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THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [February 11, i 87 i. 
DR. RICHARDSON ON CHLORAL HYDRATE. 
Dr. Richardson, in his lecture on Tuesday last, opened 
with a short and special series of observations on the re¬ 
cent fatal or assumed fatal -cases from the use of the 
hydrate of chloral, and discussed certain important ques¬ 
tions in respect to the action and the effects of chloral, on 
which he had recently been consulted by members of the 
medical profession. To a first question whether the 
practice of taking' the hydrate without medical advice or 
direction was becoming at all general amongst the public, 
he gave a direct affirmative answer. He held that, in 
professional hands, now that its action is better under¬ 
stood and the novelty of its application has worn off, the 
employment of the hydrate is less than it was some 
months ago ; while the practice of resorting to it by the 
public is on the increase, and a new class of cases is 
thereby becoming known, marked by particular symp¬ 
toms and assuming, in some instances, a serious cha¬ 
racter. 
As showing the extent to which the hydrate is now 
employed, Dr. Richardson said he had been able to esti¬ 
mate that nearly 50 tons of the agent had been used in 
England in the last eighteen months. 
On the question, what is a dangerous and what a fatal 
dose of the hydrate, the lecturer computed that 120 
grains was a dangerous and 180 grains a fatal dose ; he 
cited a case of recovery'from a dose of 120 grains, but 
the symptoms were very prolonged and the risk great. 
Another question related to the quantity of the hy¬ 
drate that might be given in small and repeated doses 
during a limited time, say of twenty-four hours. The 
answ r er to this was, that an adult person could not de¬ 
compose and eliminate more than from five to seven 
grains of the hydrate per hour, and that it was therefore 
not prudent to administer more than 120 grains in the 
time suggested, viz. twenty-four hours. On a fourth 
question, whether the frequent administration of hydrate 
of chloral lessened or increased the danger of administra¬ 
tion, the argument ran to the effect that frequency of 
administration, while it might increase the confidence of 
those who took the drug, in respect to its safety, actually 
increased the danger. To use a technical phrase, there 
was danger by frequent repetition of “ accumulation,” 
while the power of the body to dispose of the agent by 
diffusion, decomposition and elimination, became sensibly 
reduced. A striking contrast was here struck between 
the actions of opium and hydrate of chloral, by which it 
■was shown that the latter cannot, like the former, he 
gradually increased except in the most limited degree, 
without immediate danger. Three other questions were 
noticed at length, having reference to the symptoms and 
pathological conditions incident to the prolonged use of 
the hydrate; the chemical tests for it in the tissues in 
cases of poisoning by it, and the post-mortem appearances 
in cases where it proved fatal after administration in 
many successive doses. These points, which excited 
much interest in an audience, composed almost exclu¬ 
sively of medical men, are of less moment to our own 
readers than the subjects we have briefly noticed above. 
It will be recollected that Dr. Richardson was the first 
physician in England who experimented and reported 
on the action ot chloral hydrate, after Liebreich’s dis¬ 
covery of its properties, his report having been prepared 
at the. request of the biological section of the British As¬ 
sociation for the Advancement of Science, and read at 
the Annual Meeting of the Association at Exeter, in 
1869. 
SUNDERLAND CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
The Annual Dinner of the above Society was held on 
Wednesday evening, Jan. 25th, at the'Crown and Sceptre 
Hotel, and was numerously attended by the members. 
The chair was occupied by the President, W. Thomp¬ 
son, Esq., and Mr. Harrison Thompson filled the vice¬ 
chair. 
As the meeting was intended to partake more of a 
social than a business character, the only toast proposed 
was by the Chairman, who said he ought not to let that 
opportunity pass of publicly thanking Messrs. Nicholson 
and Sharp, and the other gentlemen, whether present 
or absent, who had devoted a considerable amount of' 
time and labour to getting up lectures and readings, and 
arranging the business of the society, not forgetting 
their Treasurer, Mr. Robinson, whose duties were, per¬ 
haps, the most onerous of all. These gentlemen re¬ 
sponded, speaking hopefully of the progress of the- 
society, Mr. Sharp stating that the last meeting had 
been undoubtedly the best attended and most successful 
of any that had been held. 
LEICESTER CHEMISTS’ ASSISTANTS AND 
APPRENTICES’ ASSOCIATION. 
The Annual Supper of the members of this Association 
was held at the Wellington Hotel, Granby Street, on 
Thursday night last. The chair was occupied by Mr.. 
J. W. Clark, the vice-chair being filled by Mr. F. Par¬ 
sons. After the usual toasts, 
Mr. Nettleshif proposed the toast of the evening, 
“ Success to the Chemists’ Assistants and Apprentices' 
Association.” Ho was pleased to think that the young 
men of this town had formed themselves into a Society 
for the advancement of their knowledge in chemistry 
and pharmacy. Thirty or forty years ago, persons en¬ 
gaged in those pursuits had to rely mainly upon their 
own resources to attain a certain degree of learning, hut 
at the present time similar societies to theirs were in¬ 
strumental in enabling young men to successfully pass 
the examinations of the Pharmaceutical Society. He 
believed there was no kingdom in the world where che¬ 
mistry and pharmacy were so satisfactorily carried on as 
in Great Britain, and expressed his belief that unfounded 
prejudices which had existed in the public mind respect¬ 
ing chemists’ inefficiency in the admixture of medicines- 
would, ere long, cease to exist. He hoped the society 
would continue to flourish, and requested them, in con¬ 
nection with the toast, to drink to the health of Mr. 
Young, the President. 
Mr. Young, in responding, said few associations could 
boast of greater success than the one of which they were 
celebrating the anniversary that night. Since their last 
annual meeting fourteen or fifteen members of the so¬ 
ciety had, in different grades, passed examinations of 
the Pharmaceutical Society. 
The Vice-President then gave “Prosperity to the 
Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.” He thought 
they would all admit that they had received great be¬ 
nefit from that Society, and would readily acknowledge 
the influence it had exercised in promoting the welfare 
of the chemists and druggists throughout the United 
Kingdom. 
Mr. Clark responded. He said he considered the 
Pharmaceutical Society had conferred a vast amount of 
good upon the chemists and druggists of Great Britain, 
and thought it highly probable that it would eventually 
raise their position to one of considerable importance. 
Mr. Young then proposed “The Honorary Members,” 
associating with the toast the name of Mr. Clark, their 
chairman upon that occasion. 
In responding, the Chairman remarked that two 
generations ago there were but three chemists in the 
town of Leicester, while at the present time their num¬ 
ber exceeded forty. He hoped the Association would 
increase in prosperity and usefulness. 
Several other toasts were given and responded to, in¬ 
cluding “The Committee,” “The Chairman,” “The 
President, Mr. Young,” and “The Local Secretary of 
the Pharmaceutical Society, Mr. T. Cooper.” 
