500 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [December 17,1570. 
Chloral in Sea Sickness. 
Sir,-—I have taken chloral five times while crossing the 
Irish Channel, with very good results. 
My first experiment was made last March, when 50 grains 
took me from Kingstown to Holyhead as sound as a top. On 
returning a few days later, I tried 60 grains; and though it 
was very stormy I was as unconscious of winds and waves as 
an unborn babe, not waking till shaken by the steward at the 
Kingstown pier. My travelling companions, who bad had five 
hours of misery, said they would have given ten shillings each 
for such a magic draught. 
On crossing from Cork to Liverpool to attend the Pharma¬ 
ceutical Conference, I took two 50 gr. doses, and slept the 
whole way, about twenty hours. 
I would propose the following directions, a departure from 
which may lead to bad results:— 
If a smooth passage is expected take nothing, but enjoy 
yourself. 
If sea-sickness is feared, take a good dose about half an 
hour before its occurrence is expected; keep warm, go to bed, 
and you will sleep. 
If the dose is delayed until nausea is felt,*the stomach will 
instantly reject the chloral, and the remedy will be unsuc¬ 
cessful. 
At this eleventh hour I would suggest the following, though 
I have never tried it. Take a few inhalations of chloroform, 
and when partially insensible, take the chloral, which would 
then, I think, be retained until sleep ensued. 
J. Hancock Richardson. 
3, Arundel Terrace, Cork. 
Sir,—Allow me to endorse the correctness of your opinion, 
as stated in the Pharmaceutical Journal of the 3rd inst. 
in reference to the addition of acid, sulph. dil. in dispens¬ 
ing the formula as given by “ Magnesia,” No. 22, p. 437, and 
also as a consequence to protest against the contrary view 
put forward by “Chemicus” in to-day’s issue. “Chemicus” 
does not seem to be aware that medical men do frequently 
prescribe intentionally quinice sulph., without the customary 
addition of acid, sulph. dil. An eminent provincial surgeon 
once informed me that he did so because his patients experi¬ 
enced considerably less nausea when so given. I should trust 
no pharmaceutist would, on reflection, consent to such an in¬ 
fringement of a medical man’s prescription as that suggested 
by “ Chemicus.” 
A Major Associate. 
Tunbridge Wells, Dec. 10 th, 1870. 
A Point or Ethics. 
Sir,—In your last week’s issue, a letter appeared, signed by 
“ Chemicus of Twenty Years’ Standing,” stating that when 
quinine is ordered in a mixture, and no “ acid ” prescribed with 
it, a chemistwould be justified in adding acid, sulph. dil.in order 
to dissolve it. On this point I must differ from him. 
Many medical men omit the e£ acid ” because their patients 
dislike the intense bitterness of the quinine; and “ Chemicus ” 
ought to be aware of the fact, that quinine is not so bitter 
when undissolved as it is when in a dissolved state. Surely 
the members of the medical profession are not so forgetful as 
“ Chemicus ” would like to make out. 
On the other hand, if there be no “acid” prescribed in a 
quinine mixture, but the words “solve” or “miscesecundum 
artem” added, then a chemist would understand that it was 
the prescriber’s intention that the quinine should be dissolved. 
Bath, December 13 th, 1870. H. T. TV. 
Irish Pharmacy Bill. 
Sir,—I send you a few suggestions regarding the proposed 
Pharmacy Bill for Ireland. 
Instead of the present Bill, let a Bill be framed by the 
Pharmaceutical Society, extending the English and Scotch 
Pharmacy Act to Ireland, but so modified as to leave out all 
its objectionable features, and so help to assimilate, as far as 
practicable, the laws of the three kingdoms, instead of having 
them administered by two separate bodies. 
In introducing a Bill for the extension of the Act to Ire¬ 
land, I would suggest the following modifications of that for 
England and Scotland. 
1st. That no one be permitted to take apprentices until 
they have passed the Preliminary Examination. 
2nd. That no person be permitted to be employed as an 
assistant who has not passed the Minor Examination. 
3rd. That no person be permitted to keep open shop for 
the dispensing of physicians’ prescriptions until they have- 
passed the Major Examination. 
Let it be further arranged that apothecaries be permitted 
to keep open shop in England and Scotland for the dispensing 
of physicians’ prescriptions, and that Pharmaceutical Che¬ 
mists be permitted to keep open shop in Ireland for the same 
purpose, but those by examination only. In this way the 
flock of Registered Assistants who have passed the Modified 
only, those who have passed the Minor only, and Registered 
Chemists and Druggists will be excluded. 
I would suggest that the Chemists and Druggists in Ire¬ 
land be excluded also, as they are a comparatively uneducated 
body ( i.e. with regard to special education), and have never 
possessed any privileges for the dispensing of prescriptions. 
William M. M‘Naughton. 
Dublin, 7th December, 1870. 
“ Veritas ” (Ealing) and C. B. (Sheffield) are referred to 
the rule respecting anonymous communications. 
C. B. L. (Towcester).—The c Eood Journal’ is published by 
Messrs. Johnson and Sons, Castle Street, Holborn, price 6d. 
M. B. S. (Birmingham) should apply to the Secretaries of 
the Chemical Society, Vernon Harcourt, Esq., and W. H. 
Perkins, Esq. See Answers to Correspondents, “ G. A.” ante, 
p. 180. 
» T. B. (Frodsham).—It is used principally in the manufac¬ 
ture of gas burners. 
W. A. Tioelvetrees. —Nitro-Benzol is produced on a large 
scale by the addition to benzol of nitric acid or a mixture of 
nitric and sulphuric acids in a small stream, so regulated as to 
prevent too great an increase in the temperature. For a de¬ 
tailed account of the process, see Perkins’s ‘ Cantor Lectures 
on Aniline,’ Reimann’s ‘ Aniline and its Derivatives’ (Long¬ 
mans), or any standard work on dyes. 
H. (Salisbury).—The ‘Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia’ is pub¬ 
lished by the British Homoeopathic Society, and may be ob¬ 
tained of Messrs. Turner, Fleet Street, or any wholesale- 
homoeopathic agent, price 10s. Qd. 
“ Justice.” —Inconsequence of the writer not furnishing 
his name and address, we are unable to publish the letter with 
the above signature, containing a card said to have been left 
at the door of a medical man in Islington. 
W. G. (Swansea).—The opinion of pharmacists is un¬ 
doubtedly in favour of Fownes’ Manual. 
J. T. Freeman (Great Hadham).—The letter has been 
forwarded to the publishers. 
J. Sands (Campden) and J. Barry (Chester).—The memo¬ 
randum and stamps have been handed to the Secretary. 
Ferri Quince Citr., B.P.—A manufacturer informs us that 
although he can obtain eight grains of quinia from fifty 
grains by precipitation with ammonia (the precipitate being 
dried at 212° F.), from small, hard scales, such as druggists 
would not use, he cannot obtain more than 7'6 grains from 
the large scales so esteemed for dispensing. He therefore 
thinks the Pharmacopoeia should give 15 per cent, of quinia 
as the minimum quantity recognized. 
J. Otley (Sheffield).—The certificate of having passed the 
preliminary examination of the Royal College of Surgeons 
would be accepted. 
G. J. Bawland (Liverpool).—A’letter has been received 
too late for insertion, in consequence of its having been 
wrongly sent to the publishers. 
Erratum. —In the article on Sp. iEtheris Nitrosi, p. 4G4, 
line 5 from top, for 56 per cent, read 56 o. p. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Mr. Walker (Maidenhead), Mr. R.W. Giles', (Clifton), Messrs. 
A. and M. Zimmermann,-Mr. J. H. Brown (Bolton), Mr. F. B. 
Benger (Manchester), Mr. Allen (Clifton), Mr. D. Hanbury, 
Mr. A. Barron (Aberdeen), Dr. J. De Vrij, Mr. J. E. Howard, 
Mr. I. Bourdas, Mr. A. H. Mason (Liverpool), Mr. E. G. T. 
Agnew (Guernsey), Mr. Frank Adams (Stoke-on-Trent), Mr. 
J. Baynes (Stamford), Mr. G. B. Clarke (Woburn), Messrs. 
Matyard and Sap (Basingstoke), Mr. H. P. Hoarder (Ply¬ 
mouth) ,Mr.Horncastle (Sheffield), H.H.H.,W. G. (Swansea) r 
G. A. (Brighton), T. N. (Glastonbury), F. C., Lucidus, H. B. 
(Scarborough), P. O., Mr. Pendennis (Redruth), “Alpha,” 
W. J. P. (Hawkhurst), “A Leech,” S. N. (Dorchester),. 
“ Student.” 
