880 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[April 29, 1871. 
off, on the plea that he had only a boy to mind the shop, 
who did not know Epsom salts from oxalic acid.” 
I do not think it fair that a man should be compelled to 
leave his business, when upon the proper fulfilment of his 
own duties in that business depends the safety of many lives, 
or even the ruin of his business. 
Manchester, April 22nd, 1871. W. B. O. 
A Proposal to Enforce Early Closing. 
Sir,—May I ask you to be good enough to spare me a small 
space to bring before the members of the profession a subject 
which has appeared several times before in this .Journal, but 
unfortunately no person, having any amount of influence 
over the profession, having taken it up, it was allowed to 
drop as an impossibility r 1 It is that of early closing. Now 
that the Pharmaceutical Society requires so much scientific 
as well as practical knowledge, there ought to be some mea¬ 
sures taken to enforce early closing, that assistants and 
apprentices (more especially in Town) might have an oppor¬ 
tunity of preparing themselves for the requisite examinations. 
I think as the Council have the power to revise and amend 
the laws, etc. relating to pharmacy, they might make an addi¬ 
tion to the new Act of 1888, very advantageous to the rising 
generation of pharmacists. If I might be permitted to sug¬ 
gest the following addendum, to be made to the eighth clause 
of the Pharmacy Act 1868, 15 & 16 Yict. c. Ivi., I am sure it 
would be hailed with delight by all young persons engaged 
in the metropolis; some such words as the following might be 
used :—“And to enable persons to attain the necessary quali¬ 
fications, all persons in Great Britain practising as denoted 
in clause 3 of the Pharmacy Act 1868, 31 & 32 Yict. c. xxi., 
shall, after the-day of-1871, close their shops, or 
cause them to be closed, and shall suspend business entirely 
(except in case of urgent medicine being required, which, of 
course, some person must be at home to attend to) at eight 
o’clock, f.m., and no persons in their employ shall be detained 
after that time, but shall be allowed to study or otherwise 
make use of their time, neither shall they be employed more 
than twelve hours in each day, including an hour and a half 
for meals: in violation of this law such persons to be fined 
such sum as the Council may think fit.” I can safely say 
that if the Council would give this matter their consideration, 
a material difference would be seen in the attendance by mem¬ 
bers, etc. at the various meetings of the Society, and Mr. 
Haselden, Y.P., would no longer have to complain of the 
poorly attended meetings- The Society would be remunerated 
by a greater number of candidates presenting themselves for 
the respective examinations. I am longing to see this matter 
taken up by some of our influential members. 
Aspirant to the “Major Qualification.” 
The Fraternity of the Profession. 
Sir,—Now that the poison regulations question is fairly on 
its way to an end, I think the Council would do well by 
endeavouring to infuse a more fraternal spirit amongst the 
whole body of chemists. Without the exception of any other 
profession, we are, I think, the most jealous of each' other, 
whereas it should be quite the reverse of this; for surely an 
educated chemist ought by virtue of his education, apart 
from even any higher motive, to be above such behaviour as 
is too often shown to-wards those of the same calling. 
I had occasion some few days since to visit one of these 
brethren, wishing to obtain from him a small quantity of 
chloral hydrate. I asked for half a drachm, and, having 
omitted taking a bottle, I requested that I might be fur¬ 
nished with one. This was done by supplying a one-ounce 
wide-moutli stoppered one. I then asked the price of the 
whole, and was told one shilling. Note, this price was to 
pne of the profession; what it would have been to the public 
it is impossible to say; but I think there are few London 
establishments where more would have been charged in the 
retail. 
Y hile such ill-feeling as this exists amongst us, we cannot 
expect the cause of pharmacy to make much advancement; 
but were we more friendly towards each other, and tried to 
facilitate each other’s “ common interest ” (even if nothing 
more) in everything pertaining to the profession, with such 
a union -we should'possess strength. 
Bloxham, April 11 th, 1871. J. T. Newey. 
A Queer Customer. 
Sir,—As I think the enclosed might contribute to amuse 
your readers, I hope you will give it a place when there 
is a spare corner in the Pharmaceutical Journal. You 
see it is indited on elegant tinted paper, and it was pre¬ 
sented by a small boy at my counter with the modest accom¬ 
paniment of Id. to pay for its prescribing and dispensing. 
Marlow, April 19 th, 1871. Charles M. Foottit. 
“if yow plees will you send me soom iwas 
porely for three days no it stopt iam in such 
pain in my belley and stomek aged 48 
willam ilowers 
cookham 
deen” 
Cautions. 
Sir,—The communication in your Journal of the 22nd inst. 
from Mr. Eve respecting a person who calls himself Fischer, 
recalls a slight personal experience of my own. Many months 
ago Mr. Fischer called upon me in a town quite remote from 
London, and begged for money to enable him to travel a 
stage further, using the names of scientific chemists in the 
north of England with much freedom. 
Mr. Eve’s letter convinces me that anything which I gave 
him was badly bestowed, and that it will be well for the 
future that our body should be relieved from Mr. Fischer’s 
importunities. F. C. S. 
Sir,—In your issue of March 18th, I saw advertised a 
literal translation of the first book of ‘ Caesar’s Commenta¬ 
ries ’ at the price of 2s. 6 cl., to apply to “ Casticus,” General 
Post Office, Birmingham. Being an apprentice studying for 
the Preliminary Examination, I applied for the translation, 
enclosing thirty-one stamps. Not having received a reply, I 
wrote to inquire the cause, and have never yet received a 
reply, neither in the shape of book or otherwise. I should 
be very much obliged to you if you would furnish me with the 
proper name and address of the advertiser, as I think it very 
hard indeed for young apprentices as myself, anxious to 
acquire knowledge and to “get on” in the pharmaceutical 
profession, to forfeit our money to unprincipled persons, in the 
attempt to get books for the furtherance of our knowledge. 
I enclose stamped and directed envelope for reply. 
M. Leigh. 
[*** In reference to this communication, we are informed 
by the Publishers that they are unable to comply with our 
correspondent’s request to be furnished with the proper name 
and address of the advertiser, the order for the advertisement 
being only dated “Birmingham.” It is just possible that it 
is bond fide, but it is more probable that it is a swindle, so we 
insert our correspondent’s letter in order to prevent, as far 
as possible, any further mischief being done.—E h. Pharm. 
Journ.] _ 
“ Inquirer .”—Apply at Apothecaries’ Hall. 
“Boiler Composition .”—Boiler incrustation generally con¬ 
sists of the carbonate and sulphate of lime contained in the 
water used for generating steam. 
J. T. Bobertson. —We are informed that Mr. Gerrard’s im¬ 
proved suppository mould may be obtained from Mr. Mather, 
of Newgate Street. The prices are for six, 5s.; twelve, 13s.; 
twenty-four, 32s. each. 
W. J. —We have no means for furnishing formulae of pro¬ 
prietary articles. 
T. S. Johnson. —Our correspondent was in error. It is 
unnecessary to label the medicine “poison,” provided the for¬ 
mula be copied in a book. 
G-. Adams. —You would be right in using the preparation 
of the London Pharmacopoeia. 
“July.” —Certificates cannot be issued from the office in 
an imperfect state. 
“An Inquirer.” —We have no knowledge of any such Bill 
having been introduced. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Mr. G. Adams, Mr. M. C. Cooke, Mr. F. Thompson, Mr. 
H. J. Baildon, Mr. R. Hedley, the Secretary of the Liverpool 
Chemists’ Association, W. R., J. T. C., S. G. M., “ Guaco,” 
“Scoticus, 5 " “'Inquirer,” “ Southsea,” “Pro Bono Publico.” 
We have also received communications from “Spcs,” “ Er¬ 
rata,” and E. B., in which the requirements as to anonymous, 
letters have not been complied with. 
