040 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[February 4,1871. 
This statement of facts will, we trust, suffice to demonstrate 
how unsuccessful and untrustworthy Mr. Mason’s attempt 
at scientific investigation is, and as by the reprinting in your 
Journal of Mr. Mason’s paper serious injury may have been 
done, we request, in justice to the house we represent and to 
ourselves, the insertion of this letter and enclosed analysis of 
Dr. Versmann. Domeier and Co. 
“London, JE I.C., January 30th, 1871. 
“ Gentlemen,—I beg to submit to you the result of my 
examination of samples of chloral hydrate manufactured by 
Messrs. Dc Haen and Co. of Hanover, and received from you 
for analysis. 
“ I selected these samples from a large stock at your ware¬ 
house; they fairly represent about4cwt. of chloral hydrate in 
crystals, put up in 1-lb. bottles, and 16 cwt. in cakes, put up 
in jars of about 12 to 14 lb. each. 
“The object of this examination was not only to determine 
the degree of purity of the articles, but especially to prove 
the presence or absence of chloral alcoholate. 
“ I have compressed the results of my examination in the 
subjoined table,* and I feel justified in stating that the chemical 
reactions and physical properties of the samples unmistak¬ 
ably prove both the crystals and the cake to be genuine and 
good marketable chloral hydrate, not inferior to the product 
of any other manufacturer, and perfectly free from chloral 
alcoholate. 
“ I have the honour to be, gentlemen, 
“ Your obedient servant, 
“Fred. Versmann. 
“ Messrs. Domeier and Co., 
“47, Basinghall Street .” 
The Sale oe Drugs by Grocers, etc. 
Sir,—I was very glad to see your correspondent, Mr. 
Carroll, bring before the notice of the trade the great injury 
done to legitimate chemists by hucksters selling popular me¬ 
dicines. Some months ago you kindly inserted a letter of 
mine on the same subject; this was written in the hope that 
other correspondents would take the matter up, and agitate 
until something definite was decided on by the Councd. 
This evil has been considerably increased since the pass¬ 
ing of the Pharmacy Act; before that date the grocer or 
smaller shopkeeper had a certain vague notion that it was 
wrong to sell medicines, but now, thanks to the smaller 
wholesale houses and registered chemists, unworthy of the 
name, they are sufficiently well-informed to know that they 
may retail any drug or chemical compound under the sun, so 
long as it is not of a poisonous nature; and, moreover, as 
these persons on an average sell their articles at 50 per cent, 
less than the respectable chemist, they are compelled to buy 
the vilest trash imaginable. Many of them still continue to 
sell laudanum, anodyne cordial, infants’ mixture, etc., articles 
which formerly contained veritable opium; but now the 
large-hearted wholesale dealer in his kindly endeavour to 
shield his innocent customers from the consequence of legal 
action, omits that essential drug and compounds his tinct. 
opii from caramel and a small portion of catechu, his anodyne 
from treacle-and-water flavoured with some essential oil, his 
mixture from chalk and English rhubarb; these articles, from 
the large part played by that necessary and cheap ingredient 
oxy. cum hydro, bear a very nice profit, which of course is a 
great incentive to the manufacturer to push this branch of his 
business. The sp. cether. nit., of which a large quantity is re¬ 
tailed at 2d. per oz. by these people, would probably require 
the services of a very high-class chemist to analyse, or, per¬ 
haps, it would be imperative to invent a new hydrometer to 
take the specific gravity. 
> Another consequence deducible from this great imperfec¬ 
tion in the Pharmacy Act is, that herbalists, Coffinites, etc., 
who were formerly content to keep within the bounds of their 
proper businesses, have now branched out into selling castor 
oil, sweet nitre, magnesia, etc., knowing they can do so with 
impunity. 
In the face of this grievance, one is apt to ask the perti¬ 
nent question, What is the actual advantage of paying a 
large premium, passing a long apprenticeship, expending a 
large amount of time and money in books, lectures, etc., 
and ultimately making a debut as a full-fledged pharmaceutist ? 
He can dispense physicians’ prescriptions, certainly, but unfor¬ 
tunately, with the majority of English chemists,"this hardly 
* The results are given on p. 62. 
pays rent and taxes; he can also sell poisons, but here, again, 
the average sum total taken in poisonous articles, forms but 
a small portion of the day’s receipts; it appears, therefore 
that the major portion of an ordinary country chemist’s 
business is still open to the competition of the world, our 
boasted Pharmacy Act notwithstanding. 
Mr. Carroll truly observes, “ They manage things better in 
France, where the pharmacien holds his proper position as 
determined by law.” There, a paternal government recog¬ 
nizing the fact that a pharmacien must undergo a laborious 
and expensive course of training before being qualified for his 
post, a circumstance unconnected with any other trade, en¬ 
deavours to protect him as much as possible from undue com¬ 
petition; in fact, puts the hen-coop over the chickens to pre¬ 
vent the fox preying on them. 
The remedy for this grievance is very simple, and would be 
easily applied, viz. make it penal for any person, not being a 
registered chemist, to sell any medicine intended for internal 
or external use, a law at present in force in every country in 
Europe except our own. 
I trust some of your many able correspondents will give 
this subject the consideration it deserves. 
A Country M. P. S. 
Sheffield, January 20th, 1871. 
P.S. I was much amused to-day by seeing in a grocer’s 
window a large box, the label printed in bold black type, an¬ 
nouncing the contents to be “Aunty Billy’s Pills.” Had the 
late A. Ward been a member of this pill-mongering firm, 
surely he would have added “ this is rote sarcastical.” 
J. North (Reading).—The Pharmaceutical Society cannot 
be made a medium for the transaction of bookselling busi¬ 
ness. 
J. Thomas. —We are much obliged to our correspondent 
for the enclosure. 
Gr. C. —We do not know of any method for the artificial 
production of the oil. 
M. P. S. Gr. J3. —Cresylic acid is, like carbolic acid, a con- 
stituent of the coal-tar from gas-works; and we believe it 
may be obtained from any maker of carbolic acid. 
“ Inquirer” (Barnstaple).—We think that the “Balm”' 
label would render the article liable to duty; the other label, 
which simply gives the dose of a pharmaeopoeial preparation, 
without reference to the treatment of any disease, would not. 
TV. A. (Hammersmith).—We think that No. 1 would come 
under the decision of the revenue authorities, that the words 
“ Cough Lozenge ” do not involve the payment of duty; but 
that the introduction of the other lines in No. 2 and No. 3, 
mentioning the diseases for which the article is recommended, 
and the dose, would render it liable. You had better com¬ 
municate with the Revenue authorities at Somerset House. 
Carolus and Q. are referred to the paper by Mr. Gale, in 
which the subject is fully treated of, already published in the- 
Pharm. Journ. 2nd ser. Yol. I. p. 497. 
Chloral Hydrate. —At the moment of going to press wo 
have received a letter from Messrs. Schsetensack, in which they 
complain that the results contained in Mr. Mason’s paper, 
and relating to the chloral hydrate, which they import, 
do not correctly represent its quality. They also state that 
they have submitted their chloral hydrate to analysis, and 
that they purpose communicating the results to the Journal. 
We shall be happy to do anything in our power for giving 
publicity to any well-founded reclamation, but the letter sent 
by Messrs. Schsetensack for publication has reached us too 
late for insertion.— Ed. Pharm. J ourn. 
Meal Worms and Insects. —To. J. G. O.—The ravages in 
your packet of Embden groats have been made by the Tene~ 
brio molitor, Linn., a small beetle, whose larva is known as- 
the meal-worm. Westwood says it frequents bakehouses, 
corn-mills, granaries, ship-biscuit stores, and similar places, 
and does much damage by devouring meal, bran, flour, and 
occasionally cloth and wood.—J. A. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Mr. Agnew, Mr. C. R. C. Titchborne, Mr. G. H. Cockerell, 
Mr. J. North, Mr. S. Kellam (Galveston), Mr. J. Robbins, Mr. 
T. Hopkinson, Mr. F. Warnford, Mr. J. S. P. Rowe, Mr. S. 
Hallam, Mr. J. D. Allman, Mr. T. C. Jones, Mr. G. V. Druce, 
Mr. H. J. Church, Mr. R. G. Mumbray, Mr. G. Morgan, 
Mr. J. B. Bayley, Mr. J. Wain, N. C., J. T. N., A. P. S., 
H. W. T., I. S. W. T., S., “A City Pharmacist,” “ Senega , 7 
“ Provincial,” “ Sarum,” George Oldham. 
