September 23,1871.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
251 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1S71. 
Communications for this Journal, and boohs for review,etc., 
should be addressed to the Editor, 17, Bloomsbury Square. 
Instructions from Members and Associates respecting the 
transmission of the Journal should be sent to Elias Brem- 
ridge, Secretary, 17, Bloomsbury Square, W.C. 
Advertisements to Messrs. Churchill, New Burlington 
Street, London, IK Envelopes indorsed “ Bharm. Journ.” 
ILLEGAL SALE OF POISONS. 
The two cases reported this week in which tines 
have been inflicted for infringement of the provisions 
of the Pharmacy Act, 18(58, show very well that 
abundant protection is afforded to the public against 
those who illegally sell dangerous drugs or deal in 
them without due care, and that it is in the power 
of any one to obtain the punishment of those who 
offend in either way. 
As regards the Islington case we cannot, (taking 
the report as a truthful statement of it,) i>erceive any 
extenuating circumstance ; and the plea urged by the 
defendant’s solicitor that labels were not uncom¬ 
monly mixed together, far from disproving neglect 
seems to establish it; for what is the use of a label 
but to indicate correctly the nature of the thing 
labelled ? and what can be the use of a label put on 
without its being read at the time ? 
The Essex case is still more remarkable; and we 
cannot avoid the belief that the reporter must have 
strangely misinterpreted some of the magistrates’ 
remarks. It will be seen on reference to the report 
that the most extraordinary confusion appears to 
have prevailed as to the qualifications requisite for 
the sale of drugs. A “licence to sell” after the 
manner of publicans seems to have been the domi¬ 
nant idea of the magistrates, and the Excise autho¬ 
rities were taken to be the qualifying body. But 
the need for a thorough knowledge of drugs and 
their preparation seems to have been only vaguely 
entertained. 
We hope that the provisions of the Pharmacy Act 
will receive more careful consideration from magis¬ 
trates, for, as we lately had occasion to remark, it is 
highly desirable that the law should be applied 
rightly as well as vigorously. 
PHARMACEUTICAL PRIZES. 
W e notice among the announcements of vacancies 
connected with pharmacy one issued by the Poor 
Law Guardians of Manchester which seems de¬ 
serving of attention now that the competence of dis¬ 
pensers is not only considered desirable, but even 
demanded as a necessity. Without commenting- 
upon the strange confusion of duties involved in 
making a dispenser of medicines also the head-nurse 
of an infirmary, we think it worth while to quote 
from two other advertisements appearing side by 
side with that above referred to, the particulars of 
salaries, etc. offered by the Poor Law Guardians of 
Manchester and Salford as remuneration for the 
respective services of a cook, a liorsekeeper, and a 
dispenser of medicines:— 
Cook . . . £20 per annum with board, washing, 
and lodging. 
liorsekeeper £26 per annum with board and lodging. 
Dispenser, etc. £30 ,, with board, lodging, and. 
washing. 
It is worthy of note that the qualification required 
of the dispenser is not mentioned in the Manchester 
advertisement, so that there is a doubt what the 
Guardians expect or think needful in that way. In. 
another announcement of a similar vacancy in the 
Greenwich Union, however, the applicants are re¬ 
quired to be either Licentiates of the Apothecaries’' 
Company (sic) or registered under the Pharmacy 
Act, 1808, and in this case the remuneration ofiereci 
is £80 per annum, with unfurnished rooms, coals,, 
and gas, but no rations. Surely the responsibility 
attached to the duties of a dispenser has not been 
duly considered by the guardians in either case. 
NOTES ON HERBARIA AT HOME AND ABROAD. 
Some interesting details concerning home and 
foreign herbaria were given in Mr. Bentham’s recent 
anniversary address to the Linnean Society, from 
which we gather the following. It was premised that 
although zoological museums are by far the moro- 
expensive, yet as exhibitions they can draw largely 
on the general public, whilst herbaria have to rely 
on science alone, which is always poor. Both, how¬ 
ever, may claim national assistance on the plea o± 
instruction as well as of pure science; and for prac¬ 
tical or economic purposes the herbarium is even, 
more necessary than the museum. 
To mention our own herbaria first. The great 
national herbarium and library at Kew is now far 
ahead of all others in extent, value and practical 
utility. Originally created, maintained and ex¬ 
tended by the two Hookers, father and son, their 
unremitting and disinterested exertions have ob¬ 
tained for it that Government support without which 
no such establishment can be really efficient; whilst 
their liberal and judicious management has secured 
for it the countenance and approbation of the nume¬ 
rous scientific foreigners who have visited or corre¬ 
sponded with it. Of the valuable botanical materials- 
accumulated during the last century in the British 
Museum nothing definite can be said, the natural 
history portion of that collection being in a state of- 
transition. There are also herbaria of considerable- 
