9 G 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[July 59, 1871. 
intolerable. It would be the duty of the Government 
to make some general proposal on that subject next 
session, including the introduction of the metric system, 
and the whole of the recommendations of tlio Royal 
Commission would be taken into account. Under the 
circumstances he would put it to the hon. gentleman 
whether it was desirable to ask the House to commit 
itself at once to the adoption of the metric system. 
Mr. Scoun field said that although the decimal sys¬ 
tem afforded a good basis for rough division, for minute 
calculations the duodecimal system was preferable. 
Mr. Baynes said the metric system was not, as had 
been alleged, difficult to learn; if they had a black 
board there, and the metric system were illustrated upon 
it, all the opponents in that House would, he believed, 
at once rise up converts. 
Mr. C. S. Read said, as an agriculturist, he felt it 
was absolutely necessary that there should be a better 
system of weights and measures, and he believed that on 
the whole the metric system would be the best. He had 
sold beef .by the cwt., mutton by the lb., and pork by 
the score. In Shropshire there were not only different 
weights in different towns, but different weights on dif¬ 
ferent market days in the same town. 
Alderman AY. Lawrence said he did not think the 
advantages to be derived from the metric system would 
counterbalance the expense, trouble, and inconvenience 
which must arise from such a change. AYhat chance 
would there be of earn ing out the decimal system on 
the basis of the imperial bushel ? Had his hon. friend 
taken into account the cost to the nation of new weights 
and measures in every shape' throughout the country? 
Under the metric system the effect of 1 the substitution of 
the litre for the pint would bo that the working man 
would get 87-lOOths of a pint of beer instead of a pint. 
Mr. Henley thought that a question of that vast im¬ 
portance ought to be in the hands of the Government. 
The hon. member for Norfolk said that agriculturists 
wanted uniform weights and measures. Then why on 
earth did they not have them ? Ho supposed that like 
many other men they preferred doing as they pleased. 
As regarded dealings of masters and labourers under 
the metric system, it would be almost impossible for the 
latter not to conceive they were wronged. He believed 
that the cost of new weights and measures would amount 
in the first year to a tax of £3,000,000. 
Mr. Fotiiergill thought the difficulties of the metric 
system among the working classes would be almost in¬ 
surmountable. Ho knew thousands of colliers in his 
own district, and that remark especially applied to them. 
The introduction of the proposed system of weights and 
measures would entail upon the employers and manu¬ 
facturers, very great expense in the purchase of new ma¬ 
chinery. He was quite sure that both the working men 
and the employers of labour on a large scale would 
strongly object to the introduction of the metric system 
into this country. 
Air. Pell supported the Bill. The strongest argu¬ 
ment urged against the measure was that the introduc¬ 
tion of any now system of weights and measures would 
lead to a vast amount of inconvenience; but already 
there was a tendency in the country to adopt the decimal 
system in the measure of land and corn ; and ho main¬ 
tained that the balance of convenience was on the side 
of those who supported, and not upon the side of those 
who opposed this measure. 
Colonel Sykes supported the Bill. 
Mr. Illingworth said it seemed to be generally ad¬ 
mitted that the metric system possessed great advantages 
over that at present in use in this country; but it was 
thought that a compulsory change suddenly made would 
bo productive of considerable inconvenience to the hum¬ 
bler classes. Once let it be known throughout the 
country that the system would be enacted compulsorily, 
and would come into force in the course of ten years 
from the present time, and the school boards would make 
arrangements for teaching it; and thus in a very short 
time the minds of the children would become familiarized 
with the new and improved system. 
The House then divided— 
For the second reading. 77 
Against it . 82 —5 
The Bill was therefore rejected, the announcement of 
the numbers being received with cheers and counter¬ 
cheers. 
Attempted Suicide by Laudanum. 
On Friday, July 21, AVilliam Johnson, a pensioned 
soldier, was charged at Marlborough Street Police Court 
with attempting to commit suicide. He was found by a 
policeman lying in Kensington Gardens, with some 
phials and a bottle by his side, all of which had contained 
laudanum, purchased at different shops. The prisoner 
told the magistrate that he had been twenty-one years 
in the army. Ho was a German, and could speak French 
and German, so thinking he might do better, he did not 
renew his service, but being unsuccessful, lie grew de¬ 
spondent and took some laudanum. The magistrate 
remanded him. 
Conviction of a “ Medical Botanist.” 
On Friday, July 14, Charles do Baddeley, herbalist,, 
and Sarah de Baddeley, his wife, were indicted at the 
Central Criminal Court, for unlawfully supplying a cer¬ 
tain noxious drug—namely, ergot of rye—knowing that 
it was intended to procure abortion. 
The evidence in this case has already been reported 
(Vol. I. p. 1041). It was urged on behalf of the pri¬ 
soners that no offence had been committed, and some- 
strong observations were made as to the conduct of the 
police in laying the trap by which they had been caught.. 
The jury found the prisoners guilty, and they were 
each sentenced to twelve months’ hard labour. 
Poisoning by a Soothing Cordial. 
An inquest was held at Silkstone Common, on Satur¬ 
day last, on the body of a child who had been poisoned 
by a soothing cordial under the circumstances reported 
last week (p. 77). The jury returned a verdict that the 
poisoning was accidental. 
The Alleged Poisoning Case at Cambridge. 
The prisoner in this case is again remanded, Dr. 
Letheby having reported that he does not find any 
poison in the portions of the body forwarded to him. 
A telegram has been sent to Professor Liveing, requesting 
him to be present at the next examination, to give evi¬ 
dence as to the circumstances under which he detected 
the presence of arsenic. 
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 may be published regularly in the Journal* 
vacancies. 
Assistant-Dispensers in charge of Medical Stores at four of 
her Majesty’s Naval Hospitals. Candidates must possess the 
Major qualification of the Pharmaceutical Society, and be 
not less than twenty or more than twenty-five years of age. 
Applications to be addressed to the Director-General ot the 
Medical Department of the Navy, Somerset House, W. C. 
APPOINTMENT. 
Air. Robert Rogers, M.P.S., has been appointed Dispenser 
to the Plymouth Public Dispensary", in the room of Mr. W. J- 
Dicker, who held the office for thirty-three years. 
