537 
December 31, 1870.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOUItXAL AXD TRAXSACTI0X3. 
Comspttow. 
*** W° 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. 
Proposed Regulations for Storing of Poisons. 
Sir,—The Council having determined by a majority of 10 
to 4 to recommend to the members at their next annual meet¬ 
ing the adoption of the proposed regulations for the storing 
■of poisons, it now remains for the members themselves to 
give expression of approval or otherwise in the Journal or by 
letters to the Secretary. Messrs. Vizer, Wilkinson, Eve and 
others have already done so. The present manifestation is 
decidedly against the compulsory adoption of any regula¬ 
tions; and believing, as I do, that this feeling wilChe found 
very general throughout the country districts, there need be 
no unseemly exhibition at the annual meeting as some of 
your correspondents seem to imply; but a simple resolution, 
either to modify or negative the recommendation of the 
Council, would, no doubt, meet with the support it deserved. 
There seems to be an impression that the Privy Council ex¬ 
pect the Council to take some action respecting the storing 
of poisons. However, I cannot think that either the Phar¬ 
maceutical Council or the Privy Council would interpose any 
obstacles to the generally-expressed opinion of the members. 
I concur with much that has been said in favour of non¬ 
interference ; the educational legislative measures already 
obtained and self-interest are sufficient guarantees to ensure 
<every precaution being taken to avoid mistakes. 
Another Pharmaceutical Chemist. 
Sir,—I am sorry to see from the report of the proceedings 
-of the Council that the majority think it necessary to compel 
Pharmaceutical Chemists to keep poisons in certain places 
set apart for that purpose or'in distinctive bottles, and I want 
to know the reason why. Have auy deaths occurred or has 
■any injury to health been recorded in Great Britain since 
January 1st, 1869. which would have been prevented by any 
regulations for storing poisons ? I am inclined to think the 
Council have no stand-point lrom ■which to start their pro¬ 
position. 
I read the Journal regularly and the daily papers, and 
T do not recollect one instance within the last two years 
where the proposed regulations and restrictions would have 
been of any use. If before the passing of the Pharmacy 
.and Poisons Bill many deaths were caused through the neg¬ 
ligence in storing and carelessness in selling poisons, the pre¬ 
sent fact that such accidents have been reduced to a mini¬ 
mum, if not to nil, since the Act came into force, appears to 
me to be a most forcible argument to “let us alone.” We 
chemists require no “hard and fast line” drawn for us in 
this matter. If we find the bottles containing crystals of 
“Citric acid and sal acetos. hugging each other, we naturally 
-and prudently forbid the close connection; we do not keep 
our tinct. opii bottle by the side of haust. nigr., decoct, 
sarsie co., or tinct. myrrhae co.; wo do not store strychnia, 
morphia et id genus omne in similar bottles and on the same 
shelf with p. antim. co., hyd. subchlorid. and antim. tart. In 
a business like mine, we do not keep our penny packets 
^pennyworths we are obliged to sell) of precipitate, red and 
■white, in the same drawer with jalap and rhubarb, or Epsom 
salts near oxalic acid, or sugar of lead and cream of tartar in 
close proximity. We know better, and we act upon our know¬ 
ledge and experience, because it is our interest to avoid the 
penalties which must fall upon the careless and ignorant. 
I am one of those who think we owe much to the gentle¬ 
men of the Council who devote their time and intellect to the 
management of our affairs, and in most matters connected 
■with our Society are well fitted to lead and guide; but on this 
subject I am so entirely opposed to them, that I have ven¬ 
tured to intrude my opinions on your notice. 
December 21s£, i.870. " James Slipper. 
Sir,—Will you allow me a few remarks with regard to the 
keeping and storing of poisons? I quite agree with the sen¬ 
timents contained in Mr. Hampson’s letter. I presume it is 
the feeling of the majority of our brethren that the improved 
•education now demanded is a sufficient safeguard to the 
public, and that each chemist should be guided by his sense 
of responsibility. 
In my own case I have always used precautionary measures, 
and did so many years before the Pharmacy Bill passed, and 
I am sure it w r as the usage in all respectable establishments 
in my locality. 
If it is true that the Government are putting a pressure on 
the Council of our Society, I should like a member of the 
former to visit our town, containing a population of lialf-a- 
million, where fully one-half of its drug retailers are surgeons; 
it would show him (after inspection) the folly of adding or 
desiring to add vexatious restrictions upon properly-qualified 
men, and exempting those who are allowed to manage their 
businesses as they think fit, leaving them the greater part of 
the day under the care of boys and girls, who cannot be ex¬ 
pected to adhere to the requirements of the Pharmacy Act, 
or feel its responsibility. 
I am justified in saying that mistakes are necessarily nu¬ 
merous. It therefore seems to me odd that such a state of 
matters should exist. If a surgeon or doctor wishes to be¬ 
come a druggist, why should he stand exempt from our 
penalties and restrictions ? We must of necessity employ 
well-paid assistants to take charge in our absence; should 
they not be compelled and expected to do so likewise, if the 
public are to be protected? Until the Privy Council begin 
to use the right end of the rod, it seems to me absurd to push 
the matter further so far as the city of Glasgow is concerned. 
Glasgow, December 21 st. Pharmaceutist. 
Sir,—The storing of poisons being again an object of dis¬ 
cussion, allow me to recommend to the members of our Society 
the expediency of avoiding any very loud expression, either 
of assent or dissent, to any proposals put before them. 
Views expressed through the medium of the Journal or 
circulated among ourselves as a body, would be much prefer¬ 
able to any open demonstration. 
The public is often slow in arriving at facts where legal 
questions are concerned, and might feel disposed to view 
those who support measures for regulating the storage of 
poisons as supporting regulations for “incapables;” at the 
same time those who are noisy in advocating resistance to 
any regulations whatever might be thought reckless. 
Chemists have certainly some claim to exemption from 
forced details in business which are not absolutely necessary, 
for what with the Poison Act, the Petroleum Act and the 
Excise supervision, quite sufficient is known of the “ powers 
above.” 
To ventilate our grievances too much before the public 
would be a confession that hitherto all our rectitude had been 
a matter of chance, and public alarm would follow. We have 
some anomalies in the sale of poisons which our customers 
cannot at present comprehend, and to attract further public 
attention to what we ourselves at present confess to be a 
chaotic state would be suicidal, so far as our reputations go. 
The necessity for fresh “leading-strings” would not confirm 
our supporters in an opinion that we were capable of running 
alone. 
It must be expected that opinions will diverge here as 
elsewhere, but the less they diverge into public notice, the 
better for us. 
It is unfortunately a position which none can envy us— 
that of being repeatedly told that we cannot manage our own 
professional affairs after the sacrifice of time and. money in 
attempting to learn how so to do; but if we let our friends 
outside know our grief, we shall be only extending our trou¬ 
bles rather than settling them. 
M.P.S. (by election). 
Drighton, December 24 th, 1870. 
Sir,—The regulations for storing poisons, scheduled by the 
recent Pharmacy Act, 1868, are now so much simplified that 
no reasonable person can complain of their being oppressive, 
or unduly interfering with the dispatch of business or re¬ 
quirements of trade. 
I would suggest that each individual should look at the 
question from a broad point of view, and not as affecting any 
particular branch, adapting the regulations to the best of his 
ability, according to the circumstance of each case. 
What can be easier than for the retail chemist who has a 
cupboard in the shop or wareroom where he probably already 
keeps strychnine, aconite, atropine, can tharides, prussic acid, 
etc., to add in addition to th<j name of the article in the vessel 
