Maroh 25, 1871.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
775 
VACANCIES AND APPOINTMENTS IN CONNEC¬ 
TION WITH PHARMACY. 
The Editor will he glad to receive early notice of any 
vacancies of pharmaceutical offices connected with public 
institutions, and likewise of appointments that are made ,— 
in order that they maybe published regidarlyin the Journal. 
APPOINTMENT. 
Mr. Robert R. Welborn, Associate of the Pharmaceutical 
Society, to the office of Dispenser at the Dispensary of the 
St. George’s Union, Mount Street. There were six candi¬ 
dates, amongst whom was a medical officer of the Leeds Dis¬ 
pensary. 
VACANCIES. 
The office of Dispenser at the Leicester Provident Dis¬ 
pensary. For particulars, see advertisement in last week’s 
Journal. 
Compounders of Medicines required for the Convict Service. 
For particulars, see Advertising Sheet, p. 18. 
MEETINGS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. 
Monday . Medical Society, at 8 p.m. 
March 27. London Institution, at 4 p.m. —“ On Astro¬ 
nomy.” By Mr. R. Proctor. 
Tuesday . Loyal Institution, at 3 p.m. — “The Nutri- 
March 28. tion of Animals.” By Professor Foster. 
Loyal Medical and Chirurgical Society, at 
8.30 p.m. 
Wednesday... Society of Arts, at 8 p.m. —“Woman’s Work, 
March 29. with Special Reference to Industrial Em¬ 
ployments.” By Miss Emily Faithfull. 
Thursday . Loyal Society, at 8.30 p.m. 
March 30. Loyal Institution, at 3 p.m. —“Davy’s Dis¬ 
coveries in Chemistry.” By Prof. Odling. 
London Institution, at 7.30 p.m.— “ Economic 
Botany.” By Professor Bentley. 
Friday . Loyal Institution, at 9 p.m. —“ Solar Myths.” 
March 31. By Professor Max Muller. 
prlmtntwi aith framWnp. 
Poisoning by Prussic Acid. 
On Thursday, February 9th, Dr. Lankester held an ad¬ 
journed inquiry into the death of Mr. Lorenzo Adolphus 
Staunton, who was discovered, on the morning of his 
intended marriage, dead from the effects of poison. The 
deceased was bookkeeper at a mercantile house in Great 
St. Helen’s, and on the evening previous to his death 
was in good health and in high spirits about his mar¬ 
riage, which was to be celebrated next day. In the 
morning, breakfast was taken up to his bedroom, ac¬ 
cording to custom, by the servant, who noticed a bottle 
beside the bed, since found to contain prussic acid. 
Shortly afterwards, a jeweller called with some orna¬ 
ments ordered by the deceased for his bride, and when 
the servant went upstairs to inform him she discovered 
that he was dead. The post-mortem examination made 
by l)r. Vans Christian Clarke proved that the cause of 
death was prussic acid. It was also shown that deceased 
suffered from a cough, for which he was in the habit of 
taking diluted prussic acid and ammonia in seltzer 
water, and also that he was suffering from consumption. 
The contents of the stomach were analysed by Professor 
F. Rogers, who stated that it contained prussic acid, and 
that there was enough to cause death. A letter written 
by deceased to his mother on the morning of his death, 
spoke of his joyous anticipation of wedded life. It was 
also shown that deceased was in the receipt of nearly 
-£400 a year. The jury found that death was caused by 
an overdose of prussic acid taken by deceased for medi¬ 
cinal purposes, and arose from misadventure.— Times. 
Attempted Suicide by Carbolic Acid. 
At Westminster, on Monday last, Maria Norman, aged 
fifty, was charged with attempting to commit suicide by 
taking a large quantity of carbolic acid. It appeared 
that the prisoner was found on the previous Tuesday 
insensible. She was conveyed to Westminster Hospital, 
where she said she had taken some carbolic acid. 
Mr. F. Wallace, the house physician at Westminster 
Hospital, said there were severe excoriations in the 
mouth, lips and throat of the defendant, produced by 
carbolic acid. He could not tell how much had been 
taken, or how much would destroy lifo, as there was 
only one instance of suicide by this acid, and that in a 
lunatic asylum. * He administered olive oil as an aperient 
and to produce reaction. Carbolic acid was an irritant, 
not a narcotic, and he had great difficulty to prevent the 
closing of the windpipe, as it produced great irritation 
of the mucous membrane. The prisoner had suffered 
from bronchitis since, but was now out of danger. 
The prisoner was remanded for a week.— Times. 
A Chemist Fined for Selling a Tooth-powder 
without a Licence. 
At Richmond, on Wednesday, the 8 th inst., Mr. 
Lloyd, chemist, was summoned by the Excise autho¬ 
rities, under 42 Geo. III. c. 56, for selling patent medi¬ 
cines without a licence. The defendant admitted the 
sale, but submitted that the article (abox of “Rowland’s 
Odonto ”) was not a patent medicine within the mean¬ 
ing of the Act, but a tooth-powder. He was further 
summoned under 24 & 25 Yict. c. 91, for selling me¬ 
thylated spirits without a licence. He contended that 
he had a right to sell methylated spirits for mixing with 
varnish, or for similar purposes. The Bench held that 
all tooth-powders came within the meaning of the Act 
as patent medicines, and they fined the defendant in 
the mitigated penalty of £17. 10s .—Medical Times and 
Gazette. 
HOUSE OF COMMONS. 
Wines in Bond. —March 16^A.—Sir J. Lawrence 
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the 
Board of Customs had been authorized to sanction the 
admixture with wanes in bond of tannin, ether and 
other chemical preparations, provided the owners de¬ 
clared that such a mixture was necessary for fining and 
flavouring the wines. 
The Chancellor of the Exchequer said there was no 
such authority. 
The Metric System. —March 21 st. —Mr. J. B. Smith 
obtained leave to bring in a Bill to establish the metric 
system of weights and measures. The second reading 
was fixed for the 18th of April. 
Adulteration of Food, etc., Bill. —March 22nd .— 
This Bill was read a second time, with the understand¬ 
ing, suggested by Mr. Muntz, that the discussion upon 
it should be taken on the motion for going into Com¬ 
mittee. That stage was fixed for the 18th of April. 
The following journals have been received:—The £ British 
Medical Journal,’ March 18 ; the ‘MedicalTimes and Gazette,’ 
March 18; the ‘ Lancet,’ March 18; the ‘ Medical Press and 
Circular,’ March23; ‘Nature,’ March 16; the ‘Chemical News,’ 
March 17 ; ‘Journal of the Society of Arts,’ March 16 ; ‘ Gar¬ 
deners’ Chronicle,’ March 18; the ‘Grocer,’ March 18; ‘Produce 
Markets Review,’ March 18; the ‘ English Mechanic,’ March 
17 ; the ‘American Chemist’ for March; the ‘Chicago Phar¬ 
macist’ for February; the ‘American Journal of Pharmacy ’ 
for March; the ‘ New York Druggists’ Circular ’ for March ; 
the ‘Doctor’ for March; the ‘Brewer’s Guardian,’ March 
15; the ‘Journal of the Royal Institution;’ the ‘ Photographic 
Journal’ for March; Draft of a proposed Law for Regulating 
the Practice of Pharmacy and the Sale of Poisons in the 
State of Illinois, from Mr. Ebert; the ‘ Portsmouth Times,’ 
March 18 ; the ‘ Newcastle Evening Telegraph,’ March 20. 
* See, however, another case, reported ante, p. 608. 
