October 21,1871.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
337 
tical difficulty, or interesting fact worth investigating-, 
during the month between the meetings. If they would 
forward to him any such queries, he would take care 
that they should be introduced at the next meeting. 
The discussion thus induced would probably prove use¬ 
ful to all. 
Mr. Louis Siebold (Lecturer on Pharmacy at Owens 
College) then made some observations on what he be¬ 
lieved to be the chief causes which had operated against 
the success of the College courses ; it grieved him to say 
that it was mainly the indifference of those for whom 
they were intended. When he remembered that in 
1868, immediately after the passing of the Pharmacy 
Act, they had in Manchester classes of upwards of fifty 
young men studying these subjects, and that compara¬ 
tively few of these had passed their examinations, he 
knew that the material for large classes still existed ; at 
the same time he knew of many instances in which the 
responsibility rested with the masters, who refused to 
allow their employes the necessary time. In one case 
which had come under his notice, a master had insisted 
on an apprentice serving one day in addition to his term 
of apprenticeship for every day he had attended lectures. 
He believed that the difficulty was only a temporary one ; 
not one apprentice in twenty could pass his examina¬ 
tions without assistance, and sooner or later they would 
have to seek that help which they now rejected. 
The Chairman then announced that the next ordinary 
monthly meeting would be held on Friday evening, 
November 3rd, when Mr. Wilkinson would read a paper 
“ On Some of the Difficulties of Practical Dispensing.” 
There would be tea at half-past seven, and the chair 
would be taken at eight o’clock. 
Poisoning by an Overdose of Morphia. 
On Saturday morning, October 14, an inquest on the 
body of Dr. Poole, was held at Hyde. Deceased was 
found dead in bed, and the evidence that was given 
conclusively proves that his death was the result of an 
over-dose of solution of morphia, administered in all pro¬ 
bability whilst partly intoxicated. 
Mrs. Wilkes said deceased’s name was John Poole; he 
practised medicine, but she did not know w r hether he was 
properly qualified. He succeeded to the practice of her 
late husband. Ho went to bed on AYednesday night about 
half-past eleven, at which time he was slightly intoxicated.. 
As he did not come down at his usual time next morning, 
his room was entered and he was found dead. The small 
bottle produced generally stood on the drawers, but on the 
morning of his death it was on the corner of the dress¬ 
ing-table. On AVednesday morning there was about an 
■ounce of the solution of morphia in it. Deceased had 
had delirium tremens slightly. 
Samuel Beecroft deposed that he was a surgeon, prac¬ 
tising at Hyde, and had made a post-mortem examination 
of the deceased. There were about eight ounces of fluid 
in the stomach, but no food; the fluid smelt strongly 
of whisky. The mucous membrane was much inflamed, 
probably through the spirit. On making the necessary 
tests he found distinct evidences of morphia, and had no 
•doubt he died in a state of coma produced by morphia. 
There would be about 4 grains of morphia, and 1 grain 
had frequently caused death. Deceased might not think 
it an overdose. 
The Coroner said, there could be no doubt from Mr. 
Beecroft’s testimony and the other evidence given, that 
deceased died from an overdose of morphia, and that he 
did not take it for the purpose of destroying himself, but 
that it was simply-an overdose taken incautiously, he 
being at the time in a state of intoxication. 
The jury concurred in the coroner’s views, and a ver 
•diet was returned accordingly. 
Cases of Poisoning by Laudanum. 
The Sunderland Times reports that an inquest was 
held on Tuesday, September 3rd, at Millfield, on the 
body of William Hay. According to the evidence the 
deceased was found asleep in the taproom of a public- 
house. Medical assistance was obtained, but death 
ensued about two hours after. From a post-mortem ex¬ 
amination, the doctor was of opinion that deceased died 
from poisoning by laudanum. 
An assistant to Mr. AValton, chemist, stated that he 
had sold to a man, whom he could not identify as de¬ 
ceased, two drachms of laudanum for a penny. The 
bottle and label were similar to those produced. The 
man said he wanted the laudanum for his sister, who 
had a pain in her side. This witness incidentally stated 
that he had two or three times seen women drink off a 
pennyworth of laudanum while standing in the shop. 
A verdict was returned that the deceased died from 
poisoning by laudanum, but whether taken intentionally 
or accidentallv there was no evidence to show. 
«/ 
Another case of poisoning by laudanum is reported 
from Saffron AValden, where Mr. David Archer has taken 
an overdose which caused his death. Deceased had 
purchased an ounce of laudanum from Mr. Hilling, 
chemist, stating that he wanted it for cattle. Shortly 
after his return home he was found in an unconscious 
state, and spite of every effort to restore him died, after 
lingering for some hours. The jury returned a verdict 
of death from an overdose of laudanum taken by mis¬ 
adventure. 
On Monday, October 16th, an inquest was held at 
Brighton to inquire into the death of Barbara Chapman, 
a single woman, who was found dead. Evidence was 
given that the deceased, who was addicted to drink, was 
in the habit of taking laudanum for the purpose of ob¬ 
taining sleep. In the room in which she was found 
there was a bottle labelled “Laudanum—Poison,” with 
the name of Mr. Curtis, chemist, on it. Downstairs was 
another, similarly labelled, with the name of Mr. Pain 
on it, and in a workbox another that had been obtained 
from Mr. Rowsell. Deceased had applied for sixpenny- 
worth of laudanum at Mr. Curtis’s, but only one penny¬ 
worth had been supplied to her, and the same quantity 
was supplied to her by Mr. Pain. 
Medical evidence was given to the effect that the de¬ 
ceased had died from an overdose of laudanum. The 
jury returned a verdict accordingly, and expressed an 
opinion that it had been taken incautiously, without an 
intention to commit suicide. 
|}otc$ attir faeries. 
*** In order to facilitate reference , correspondents are 
requested to mark their answers in each case with the title 
and number of the query referred to. 
No notice can be taken of anonymous communications. 
All queries or answers should be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer. 
A CHEMICAL CURIOSITY.—The potassio-chro- 
mic oxalate described in Fowncs( ‘Chemistry,’ p. 778, 
presents the curious anomaly of being pure deep blue in 
crystal, claret-red in strong solution, and dusky green 
when further diluted. 
The crystals appear black by reflected light, and the 
blue is only seen in their thin edges. A solution pre¬ 
pared by dissolving 10 grains of potassium bichromate, 
20 grains of oxalic acid, and 20 grains of potassium 
binoxalate in hot water, and diluted so as to fill a four- 
ounce white flint square, displays the red colour when 
seen in the direction of the longer diameter ot the 
bottle, and the green when viewed through the shorter. 
—J. F. Brown. 
