756 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[March 18, 1871. 
Ipromhittijs of Scientific Societies. 
LONDON CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
At the Meeting on Thursday, February 23rd, 1871; 
Mr. Peal in the chair, 
Mr. De Putron read a paper on “Filtration.” Com¬ 
mencing with the important filtration of water, he de¬ 
scribed several modes and mediums. He considered animal 
charcoal to he the best and cheapest of all for household 
purposes, hut it was not a sufficient purifier for medical 
or chemical use, as it did not entirely remove lead and 
lime. Silicated carbon was a valuable improvement. 
Speaking of the indispensable paper filter, he said care 
should be taken to fold it with a sharp end, as the flow 
of liquid from an acute point was much more rapid than 
from an obtuse angle. Bibulous paper first became 
charged with the fluid, it was then forced through by 
the pressure of the remainder, therefore as the capillary 
passages are more open when the paper is dry, the first 
of the liquid passes through quickly, hut was not so 
bright as when the pores of the paper had closed, so it 
should he refiltered. To keep a continual flow, and to 
prevent the paper giving way, a good plan was to throw 
in some small pieces of blotting-paper, tow, or any similar 
light substance, so as to separate the viscid sediment; the 
funnel should he kept quite full. If percolators were pro¬ 
perly packed, it was not necessary to filter the tinctures. 
He noticed an excellent filter funnel made by Messrs. 
Bailey, of Salford, which was so constructed that the 
liquid passed through a layer of sand at the top of the 
neck; also one invented by Mr. Schacht, upon the prin¬ 
ciple of causing a vacuum, and employing the conse¬ 
quent pressure of atmosphere for forcing the liquid 
through the filtering medium. After describing the best 
methods of filtering and clarifying several pharmaceuti¬ 
cal preparations, he concluded with that of oils. 
MEETINGS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. 
MONDAY . Medical Society, at 8 P.M. 
London Institution, at 4 p.m. —“ On Astro¬ 
nomy.” By Mr. R. Proctor. 
Tuesday . Loyal Institution, at 3 p.m. — “The Nutri¬ 
tion of Animals.” By Professor Foster. 
Wednesday... Society of Arts, at 8 p.m— “Drill, the Com¬ 
plement of the present School Teaching.” 
By Major-General Eardley Wilmot. 
Thursday . Loyal Society, at 8.30 p.m. 
Loyal Institution, at 3 p.m. —“Davy’s Dis¬ 
coveries in Chemistry.” By Prof. Odling. 
London Chemists' Association, at 9.30.— 
“Phosphoric Acid.” By Mr. G. Brownen. 
Friday . Loyal Institution , at 9 p.m. —“ The Eclipse.” 
By Mr. Lockyer. 
Quekett Club, at 8 p.m. 
Saturday ...Loyal Lotanic Society, at 3.45 p.m. 
farlisittttttoi anir Sato f rotuiiiitp. 
Charge of Poisoning. 
At the Leicester Police Court, on Thursday, March 9, 
a case of poisoning’ of a very unusual character was in¬ 
vestigated. Two young Jews, named Heyman Balsam 
and Simon Ettel, were charged with having, on the 
18th of February, administered poison to three young 
girls, named Amelia Westhury, Mary Jane Faulkes and 
Sarah Bale. According to the evidence it appeared that 
the prisoners and the girls worked together for a tailor. 
On the 18th of February the prisoners, who were about 
to leave their employer, asked all the girls working in 
the room to go to a public-house and have some ale at 
their expense. The girls, to the number of fourteen, 
went with the prisoners. They had one gallon of ale, 
and when that was drunk Balsam called for another 
half gallon and a clean glass. These having been 
brought, the prisoners turned their backs to the girls for 
a short time, Ettel holding the glass. When they turned 
round again, Balsam filled the glass with ale, and 
handed it to the girl Westhury, saying, “Drink our 
healths, and you’ll remember us leaving you as long as 
you live.” She drank, and was setting the glass down 
when Balsam told her to pass it on. Both the other 
girls then drank, and they all three immediately became 
very ill. Medical assistance was obtained and an emetic 
given, and they were afterwards conveyed to the infir¬ 
mary. A portion of the vomit was sent to Professor 
Attfield for analysis. 
Professor Attfield said that he had received a six- 
ounce bottle, sealed and tied down. He examined the 
contents of the bottle, according to his instructions, 
for opium and nux vomica. He found no opium, and 
but a slight trace of strychnine. He examined the 
remainder for cantharidcs, but found none. He after¬ 
wards received another bottle, with instructions to search 
for aconite, which he did, and found distinct evidence- 
of its presence. The prisoners were committed for trial 
at the assizes.— Leicester Advertiser. 
Poisoning by Laudanum. 
An inquest was held recently at Leicester upon the 
body of a young woman named Wykes. It appeared 
that as the deceased, who was a servant, did not come 
down at her usual time in the morning, the door of her 
room was forced open, when she was found lying dead 
on the floor. A small empty bottle was on the window 
sill, which was labelled “Laudanum, Poison.” Deceased 
had been in the habit of using laudanum for the tooth¬ 
ache. There had been some little unpleasantness be¬ 
tween deceased and her employers, and it is probable 
that she expected to lose her situation. 
Mr. Bowman, surgeon, who had been called in, said 
ho had no doubt that the death was caused by an over¬ 
dose of laudanum. The bottle was a half-ounce one, and 
if half full and the laudanum good, it would be sufficient 
to destroy life in a person unused to taking it. 
Mr. Berridge, druggist, said he knew deceased by her 
coming to his shop. She had been in the habit of coming 
there occasionally to obtain a pennyworth of laudanum 
for the toothache and neuralgia. The last time was 
about three weeks previously, when she had a penny¬ 
worth of laudanum. The bottle produced had his label 
on it, and was the one she was in the habit of bringing. A 
pennyworth of laudanum would about half fill the bottle. 
The jury returned a verdict “ That deceased died from 
taking laudanum, but that there is not sufficient evi¬ 
dence to show what her state of mind was at the time.” 
—Leicester Advertiser. 
Died, on the 2nd of March, in his forty-sixth year, 
after a short illness, Dr. J. B. Henkel, Professor of 
Pharmacy in the University of Tubingen. Dr. Henkel 
was author of llandhuch dcr Pharmacognosie , Tiihingen, 
1SG7, and of an illustrated work on Pharmaceutical 
Botany (Tiihingen, 1862), as well as of many separate 
papers on pharmacological subjects. 
On the 10th March, at Hull, after a long and painful 
illness, Mr. Thomas Toogood, Chemist and Druggist, 
aged 65 years. Mr. Toogood held the office of aldennan 
until a few weeks since, and was for many years a mem¬ 
ber of the Hull corporation. 
On March 12th, 1871, after a few' days’ illness, Mr. 
John Tuck, 114, St. Aldate’s, Oxford. The deceased 
gentleman was a zealous worker in the cause of phar¬ 
macy, and did everything in his power to forward the 
interest of the Society. He became a life member in 
1863, and was but recently appointed Local Secretary 
for Oxford. Mr. Tuck was also Local Secretary for the 
British Pharmaceutical Conference. 
