■July 8,1871.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
37 
2. Also that in the keeping of poisons, each poison he kept 
•on one or other of the follotving systems, viz. 
(a) In a bottle or vessel tied over, capped, locked, or 
otherwise secured in a manner different from that in 
which bottles or vessels containing ordinary articles arc 
secured in the same warehouse, shop , or dispensary ; or 
(b) In a bottle or vessel rendered distinguishable by 
touch from the bottles or vessels in which ordinary 
articles are kept in the same warehouse, shop, or dis¬ 
pensary ; or 
(c) In a bottle, vessel, box, or package kept in a room 
or cupboard set apart for dangerous articles. 
3. That in the dispensing and selling of poisons all lini¬ 
ments, embrocations, and lotions containing poison be sent 
out in bottles rendered distinguishable by touch f rom ordinary 
medicine bottles, and that there also be affixed to each such 
bottle fin addition to the name of the article, and to any par¬ 
ticular instructions for its use) a label giving notice that the 
-contents of the bottle are not to be taken internally. 
Srumous Tea. —July 3.—Mr. G-. Gregory asked the 
President of the Board of Trade whether his attention 
.had been called to the importation of spurious tea; and 
whether he had ascertained if the law, as it at present 
stood, prevented such importation, or provided for the 
summary condemnation of such tea; and, if it did not, 
whether he was prepared to propose legislation upon the 
“subject. 
Mr. Chichester Fortescue said he had lately received 
an important deputation on this subject from the sani¬ 
tary authorities of the City of London, who explained to 
liim the great abuses which occurred in the importation 
of those spurious teas. They exhibited to him various 
samples of a very remarkable character—one consisting 
of matter so decayed that it was offensive to the smell, 
and another sample containing such a quantity of iron 
filings that they were visible to the eye by the use of a 
magnet. There were other specialities of that kind. 
Pie had since then inquired into the state of the law, and 
had reason to think that the Commissioners of Customs 
had no power to prevent these practices provided that 
the duty were duly paid. Whether it would be right to 
give the Commissioners of Customs such powers, which 
were beyond their usual functions, he was not then pre¬ 
pared to say; but he would undertake to consider the 
question, and was now in communication with the Chan¬ 
cellor of the Exchequer respecting it. 
Two Child hen Poisoned by a Wrong Medicine. 
On Friday, June 30, Dr. Lankester held an inquest on 
the bodies of Ada and Arthur Ford, twin children, aged 
fourteen days, who died from the effects of poison given 
in mistake for another medicine at the Islington Dis¬ 
pensary. From the evidence it appeared that the two 
■children being somewhat poorly, the nurse in attendance , 
upon Mrs. Ford, the mother of deceased, attended at the 
dispensary, and having explained how the children were, 
Mr. Waller, one of the medical officers, prescribed a 
rhubarb and soda powder to be given, a fourth part to 
•each child occasionally. The powders were administered 
about half-past eleven o’clock. About two o’clock the 
mother looked at the children and said she thought one 
was dead, and the other looked so bad she was sure they : 
were poisoned. She ran to the dispensary for a doctor, 
and Mr. Waller attended. 
Mr. Arthur Waller, surgeon to the Islington Dispen¬ 
sary, deposed that he prescribed a rhubarb and soda ! 
powder, as stated, with instructions that they should be 
divided into four, and a part given to each child. On 
being sent for on Tuesday he found one child dead and 
the other dying. On examining the powder he found it 
was not what he had ordered, but a twenty-grain com¬ 
pound ‘‘Kino” powder, containing a quarter of a grain 
jof opium. There was no doubt but the administration 
of this powder had killed the children. He had made 
inquiries, and as the drawer in which the powders were 
kept contained sixteen partitions, he could only account 
for these powders getting into the wrong place by acci¬ 
dent. 
Mr. John Lcvygill, the apothecary at the Dispensary, 
said ho did not recollect the application for a rhubarb 
and soda powder, but if it were made he gave them what 
he supposed to be one. As the “Kino” powders were 
next to the rhubarb and soda, the latter might have got 
into the wrong compartment. The powders were all in 
white paper, and there were only labels on each com¬ 
partment. 
Mr. J. T. Glover, surgeon, stated that ho had made a 
post-mortem examination of the bodies, and found that 
I the children had been poisoned by opium. The same 
| quantity of opium would have killed a stronger child 
than either of the deceased. 
The jury returned a verdict—“That the deaths had 
taken place from the effect of an overdose of opium 
through accidental causes.” The jury were, however, 
; also strongly of opinion that were all poisonous powders 
| put in coloured paper, there would be no recurrence of so 
serious a mistake. —Daily Hews. 
Death from an Overdose of Chloral IIa'drate. 
An inquest was held on Friday, June 14, at Hudders¬ 
field, to inquire into the circumstances attending the 
death of Mr. J. S. Bowman, a commercial traveller. The 
deceased was stopping at the George Hotel, and on going 
to bed on Wednesday night had requested that he might 
be called at seven o’clock the next morning. This “was 
' accordingly done, but the deceased did not make his ap¬ 
pearance ; about two o’clock therefore the door was 
broken open, when he was found to be lying in the bed 
quite dead. Evidence was given that he appeared in 
good health and spirits the night before. In his port¬ 
manteau was found a corked bottle containing chloral 
hydrate. There was a glass found in the room, but it 
had nothing but a little water in it. 
Walter Abraham Grace, of Bradford, said, I am as¬ 
sistant to Mr. F. M. Rimmington, pharmacist and che¬ 
mist, Bradford. The directions on the bottle produced 
are in my handwriting. I have just seen the body of 
deceased, and identify him as being the same person who 
called at my employer’s shop between one and three 
o’clock on Tuesday afternoon. He asked Mr. Rimming¬ 
ton’ s son for six doses of the-hydrate of chloral, with 30 
grains in each dose. Previous to supplying him, I, ac¬ 
cording to instructions, consulted Mr. Rimmington, who 
interrogated the man as to his knowledge of the article. 
The deceased said he -was perfectly aware of its proper¬ 
ties, and that he was perfectly familiar with it, having- 
taken it many times before. Mr. Rimmington said the 
deceased’s reply was quite satisfactory, and they might 
have taken him for a medical man, he was so familiar 
with the article. Mr. Rimmington then came to my 
dispensing counter and told me I was to make up the 
mixture. I made up the mixture, and placed it in the 
bottle now produced. Mr. Bimmington saw me make 
up the mixture and write a label, but, not being satis¬ 
factory, he told me to write another copy. The label 
contains the words, “ The mixture, containing 30 grains 
chloral hydrate in each ounce, one-sixth part for a dose.” 
The bottle has upon it the scale for the six doses. I 
wrapped up the bottle, and explained to the deceased 
personally that one-sixth part contained 30 grains, and, 
from my recollection, he replied that he was perfectly 
satisfied, as he understood how to take it, having taken 
it before. He did not tell me for what specific purpose 
he wanted the chloral hydrate, nor did he complain of 
any illness. He seemed quite sober. Thirty grains are 
beiow the average dose. I think six or eight doses is 
quite as much as we should supply at one time, but wo 
