500 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[January 6, 1872. 
mondsey ? There, however, it is, as may he learnt from the 
maps, a somewhat imposing thoroughfare leading from no¬ 
where to nowhere. Nevertheless a considerable amount of 
traffic passes along it from end to end. The shops are small 
and of the poorer class. Time was when the Grange Road, 
Bermondsey, was better in most respects than it is now. 
There could be no earthly reason why a chemist should not 
gain there a comfortable livelihood, and accordingly a che¬ 
mist there was, and has been, until a week or two since, when 
the contents of that deadly one-ounce stoppered bottle so well 
known to the trade did its work, as it always will do, surely 
and but too well. The bottles and their contents remain, it 
is true, but the familiar presence of the owner is no longer a 
plain and simple fact. 
Poor Elkington’s shop is well situated for trade, and he 
was himself a good tradesman. One of the old school, his 
motto was “business,” and, compelled almost by surrounding 
circumstances, he went in for those dreadful trade precepts 
(oh, what a shudder their remembrance creates!) which, in 
these enlightened pharmaceutical days, seem to belong to a 
past age. As a friend and acquaintance he is remembered 
with great regret by those who knew him best. TLis bearing 
was that of a gentleman, whilst his kindly and cheerful dis¬ 
position rendered him a genial companion to all those who 
were one with him in sentiment and thought. So much the 
more is the psychological fact now to be recorded a simple 
mystery. All was apparently well at eleven o’clock on the 
Sunday night. Nothing unusual was, or could be, observed 
in his manner or conversation, and yet by some unaccount¬ 
able perversity or paradox of human nature, he shortly after¬ 
wards went deliberately to his poison cupboard, took there¬ 
from the bottle already referred to (acid, hydrocyan, dil.), as¬ 
cended to his room, drank from it, and got quietly into bed. 
Here was he found by the housekeeper the next morning 
lifeless and cold. It was impossible to be mistaken. The fact 
was only too clear—he had been dead for some hours. So 
passed away poor Elkington from all earthly care into the 
quiet grave ! Whate’er may betide now, certain it is he will 
never again be seen behind that neatly-kept and well-to-do 
counter in the Grange Road, Bermondsey. 
Can w r e point a moral or adorn a story like this ? At the 
inquest the jury returned a verdict of “ temporary insanity.” 
"Why, then, was this man, for the time being, insane so to put 
it. P There was no pecuniary embarrassment, no grievance or 
difficulty that would occupy a serious, not to say suicidal, 
thought in the minds of the majority of men. No scrap or 
document of any kind Avas left to tell the secret of the act. 
Down, deep down in the heart did the same lie unsuspected 
and unknown. There are men who will laugh at disappoint¬ 
ments and glory in overcoming difficulties as they crop up 
before them; but this is not given to all. A temperament 
and condition of mind keenly and nervously organized is not 
the combination best suited to battle through life with its 
interdependent conditions of failure and success. Disap¬ 
pointments are heightened, losses are accounted ruin, pain 
cannot be borne, and despair is ever at hand to whisper, if 
need be, the last resource of a desperate will. 
“ Trifles light as air 
Are to the jealous confirmation strong 
As proofs of holy writ.” 
Thus are the heightened faculties of the mind ever ready to 
strengthen doubt and confirm suspicion—to cast aside hope 
and to lose all faith in the realities of a possible future. This, 
however, it must be said, is by no means incompatible with a 
cheerful demeanour whilst the path of life is strewn with 
flowers, and the cord runs smoothlv over the wheel of time. 
We are so accustomed to the term “ temporary insanity,” 
that it does not at all alarm us. It is simply a generous in¬ 
terpretation of something w r rong in the machinery of human 
life, mayhap of passing significance, yet all-sufficient for its fell 
purpose. Can we learn anything from it, this “ temporary 
insanity,” which we may apply with advantage to ourselves ? 
Were we all philosophers, we might learn much; but the diffi¬ 
culty of contending against natural susceptibilities and trans¬ 
mitted or inherent weaknesses is terribly great. Nevertheless, 
could we but feel how much real truth there is in our common¬ 
place humanity, we might well pause and consider. An able 
writer has given us an idea which, if not an abstract doctrine, 
is at least an intelligible precept. “ Taking things easy is 
defensible in theory, and healthy and satisfactory in practice.” 
That this mood falls short of the highest is not to be denied, 
and to “ take things easy” with error and sin is shameful 
treachery to God. But life is not long enough to be for ever 
playing at “much ado about nothing.” If “taking things 
easy” denies to us a place in the foremost ranks of the world, 
it “ at least saves us from losing our wits at bugbears and 
scarecrows.” 
All honour to those gifted men who are the pioneers of our 
faith in that which is and shall be! But “judge how we will 
of the fact, the deepest thinkers on life have ended with being 
more impressed with the insignificance than the importance 
of its achievements, interests, and endeavours.” Self-know¬ 
ledge is the essence of all knowledge. We may not be easy¬ 
going people, but the opportunity is at least afforded us of 
learning wisdom from experience. If we cannot altogether 
1 control the insidious workings of original temperaments, we 
! can, as far as may be, avoid the shoals which impinge upon 
them. The vast majority of mankind must follow the lead 
of those colossal minds which rule the world, and, leaving 
our destiny in their hands, to what comparative insignificance 
do we not reduce all that, remains! If the “ stings and ar¬ 
rows of outrageous fortune” cannot be borne, better, if such 
be possible, avoid them than seek a remedy in the deadly 
phial. Happily, in our interpretation of the mental pheno¬ 
mena leading to suicide, we are not unmindful of the apho¬ 
rism :— 
“To err is human, to forgive divine.” 
And when, unfortunately, a brother pharmaceutist, either in 
the east or the west, is brought to this, it is impossible to 
withhold a regretful sympathy that there should have existed 
a hidden cause for so sad. and painful a story. The case of 
poor Elkington is still a mystery, and likely to remain so. 
Had he been able to overmaster the sudden grief which as¬ 
sailed him, he would doubtless have discovered "its true mean¬ 
ing and learnt something of the uses of adversity. As it is, 
it remains only to strike his name from tire register, and to 
record the fact of his death as an unfortunate episode to bo 
recalled only with the very deepest regret. This alone can 
we do. “ The rest is silence.” 
January 1st, 1872. W. Willmott. 
Eakly Closing. 
Sir,—It gave me great pleasure to read Mr. Stables’ letter 
on this subject. I would suggest, as a commencement, that 
after a certain time, say the usual hour that other trades sus¬ 
pend business, all customers should be charged 25 to 50 per 
cent, on all articles they may require (perhaps excepting 
physicians’ prescriptions), which is only what a mechanic 
would do if you wished him to work overtime. 
I have no cause for complaint myself, as my hours are 
short compared with many, 7.30 A.M. to 8 p.m., with occa¬ 
sional customers afterwards, principally for Id. pills, castor 
oil, linseed meal, seidlitz powders, and occasionally a prescrip¬ 
tion ; most, if not all, might have been obtained before closing, 
and no doubt would be if an extra price were charged. 
The chemists in this town also close on Wednesday at 5 
p.m. all the year round. Of course some one must remain in 
charge, but still it gives great facility, especially during the 
summer months, for a pleasant stroll, and in the winter 
months for study and friendly society. 
I think I may truthfully say there is not a tradesman who 
would go back to the old hours again. The best way to prove 
how it works is to write and ask the chemists how they have 
found it work. 
What has been done in this town may, and I hope will, be 
done in other provincial towns at no very distant date. We 
may then see our friends in London and other large towns 
follow our example. We ought to be able to make a com¬ 
fortable competence without making slaves of ourselves, if we 
work with a will at the proper time. 
In conclusion, I hope, with Mr. Stables and many others, 
that some of our leading men will take the matter into con¬ 
sideration. • Thomas Buck. 
Chelmsford, January 1st, 1872. 
Bisulphite of Magnesia. —We have received a letter from 
“A Graduate of Cambridge” in reference to this subject, 
but since it treats almost entirely of a medicine the nature 
of which is not indicated by the name, we are unable to 
insert it. 
J. S. M .— The fragments of the plant sent are insufficient 
for identification. A more complete specimen, together with 
the history of the plant, would be required for the purpose. 
John Bradshaw (Congleton).—The thick consistence is 
preferred by many medical men. Probably your difficulty 
might be overcome by making the preparation brought for it. 
