620 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [January 28, 1871 . 
instance of any sucli demand, except from newspaper writers 
and official persons. 
With regard to the question of inspection, I would ask, are 
the proposed regulations intended to be observed or not ? If 
not, it is useless making them; but if they are to be enforced, 
what other means is there but that of inspectors, unless we 
are to suffer the visits of a common informer like our Ca¬ 
nadian brethren (see Pharm. J ourn. of Jan. 7th) whose case I 
commend to the consideration of all those desirous of adding 
to the annoyances Ave are already subjected to ? 
W. Wilkinson. 
Cheetham Hill, January 24 th, 1871. 
More Fetters. 
Sir,—Time was when the greater included the less. The 
Pharmacy Act secured for the public of the future an edu¬ 
cated body of chemists. In so doing, it provided the best 
possible guarantee against mistakes dangerous to life; but, no 
sooner has it become the law of the land, than a cry arises 
for more poison regulations. “ Allow me to suggest more 
fetters,” exclaims the medical officer of the Privy Council. 
“By all means !” reply half the chemists of the country. 
As a humble unit of the other half, I ask leave to protest 
against the encumbrance, as altogether supererogatory, and 
a most strange instance of a requisition outliving the circum¬ 
stances that gave it birth. The thing required is done; it 
was comprehended in the larger action already accomplished. 
To puzzle our heads about more poison regulations now, is to 
imitate the philosopher who, after providing a most ample 
entrance hole for the cat, was uneasy until he had contrived 
a small one for the kitten. 
The public will be as safe with properly qualified chemists 
as they are with properly qualified medical men, whose dis¬ 
pensing arrangements, by the way, are so much less complete 
and precautionary. 
I trust, therefore, the many reasonable objections to further 
restrictions will be represented with such force and persis¬ 
tency, that neither the Privy Council nor Parliament will 
wish to interfere with the method adopted by each examined 
and certified chemist, in performing the responsible duties of 
his profession. 
Glastonbury. T. Mathew. 
A Dangerous Prescription. 
Sir,—I had this morning brought to me a prescription, of 
which the following is a verbatim copy:— 
R. Tinct. Camph. Co. 5 v j 
Acid. Hydrocyan. Scheele’s 5ij 
Glycerini ^j 
Aquae ad ^vj. 
Sumat 3ss 4tis horis. 
It was for an old and regular customer; the medicine was 
wanted at once; and it was impossible at the time to com¬ 
municate with the prescriber. What ought I to have done 
under the circumstances ? 
I am not sure that I did the right thing, but I used as 
much of Scheele’s acid a3 I dare, viz. minims 20, and altered 
the prescription to that effect. 
It makes one shudder to think what would have been the 
effect if this prescription had fallen into the hands of a raw 
apprentice. 
In the course of twenty years’ experience in a fair dis¬ 
pensing business, I can call to mind many cases where the 
prescriber has been at fault. Sigma. 
JPendleton, January 20 th, 1871. 
York Chemists’ Association. 
Sir,—In looking through Mr. Schacht’s excellent paper on 
“ The Local Means of Pharmaceutical Education,” I fin d 
mention of the “ York Chemists’ Association.” My reason 
for thus troubling you is to ask, Is there such an Association, 
and (if there is) Avhat are its objects ? 
I believe there formerly was one (hence Mr. Schacht’s 
statement), but I think it is now extinct. If I should be 
mistaken in this supposition it is only natural, as it has kept 
itself so very, very quiet since the passing of the Pharmacy 
Act, that it is the only conclusion one could arrive at. Per¬ 
haps some of j-our readers can inform me; if they will, they 
aa ill oblige 
Bootham, Tori', Jan. 2 3rd, 1871. Excelsior. 
Chloral. 
Sir,—As' you have published in your paper an article 
written by Mr. Mason, containing remarks about the chloral- 
hydrate manufactured by us, which is calculated to injure our 
reputation considerably, Ave request you to insert at the same 
place in your paper the enclosed analysis of our chloral- 
hydrate, which will at once demonstrate the incorrectness, to 
use no other expression, of Mr. Mason’s statement. 
We shall send you a full refutation of the statement con¬ 
tained in the above article as soon as we have received the 
papers to which reference is made by Mr. Mason, but in the 
meantime request you to publish this letter at once, as a 
longer silence might increase the mischief already done. 
Hanover, January 20 th, 1871. E. De Haen and Co. 
[*■-.£* We willingly insert Messrs. De Haen’s letter, and 
shall give due attention to the result of analysis which they 
have forwarded, and any further communication on the sub¬ 
ject. The paper they refer to was published entirely on the 
author’s responsibility as a statement of experimental re¬ 
sults ; and, as the question raised is one of great importance-,, 
we shall be glad to make known such additional data as may 
be useful for deciding the relative value of the chloral hydrate- 
of various makers,—always providing that such data have 
direct reference to those points of interest with which pharma¬ 
cists are properly concerned.— Ed. Pharm. Journ.] 
Dispensing Alliances. 
Sir,—Without entering on the question as to whether the 
prescriber is entitled to the lion’s share of remuneration, or 
as to the relative status, expense of education, etc., of medical 
men and pharmaceutists,—I will simply state the understand¬ 
ing subsisting between myself and my brother, who is a che¬ 
mist residing near me. 
He dispenses my prescriptions at the usual “surgeon’s 
prices,” for which I pay him punctually every quarter, so my 
patients have but one account to meet, and that only at 
Christmas. 
I have no interest in what are called “ family articles,”—• 
such as castor oil, cod-liver oil, linseed meal, extract of meat, 
etc.; these being paid for in the usual way. 
You will observe that, under this arrangement, all “ trade 
risks” are borne by the medical practitioner. And I can 
safely affirm that during the past two years I have attended 
numerous cases wherein I see no chance of being repaid 
for my outlay in medicines, much less for professional at¬ 
tendance ; not to mention such trifles as a world-wide ex¬ 
perience and a modest skill of twenty years’ standing and 
cultivation. 
Nevertheless, I for one regard this arrangement as “'a 
step in the right direction,” viz. towards laws which shall 
prohibit the practice of dispensing drugs by medical men, and 
of prescribing on the part of pharmaceutists. 
For, when once dispensing is confined to pharmaceutists, I 
believe it will result in great convenience to the public, both 
in town and in country places. Under such a system, a che¬ 
mist or a person possessing technical knoAvledge, would be re¬ 
quired in every large village, wherein he would probably com¬ 
bine the duties of postmaster, telegraphist, etc. 
John Hudson, L.R.C.P. Lond., etc. 
75, Mostyn Road, S.W., January Z&th. 
J. S. (Edinburgh).—Attfield’s c Chemistry,’ p. 573. 
A Minor Associate. —The iodine combines with the strych¬ 
nia to form hydriodate. London West-end houses would 
charge from 8s. to 10s. 
F. A. H. —See the list of manufacturers of scientific appa¬ 
ratus given in answer to a correspondent at p. 480. 
“ Donato Commasi.” —We have received a communication 
in which reference is made to some directions for the prepa¬ 
ration of charpie, etc., which have not come to hand. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Mr. H. Allman, Mr. S. Robinson, Mr. W. Smith, Mr. J. Hud¬ 
son, Mr. R. T. Hudson, Mr. C. A. Bell, Mr. W. R. Dennis. 
Mr. E. Davies, Mr. Hustwick, J. H. W., W. A., W. Gr., J- B., 
A. P. S., C. E. M., T. M., N. H. M., “Pestle and Mortar,” 
“Inquirer,” “Octavius,” “Alveolus,” “Carolus,” “ Oli- 
vina,” “Delta,” “Moderation,” “Excelsior.” 
