258 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [September 23, 1&71 
Mr. Ricketts, solicitor, of Frederick Street, Gray’s 
Inn Road, defended, and, on behalf of the defendant, 
pleaded not guilty. 
These proceedings were taken under the provisions of 
the Pharmacy Act, 1868, and seemed to create a good 
deal of interest, the court "being well attended by medical 
gentlemen and others anxious to learn the result. 
The complainant deposed that he was a working shoe¬ 
maker, carrying on business near the defendant. On 
the 9th of August last ho sent his son (a boy about four¬ 
teen years of age) to the defendant’s shop for one penny¬ 
worth of oxalic acid (that being a poison he used in his 
business for putting a bright red on the heels of ladies’ 
boots). When the boy came back, he was surprised to 
find that the label on the packet was “ effervescent 
citrate of magnesia” instead of “oxalic acid—poison.” 
About half-past ten on the night of the same day he 
went to the defendant’s shop, and saw the defendant, 
and asked him if a boy had been to his shop, and pur¬ 
chased one pennyworth of oxalic acid. The defendant 
told him that there had not; on which he handed him the 
packet containing the oxalic acid as he had received it 
from the boy, and asked him if the label with the words 
“effervescent citrate of magnesia” had been sent out by 
him. The defendant returned the packet to him, and 
told him that it was quite possible that some citrate of 
magnesia had been sold by him, and after remarking 
that perhaps the contents of the packet had been 
changed, he said, in an off-hand manner, it was a mis¬ 
take likely to occur; that it was easy to make such a 
mistake, as the printer sent in all the labels together, 
and that sometimes one got mixed with the other. Ho 
told the defendant that there was a gross carelessness, 
and asked him if he would express regret for what had 
occurred, but as he would not he left the shop. He 
went a second time to the shop, and saw the defendant, 
and as the defendant would not apologize he, on public 
grounds, and for the protection of the public, instituted 
these proceedings. 
Cross-examined by Mr. Ricketts: He had not taken 
these proceedings with the view of obtaining half the 
penalty. He had no idea of obtaining any pecuniary 
advantage from taking out this summons, nor would he 
have taken money to hush up these proceedings. All 
he wanted was for the defendant to apologize, and if 
that had been done by the defendant there would have 
been an end to the matter. 
Frederick Faulkner, the son of the previous witness, 
deposed that he purchased the packet produced at the 
defendant’s shop, and that he handed it to his father 
in the same state as he received it from the defendant. 
Mr. Thomas Jones, surgeon, of 5, Yorii Place, Isling¬ 
ton Green, said the packet produced and its contents 
had been brought to him for analysis, and he had 
ascertained that it was oxalic acid, a poison. 
In answer to Mr. Ricketts, the witness said he had 
made several tests, and they all showed that the poison 
was oxalic acid. There was not enough in the packet to 
poison any one. 
By Mr. Cooke: There was quite enough in the packet 
to kill a child. Of course oxalic acid ought not to be 
carelessly sold. 
Mr. Ricketts, on behalf of the defendant, entirely re¬ 
pudiated the sale of the poison, but after the sworn tes¬ 
timony of the complainant he was bound to admit that 
if it was sold at tire defendant’s shop, a wrong label must 
have been put on the packet. It was no uncommon 
thing for the labels to get mixed before they came into 
the chemist’s possession ; but this was not a case of neg¬ 
lect, for the defendant labelled everything that left his 
shop. His client looked at the complainant’s visit to 
him as an attempt to extort money from him by threats, 
and that looked very much like a fact, for he (Mr. 
Ricketts) was instructed that the complainant told the 
defendant that lie had been advised by some neighbour¬ 
ing—some rival—chemist to take these proceedings. 
Several medical gentlemen of standing in the profes¬ 
sion were called, who gave the defendant an excellent 
character for the past fourteen years, and said ho was 
one of the most careful prescribers of medicine they had 
ever known. 
Mr. Ricketts having remarked that citrate of mag¬ 
nesia and oxalic acid were very much alike, with the 
permission of the magistrate asked the complainant 
if he had not threatened to expose the defendant in 
the public newspapers, and was answered in the nega¬ 
tive. 
Mr. Cooke said that it was very much to be regretted! 
that the defendant, a chemist and druggist, with such a 
high character as he had received, should have sent out 
such a poison as that of oxalic acid with a label on it 
that it was citrate of magnesia, and in ignorance of 
whether it was so or not. He should not be doing his 
duty if he did not inflict the highest penalty, which was 
£ 0 , or in default two months’ imprisonment in the House.- 
of Correction. 
The fine was at once paid .—Daily News. 
©Mfaarg. 
MR. JOHN DUNCAN. 
About three o’clock on Wednesday morning, Sept. 13> 
Mr. John Duncan, of the firm of Messrs. Duncan and 
Flockhart, 52, North Bridge, and 139, Princes Sti’ect, 
Edinburgh, died at his house at Burnhoad, Liberton. 
The deceased was, at the time of his death, in his ninety- 
second year, and had during his lifetime enjoyed the- 
esteem of a large circle of friends. As a chemist, Mr. 
Duncan was widely known. Sixty years have elapsed 
since he first occupied the present premises of the finaej 
on the North Bridge ; and he was in business at Perth, 
for some time before he came to Edinburgh. 
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. 
Dispenser of Medicines and Head Nurse in the male in¬ 
firmary of the Manchester workhouse at Crumpsall. Appli¬ 
cants are to be unmarried men, not less than thirty years of" 
age; salary, £30 per annum, with board, washing and lodging. 
Particulars of the duties may be obtained from Mr. Wharf, 
Master of the Workhouse. Applications in the handwriting- 
of the candidates, stating age and occupation, and enclosing 
testimonials as to character and fitness for the situation, must 
be sent to John Harrop, Clerk to the Guardians, at his office. 
New Bridge Street, Manchester, not later than 10 a.m. 011 
Thursday, the 28th instant, marked outside “ Dispenser,” etc. 
Dispenser at the Greenwich Union. Salary £S0 per an¬ 
num, with unfurnished apartments, coals, and gas, but with¬ 
out rations. Candidates must be between the ages of twenty- 
two and forty, and must be Licentiates of the Apothecaries’" 
Company of London, or duly registered under the Pharmacy- 
Act, 1868. Applications, accompanied by testimonials and a 
statement of qualifications, to be sent before Thursday the 
28th, to Samuel Shaw, Clerk to the Guardians.—Union 
Offices, Woolwich Road, Greenwich, 7th September, 1871. 
The following journals have been received:—The ‘British 
Medical Journal,’ Sept. 16; the ‘Medical Times and Gazette,” 
Sept. 16 ; the ‘ Lancet,’ Sept. 16 ; the ‘ Medical Press and Cir¬ 
cular,’ Sept. 20 ; ‘Nature,’ Sept. 14; the ‘Chemical News/ 
Sept. 15; ‘English Mechanic,’ Sept. 15; ‘Gardeners” Chro¬ 
nicle,’ Sept. 16; ‘ Chemist and Druggist,’ Sept. 15; the 
‘Grocer,’ Sept. 16; the ‘Journal of the Society of Arts/ 
Sept. 15; the ‘Canadian Pharmaceutical Journal/ No. 2; 
the ‘American Journal of Pharmacy/ No. 9; ‘Sheffield 
Telegraph ;’ ‘ Rotherham and Masbro’ Advertiser.’ 
