November 12, 1870.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
395 
;and intellect. For these and other reasons I would 
therefore suggest that all bottles, packages and casks 
containing poisons be of a dark blue colour. I fix upon 
blue simply because it has already to a certain extent 
been adopted by many pharmacists, and requires but 
very little extension to complete the system. From time 
immemoi’ial Scheele’s acid has been stored, with general 
satisfaction, in blue bottles, and possibly may have been 
the jons et origo of all blue poison-bottles. 
There can be no difficulty in wrapping parcels of 
poisons in blue paper, nor in painting casks with blue 
paint. Shop bottles as well as stock bottles would of 
course follow the same rule, so that without any diffi¬ 
culty, and with a minimum of disturbance to existing 
.arrangements, this simple plan might very readily be 
adopted. Of course every package must be distinctly 
labelled, and the word ‘poison’ attached. 
I object to alternative regulations, because they create 
confusion, and, imperceptibly, lead to no distinct regula¬ 
tion whatever. Our assistants, who have mainly the 
handling of poisons, are not fixtures ; they migrate from 
xme place to another, and if at each pharmacy a different 
.method of storing obtains,—the changes being rung, as it 
were, on alternative systems,—naturally enough the 
mind gradually loses its sensitiveness to the danger im¬ 
plied by these differing regulations, no distinct impres¬ 
sion is retained capable of acting as a caution, and the 
inevitable result is confusion and insecurity, if not posi¬ 
tive danger. 
I see no great advantage in every pharmacist using 
.the same shaped bottles ; I would rather allow sufficient 
latitude in such minor considerations, so that a man may 
use his own discretion, and adapt his plan to suit the 
■especial requirements of his pharmacy. 
Neither do I agree with poison cupboards or other 
methods of isolation. They are, at best, but clumsy 
mechanical contrivances, and would, in all probability, 
.fail to secure the smallest modicum of safety; but, on 
the contrary, rare and seldom-used, but inoffensive pre¬ 
parations would be stored there as a place of safety, and 
thus render supremely dangerous the very place where 
-security is supposed to reign triumphant. There seems 
to mo, practically, to be far greater safety in the dis¬ 
tinctively-coloured poison bottles, dotted here and there 
on the shelves, than having them concentrated in some 
•out-of-the-way and dismal corner of a cupboard or room ; 
and not only because these individual dots appeal more 
'distinctly to the mind through the eye, but also because 
we thus avoid the especial danger—a danger by no 
means to be disregarded—of using one poison for an¬ 
other. I conceive there is nearly as much danger in dis¬ 
pensing, say strychnine for morphia, as strychnine for 
James’ powder; and, therefore, any plan of bringing 
powerful medicines together has in it an element of 
weakness which may easily eventuate in an accident. 
It may be thought that simply to enclose all poisons 
in a blue or other plain-coloured, receptacle is, in reality, 
no precaution at all; undoubtedly not, unless the adoption 
is general and complete. But the Pharmaceutical Society 
has the power to make it a general, and, therefore, effi¬ 
cient precaution. By the first clause of the Pharmacy 
Act, all pharmacists must conform to such regulations as 
to the keeping, etc., of poisons, as may be prescribed by 
the Pharmaceutical Society, with the consent of the 
Privy Council, and the twenty-sixth clause enacts that 
the name of any person who is convicted of any offence 
against the Act, may be erased from the register of phar¬ 
macists,—that is, deprived of the right of selling or keep¬ 
ing poisons ; and this power, invested in the Society, is 
the fulcrum by which all of us may most effectually be 
compelled to carry out any simple regulation, such as 
the one proposed. 
I have in this paper but very cursorily touched upon 
the more salient points of the question, my object being 
rather to provoke discussion than to dogmatize. 
There is one consideration, however, which the Phar¬ 
maceutical Council must, in common justice to our pro¬ 
fession, and out of regard to the public safety, not lose 
sight of. I refer to the expediency of all dispensers of 
medicine adopting the same system and conforming to 
the same regulation. Clearly enough it would be idle to 
enforce regulations upon us, if dispensing surgeons, who 
are said to dispense on an average more medicine, and, 
it has been said, poison more patients than pharmacists, 
should be still allowed unrestrictedly to keep and sell 
poisons. I do not mean that they should in any way 
become subject to the Pharmaceutical Council, but to 
their own governing body,—that is to the Council of the 
College of Physicians or Surgeons, who should have the 
power to reprimand or suspend, according to circunm 
stances. 
The probable effect of this would be that many sur¬ 
geons would be induced to give up dispensing, much to 
their own ultimate advantage, whilst pharmacists being 
no longer deprived of their legitimate work, would gladly 
embrace the opportunity of giving up prescribing or en¬ 
croaching in any way on the province of the medical man. 
I am sufficiently sanguine to believe that so very de¬ 
sirable a result will eventually be secured, having, as its 
ultimate effect, the creation of a feeling of perfect har¬ 
mony and community of interests between the members 
of the medical and pharmaceutical profession. 
ptrliraentaxg nni fate fnjmMnp. 
Greenwich Police Court. 
BEFORE MR. MAULE. 
Mr. Hassett, grocer, appeared to answer to a summons 
charging him with an infringement of the Petroleum 
Act, by keeping petroleum oil in an iron drum or cistern 
and a can, without wire-gauze at the openings. The 
inspector said, that upon visiting Mr. Hassett’s premises, 
he found in the yard an iron drum or cistern, containing 
benzoline oil. The opening or neck had had wire-gauze, 
but it had evidently been eaten away by the oil. Near 
the drum was a can containing four to six gallons of 
benzoline, which had no wire-gauze, as required by the 
Act. 
For the defence, it was urged that the wire-gauze of 
the drum or cistern had been accidentally knocked off by 
a boy while emptying the benzoline from the cans, 
which were supplied by merchants without such wire- 
gauze. 
Mr. Maule said that it was most important that the 
provisions of the Act of Parliament, in relation to. the 
storing or keeping of petroleum oils, should be strictly 
adhered to, and imposed a fine of £2. 10s. and costs. 
Times. 
Charge of having substituted a Mercurial Powder 
for Dover’s Powder. 
This case was heard at the last Cavan Quarter Sessions, 
in Ireland. A sub-inspector of constabulary, at Bally- 
jamesduflf, named Henry M^eir, brought an action to re¬ 
cover £40 damages from a Dr. Bames, for having care- 
lessly administered improper medicines to the plaintiff. 
He stated that he had a cold and applied to Dr. Baines 
for a Dover’s powder. Two were sent, and he took one 
of them on a Saturday evening ; that night he was very 
ill, “ a dry heat through his skin, no perspiration, and 
his throat very sore.” On Sunday Dr. Barnes called 
to see him and gave a gargle for his throat, and he took 
the remaining powder. These powders did not cause 
perspiration, but, on the contrary, salivated to an extra¬ 
ordinary degree. A Dr. Mawlimney was then called in. 
and found his pulse very high, and, on examining his 
mouth, Dr. Barnes agreed with him that Mr. Wen 1 was 
labouring under mercurial salivation. There was then 
some conflicting evidence as regards the presence oi an 
