampshire"’ published. There is a manuscript 
copy of a catalogue of the flora of Hants, by Dr. Bromfield, 
preserved at Kew; also a * Flora of Andover,’ published by 
Clarke. I know of several good herbaria of localities, and 
should be very glad to communicate with Mr. Brook on the 
subject.” 
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. Envelopes to be endorsed for “ Pharm. 
Journ.” 
The General Index ta the first Fifteen volumes of this 
Journal may be obtained of the Secretary, 17, Bloomsbury 
Square, price 2s. 8d., post free; bound in cloth, lettered, 3s. 8 d., 
post free. 
The General Index to the Yols. XVI.-XVIII., Old Series, 
and Yols. I.-IX., Second Series, may also be obtained of the 
Secretary, price 3s. 3d., post free. 
