320 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[October 14,1871- 
In order that your readers may correctly estimate the 
honours gained by these gentlemen, I may state that the 
competition for these medals is amongst the Science Class- 
students of the whole kingdom, and that although many 
prizes of books are distributed at these examinations, medals 
only to the number of one gold, one silver and two bronze in 
each subject are offered. 
It can scarcely be necessary to point with any more elabo¬ 
ration to the advantage to provincial schools of pharmacy of 
alliance with the science class system. Gr. P. Schacht. 
Clifton, October 7th, 1871. 
Desgoffe’s Patent Hydraulic Presses. 
Sir,—Will you permit us to point out a typographical error 
in the description of our “ DesgofFe’s patent hydraulic press,” 
which appeared in the notes of the meeting of the Pharma¬ 
ceutical Society (Pharmaceutical Journal, October 7, 
1871). The smaller ram of the press is described as 13^ 
inches in diameter, instead of If inches. It will be evident 
the power of the press depends on the lower ram, which is 
forced into the chamber, being smaller than the main ram 
which is forced out, the force being in proportion to the re¬ 
lative areas of these rams. 
This leads us to mention another and much more important 
error, for which, wo regret to say, the circulars distributed by 
ourselves at the meeting are responsible. By some mistake 
the power of the press has been there stated as 6 tons; 
whereas it will be easily seen that a pressure of three times 
that figure may Qasily be obtained; as below. 
The circumference of the circle described by the handles 
= 60 inches. The thread of the screw, which forces the 
smaller ram inwards, is 6 to the iuch. 
The force with which the smaller ram is forced inwards is, 
therefore, 50 x 5 = 250 times the power applied to the lever. 
Owing to the difference between the areas of the two rams 
being rather more than 4 : 1, this power will be rather more 
than quadrupled in its transmission to the work; making it 
equal to fully 1000 times that which is applied to the lever. 
Now for such work as this, which is intermittent., and so 
arranged that a man can put out all his strength in one 
effort at the end of the pressure, we may reckon that the 
pressure applied to the lever will not be less than 50 lb. 
Multiply 50 lb. x 1000 
= 50,000 lb. = over 22 tons. 
Prom this figure a certain amount must of course be de¬ 
ducted for friction; but the net result will show that this 
little press, in spite of its very low price, will accomplish all 
and more than all that will be required for extracting tinc¬ 
tures. 
We believe, therefore, that this machine answers all the 
objections brought forward by Mr. Umney in his letter on 
page 290 of the same number of your Journal, as to the “ too 
large” size, “excessive cost,” and altogether “extra outlay” 
required for the adoption of hydraulic instead of simple screw 
pressure. 
Hayward Tyler and Co. 
Improved Tincture Press. 
Sir,—I regret that the letter of S. D., of Bow (Pharm. 
Journ., September 16) has escaped my notice. With an 
apology for my neglect, I now reply to his queries. 
1. If he will refer to my paper, he will find., the press de¬ 
scribed as being light and portable. There is no difficulty 
in raising it, cylinder and all, and pouring off the tincture 
from time to time into any suitable vessel or the filtering- 
funnel, the basin being spouted for the purpose. 
2. The cylinder could be made by any tin-plate worker; if 
for a small press I think strong block-tin would do; but it 
should be joined by rivets, solder not being strong enough. 
I cannot agree with Mr. Umney that the position in 
which the press is worked is unfavourable for muscular force, 
or that it should be compared either to pulling an oar or 
working a crank; for as both these labours are continuous, 
the person would soop become exhausted if he applied his full 
strength. Now, turning the screw of a press is very different; 
the labour being at short intervals, and the two arms of the 
lever grasped by each hand in opposition to the other, in my 
opinion, is rather favourable to the development of muscular 
power, although inferior to what it might be if the press 
were fixed and the lever vertical; in this position the power 
could be applied with greater ease, but would never exceed 
the actual weight of the individual. Now we know that 
many a person has strength enough to raise a weight much 
greater than his own body, so I think that my estimate of 
1001b.* represents a fair average of the force applied towards- 
the end of the process, and that Mr. Umney greatly under¬ 
rates it. As for my total estimate of the pressure obtained,, 
as I before stated, it is somewhat theoretical, practically it is 
much less, a large deduction having to be allowed for counter¬ 
acting influences, especially friction; hence the importance- 
of any attempt to diminish this item, as in my press, the- 
screvvs being but half an inch in diameter, and the pitch (or 
threads) only one-eighth, and these might be further reduced 
with advantage. I am pleased to find this important subject 
“ ventilated,” as it is the fashion to term it, but I did not write 
the paper for the purpose of raising an unprofitable discussion 
on the theoretical power of the screw-press, but rather in the 
hope of pointing how it might be improved. With this object 
I have endeavoured to utilize, what Mr. Umney with cour¬ 
teous sarcasm is pleased to designate, my “engineering skill,” 
the result being the production of an implement which for its 
simplicity, convenience, and economy surpasses in efficiency 
auy thing I have yet seen. 
I shall be happy to give any further information or answer 
queries either through your columns or direct, should any of 
your correspondents desire it. C. A. Staples. 
The Drug Trade in Canada. 
Sir,—Allow me to answer the inquiries of your correspon¬ 
dent “ Jateorrhiza” respecting the drug trade in Canada. 
As to assistants, there is not any demand for their services 
beyond what the country can supply, and they are paid about 
the same as here in England. In Hamilton I received at 
the rate of 400 dollars per annum, out of w r hieh I paid four 
dollars a week for board and lodging (the dollar being equal 
to 4s. 2d. English). 
The towns are well supplied with druggists, and I am of 
opinion that there is not any chance for a new-comer; but I 
was informed that there were chances for opening drug-stores 
in many of the rising villages in the Ontario district. 
As the Canadian druggists deal in oils, paints, varnishes, 
and all kinds of paint-brushes, I should recommend a person 
going out with sufficient capital to start on his own account, 
to get a few months’ experience in a good oil and colour shop 
in England before starting. 
The Pharmacopoeias in use were the British and the United 
States; but, as the Canadian Pharmacy Act has passed re¬ 
cently, there is probably a recognized Pharmacopoeia. But 
perhaps, Sir, you can answer this question, as well as to whe¬ 
ther English qualifications are allowed under the Canadian 
Act, of which I know nothing whatever, as it became law 
after I left that country. 
Respecting the expense of starting a new concern, and the 
choice of a locality, I should refer “'Jateorrhiza ” to a respect¬ 
able wholesale house on the spot for information—Elliott and 
Co., Toronto, or Wyner and Co., Hamilton. 
In conclusion, it must be understood that I do not take 
upon myself the serious responsibility of advising any man to 
leave home and friends and start in a foreign land (which 
advice is too often thoughtlessly given), but only wish to 
answer inquiries made. W. B. 
October 9th, 1871. 
“ Scrutator .”—We would recommend you to apply to some- 
of the wine doctors who are to be found in the neighbourhood 
of the docks. 
A. ShillcocJc. —We would suggest that you should apply 
to the persons in whose hands you think the remedy lies, 
and see what influence they could be brought to exercise. 
J. B. Summers. —The matter referred seems to lie some¬ 
what outside strict pharmaceutical practice. 
“ Scribo.” —You will find information as to the preparation 
of pepsine in Pharm. Journ. 1st Ser. XVI. 472; 2nd Ser. 
VII. 112; 3rd Ser. I. 666; and Wood and Bache’s ‘United 
States Dispensatory,’ 12th edit. p. 1091. 
* In ‘Practical Pharmacy’ (Mohr and Redwood, p. 107) a 
compound screw-press is described, the theoretical power 
being 960,0001b. (i. e. over 400 tons!); the calculation is 
based on the lever being moved by a force equal to 1001b. 
I take this as a moderate estimate of strength, and believe it 
is often greatly exceeded.—C. A.. S. 
