August 20, 1870.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
159 
Health of the Armies on the Rhine. —Besides the 
dreadful death-roll of slain and wounded, we may soon 
expect to hear of disease causing ravages in the ranks of 
the hostile legions. Dysentery is commonly prevalent 
in the Rhine provinces of France and Prussia, as well as 
in Belgium, during July and August. The favourite 
treatment just now among French surgeons is bismuth 
in full doses. Ipecacuanha seems to have failed with 
the medical men on the borders of the Rhine. If the 
war be not suddenly concluded, intermittent fever will 
probably in about a month from this time be epidemic. 
It is almost sure to be of a very low type. Then these 
fevers will assume a remittent form, and true camp fever 
will become established. It is not improbable that 
cases of typhus will also occur in numbers to cause 
anxiety, though other forms of fever will probably be 
most prevalent. We are, of course, presupposing that 
every hygienic precaution will be adopted, for neglect of 
any would be sure to give rise to proportionate loss. 
We speak only of what is to be expected under most fa¬ 
vourable circumstances. As autumn advances the wea¬ 
ther will become a more potent element,—rheumatic 
affections and diseases of the lungs then taking the lead. 
At present the one question is whether the camp will be 
exposed to heavy rains .—Medical Press and Circular. 
BOOK RECEIVED. 
An Elementary Course of Botany, Structural, Phy¬ 
siological, and Systematic. By the late Professor 
Henfrey. Second Edition ; revised and in part rewritten 
by Dr. Maxwell T. Masters. London: Van Voorst, 
Paternoster Row, 1870. 
©Mtrarj. 
Mr. J. T. Porter, whose death we reported last week, 
was one of the most promising of recent students of the 
Pharmaceutical Society. About five years ago he en¬ 
tered the School of Pharmacy under somewhat interest¬ 
ing circumstances. The gentleman with whom he was 
apprenticed, Mr. Sutterby, of Long Sutton, Lincolnshire, 
was in the habit of giving his pupils a fortnight’s holi¬ 
day every summer. Mr. Porter, with the consent of his 
employer, denied himself the pleasure of the holiday on 
one occasion, in order that the next year he might de¬ 
vote a whole month to continuous study. Having, 
meanwhile, saved enough money to pay expenses, he 
travelled up to London, and spent that month in the La¬ 
boratory at Bloomsbury Square. This energy in seek¬ 
ing culture under great difficulties was sure to meet 
with success. It obtained for Mr. Porter friends, who 
enabled him, on completing his apprenticeship, again to 
work in the Society’s Laboratory, this time for three 
months. He subsequently became private assistant to 
the Professor of Practical Chemistry, afterwards filled 
the position of under-manager in the laboratory of 
Messrs. Bell and Co., and ultimately was appointed che¬ 
mist to the Hastings Sewage Works, where, injthe full 
career of successful labour, and while actually attempt¬ 
ing to save the lives of others, he suddenly met with his 
death. 
Mr. Porter was a steady worker in the cause of na¬ 
tural and revealed truth. He published several original 
researches on matters connected with pharmacy, and 
was Secretary of the London Chemists’ Association. 
We are indebted to correspondents for the following 
periodicals, containing news’ reports, and other matters 
of pharmaceutical interest:—The ‘Newcastle Daily 
Chronicle,’ Aug. 11, 12, 13, and 15, from Mr. H. B. 
Brady; the ‘Essex and Suffolk News,’ Aug. 13, from 
Mr. Barker; ‘Allen’s Indian Mail,’ Aug. 9, from Dr. 
Cleghom; the ‘British Medical Journal,’ from the pub¬ 
lishers ; the ‘ English Mechanic,’ from the publishers; 
the ‘ Philadelphia Medical and Surgical Reporter,’ May 
21 , June 11, 18 and 25, from the publishers. 
(wmsjifltttaa. 
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 authenti¬ 
cated by the name and address of the writer ; not necessarily 
for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith. 
State Aid for Pharmaceutical Education. 
Sir,—I think the result of the following correspondence is 
of sufficient importance to justify my requesting you to give 
it a place in the text of your next number. 
I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 
Clifton, August 14, 1870. G. F. Schacht. 
“ To the Secretary, Science and Art Department. 
“ Sir,—As Hon. Secretary of the Bristol Pharmaceutical 
Association, I beg leave to ask you for information on a point 
of some importance to this and similar organizations. 
“Our Association has for its principal object the education 
of our apprentices and assistants in the sciences applied to 
their profession, a fair knowledge of which a recent Act of 
Parliament has made obligatory upon every one who now 
enters the practice of pharmacy. 
“ In Bristol we have calculated upon the aid of your de¬ 
partment, but in other localities it has been thought that the 
regulations do not warrant this course, inasmuch as the 
fathers of some apprentices pay income-tax. 
“ An apprentice to a pharmaceutist is boarded, lodged, and 
taught his profession m return for his services, to which is 
generally added a premium. He may, therefore, be looked 
upon as having taken leave of home. 
“ The apprentice, in due time, becomes an assistant, and it 
would be difficult to find an assistant whose salary reaches 
the minimum amount assessed. 
“ Under these circumstances, we have thought that the 
department might be disposed to aid the spread of this move¬ 
ment to other cities, by the official announcement—that they 
will consider pharmaceutists’ apprentices and assistants as 
coming within the scope of paragraph xxxvi, clause (C), 
page 13 of the ‘Directory,’ which awards premiums upon 
‘ Persons in the receipt of salaries not large enough to render 
them liable to the income-tax, as some descriptions of clerks, 
shopmen, etc.’ 
“ I have the honour to be, Sir, 
“ Your obedient servant, 
“ G. F. Schacht, 
“ Hon. Sec. Bristol Pharmaceutical Association. 
« Clifton, July 30, 1870.” 
“ Science and Art Department, London, W. 
“ August 3rd, 1870. 
“ Sir,—I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your 
letter of the 30th ultimo, respecting the payment on the 
results of the examination of pharmaceutical apprentices 
and assistants, and to inform you that the subject will be con¬ 
sidered. “ I am, Sir, 
“ Your obedient servant, 
“Norman M‘Leod, 
« a. F. Schacht, Fsq.” “ Assistant Secretary. 
“ Science and Art Department, London, W. 
“ August 11 th, 1870. 
“ Sir,—In reply to your letter of the 30th ultimo, I am 
directed by the Lords of the Committee of Council on Educa¬ 
tion to inform you that, under the circumstances set forth 
by you, their Lordships have been pleased to allow payments 
to be made on the result of the examination of pharmaceuti¬ 
cal apprentices and assistants in science. 
“ I am, Sir, 
“ Your obedient servant, 
“ G. F. Duncombe, Chief Clerk. 
« G. F. Schacht, Esq.” 
Safeguards against Poisoning. 
Sir,—A respected correspondent suggests the use of elastic 
gum capsules as a safeguard against poisoning. 
I beg to suggest that, however well the secondary object 
(namely, to prevent evaporation of ethereal and spirituous 
liquids) might thus be attained, it would be impossible to 
j obviate the accidental displacement of a capsule, thus causing 
uncertainty and confusion. 
