158 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[August 20, 1870. 
solution of sulphate of iron; phosphorous acid (the 
result of imperfect oxidation) by heating with per- 
chloride of mercury. In the last test, calomel or 
metallic mercury may be precipitated. 
H 3 P0 3 + OH, + 2 Cl 2 Hg 
= H 3 P0 4 + 2 HOI + Hg 2 Cl 2 . 
Or,— 
H,P0 3 + OH 2 + CLHg 
= H 3 P0 4 + 2HC1+ Hg. 
355 grains of the B.P. acid evaporated to dryness 
with 180 grains of oxide of lead, and heated to dull 
redness, increase the weight of the residue to 215’5 
grains. 
Oxide of lead. P 2 0 5 . Oxide + phosphate of lead. 
180 + 35-5 = 215-5 
Six fluid drachms (354 - 375 grains) therefore con¬ 
tain 35‘5 grains of P 2 0 5 (10 per cent.), or 49 grains 
•of H 3 P0 4 . 
Medical Arrangements in the French Army.— 
The Paris correspondent of the ‘ Lancet’ writes, “A cause 
of complaint has been the curious medical cantine given 
to the regimental surgeons. It consists of a box, which, 
when opened, contains only one solitary phial, filled with 
calomel; it holds no sulphate of soda, no subacetate of 
lead—in fact, none of the most ordinary medicaments 
required for the sick or wounded soldier. Besides this, 
it consists of an extraordinary number of small drawers, 
which, on any dampness supervening, would render the 
cantine unfit for use. The presence of a large number of 
pharmaciens on the field, in comparison with the limited 
number of medical men, has also given rise to much cri¬ 
ticism, and it is asked of what earthly use will be so large 
•a number of pharmaciens, unless to ‘ help to make the 
soldier’s soup.’ 
“ The fact is, that the number of medical men attached 
to the ambulances is absurdly limited. It has been re¬ 
lated to me by French army surgeons that after Magenta 
their arms had become deadened from operating, and 
their instruments useless, while there were yet a large 
number of the French wounded unprovided for, not to 
mention at least 1500 Austrians. And yet the number 
remains as limited in this campaign. How this can be 
is a mystery. 
“ Each division of the army includes one ambulance; 
and as there are four divisions to a corps cVarmee the 
total number is four ambulances, to which, however, 
must be added a fifth attached to the head quarters of 
the special corps. Now each ambulance consists only of 
five surgeons, making a total of twenty-five surgeons to 
a division. Obviously this number must be altogether 
below the requirements of the service, especially during 
the present campaign, when such energetic and rapid 
movements are necessary, and when the wounds that are 
inflicted are so numerous, and of a special character on 
account of the arms in use. Therefore, the help afforded 
by the volunteer ambulances must prove invaluable under 
•existing circumstances.” 
Liverpool and its Health Officer.— The Town 
Council have rejected, by 18 votes to 16 on a division, 
the Report of the Health Committee, which proposed to 
put a check upon the medical officer of health in regard 
to the conversion of cesspools into waterclosets. This 
has led to the resignation, by Mr. Alderman Dover, of 
the chairmanship of the Health Committee, that gentle¬ 
man haying apparently been led by strong economic 
tendencies to oppose the principle on which Dr. Trench 
has acted, as leading to unnecessary expenditure. It is, 
of course, matter for regret that the Council should lose 
the valuable services of so able and energetic a man as 
dhe worthy alderman; but we are quite sure that they 
have done wisely in supporting their medical officer of 
health, who cannot possibly desire to put his fellow- 
townsmen to needless expense. Whoever has studied 
the proceedings of Dr. Trench since he has been health 
officer for Liverpool must have been led to the conclusion 
that his policy throughout has been based on the soundest 
principles of economy.— Lancet. 
How to Drive away Mosquitoes. —One of the 
greatest plagues of hot countries is the mosquito, and 
various have been the means recommended for getting 
rid of this pest. Jagor, a celebrated German traveller, 
who spent a number of years in the jungles of the 
Malayan Archipelago, recommended, if we remember 
rightly, the roots of JPyrethrum roseum. In a paper 
recently published by Dr. Birdwood on olibanum, the 
author says that in Bombay nothing so quickly clears 
one’s bed of mosquitoes as the burning of a little olibanum 
or myrrh in it. The Protestant churches there are infested 
by mosquitoes, as by a plague. He was often asked how 
to get rid of them, and always answered that while the 
ugly and irreverent punkahs were of no use, the only 
remedy was the immemorial and most beautiful rite of 
burning frankincense. 
Convention of Colleges of Pharmacy. —At a 
stated meeting of the Maryland College of Pharmacy, 
the following resolution was unanimously adopted :— 
“ Resolved , That a Committee of five be appointed to 
request the several Pharmaceutical Associations of the 
United States to send Delegates to a Convention, pro¬ 
posed to be held in the City of Baltimore in September 
next, at the time of the meeting of the American Pharma¬ 
ceutical Association.” 
The purpose being to consult and determine upon the 
best uniform course of study for those learning the pro¬ 
fession of pharmacy, and to recommend the same for 
adoption in the schools of the several associations they 
represent, to the end that there may be a uniform stan¬ 
dard of qualification for all graduating in pharmacy.— 
The Chicago Pharmacist. 
Substitute for Lint. —Mr. H. Pownall, late chair¬ 
man of the Middlesex Sessions, submitted to Lord Lind¬ 
say’s committee a sample of very fine picked oakum, 
which has been used in some of the London hospitals as 
a substitute for lint in dressing wounds. Should this 
substitute prove as useful as represented, the inmates of 
unions and prisons might be advantageously employed in 
its preparation. It would be not only remunerative, 
but a means of turning the labour of the pauper to a 
highly beneficial purpose.— Standard. 
Inefficacy of Immature Cantharides. —Recent in¬ 
vestigation shows that young cantharides do not possess 
the epispastic property, and it would seem that in me¬ 
dium-sized insects it is equally wanting. It is only the 
full-grown insects that will raise blisters. Cantharidine 
appears not to be developed until the complete maturity 
of the insect. In purchasing cantharides, therefore, 
those only should be chosen which have attained their 
full growth.— Zeitschrift fur Chemie. 
Poisoning by a Salt of Copper. —A serious case 
of poisoning has occurred at Geneva. Six workmen, 
two hours after dining at their usual place of resort, were 
seized with violent pains in the stomach, followed by 
vomiting. A doctor having been called in, he recognized 
immediately the symptoms of violent poisoning. The 
men were carried to the hospital, where, in spite of every 
attention, three of them died after some hours of severe 
suffering. 
Upon the police officer going to tho house where they 
had dined, he found the proprietor, his wife and child, 
and a domestic dangerously ill; the man and his wife 
dying the same evening. At the inquest it was found 
that the mishap was due to the negligence of a servant, 
who had prepared the soup in a copper utensil, at the 
bottom of which was a large quantity of verdigris.— 
Journal de Chimie Medicale. 
