640 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [February 3, 1872. 
Mrs. Grundy cares little for the inconvenience and discom¬ 
fort she causes the pharmacist, but she does consider any 
extra demand upon her purse. 
Another point I would mention is Sunday business. I 
am not one to insist upon a Puritanical observance of the 
Sabbath, but I do hold that the sanctity of the day should be 
respected, and that we ought not to supply on that, day any 
article that may not ready be required for medicinal pur¬ 
poses. I regret that in many of the largest and most respect¬ 
able establishments the assistants are required to supply any 
article that may be asked for. The practice (and this is in¬ 
creasing) of keeping the shop door open on Sunday is a most 
objectionable one; it invites Sunday trading, and cannot be 
too loudly condemned. Looking at the question from the l 
lowest stand-point, we ought to be above this practice, which j 
places those who countenance ir. upon a level with the keeper 
of the spirit vaults or low beerhouse. Would it not be quite 
sufficient, and more in keeping with our dignity, to keep our 
doors closed, and have a notice such as the following (which 
I observed in one London establishment) affixed thereto ?— 
“ Such medicines only as may be urgently required can be 
obtained on Sunday at this shop. Please ring the bell.” 
Let us keep our conscience clear, and meet with a firm but 
courteous refusal the demands which may be made upon us 
for unnecessary articles on the Sabbath. 
“ Pharmaceutist.” 
Sir,—One word in reference to the early closing movement. 
Many thanks, I am sure, are due to Mr. Giles, for his able 
paper, and to all who have taken the matter in hand. But 
my idea is, “that there is too much bark and too little bite.” 
We formed a committee here, but I believe the resolution? in 
the majority of cases have been broken. One will not close 
because his neighbour won’t, and so we go on. It has been 
the talk for some time, but I think we let talking do for us. 
I propose as a remedy (for my opinion is, it will never be¬ 
come universal without) that we work all together, and try to 
get the Factories Act extended to retail trades, and then 
there can be no shirking; all will be compelled to close their 
shops at a certain time. 
Leeds. 
Observations in Practical Pharmacy. 
Sir.—In justice to Dr. Symes, I beg to acknowledge that 
what he states respecting the guaiacum mixture in his paper, 
printed in the Journal for December 30th, 1871, is in the 
main correct if the simple tincture be taken for making it, 
the only noteworthy point of difference I have observed 
being that the resinous matter does not adhere to the glass. 
I must confess that I wrongly supposed the ammoniated 
tincture was intended, there being no other officinal formula. 
I wish it to be understood that the remarks on this subject 
in my letter of the 13th ult. are correct only so far as when 
applied to the mixture made with the ammoniated tincture. 
The Dispensary, Grantham, G. Welborn. 
January 30 th, 1872. 
Benzoate oe Lime, etc. 
Sir,—I really cannot plead guilty to the soft impeachment 
that places me in the wrong groove. 
Having repeatedly prepared benzoic acid, both by subli¬ 
mation and by the moist process, I am not unaware of the 
affinity possessed by benzoic acid for lime; but I need not 
remind you, Sir, of the wide difference that exists between 
pure hydrate of lime, and the salts of that alkali so usually 
present in hard water. 
I have received several communications from friends upon 
the subject of this correspondence. One says he has lately 
“ had a large batch of syrup of tolu spoiled in consequence of 
hard instead of distilled water having been used ; the syrup 
was densely opaque, and had to be filtered through felt, when 
it was found to be very deficient in flavour, owing to its de¬ 
privation of benzoic acid, which remained on the filter as an 
insoluble precipitate. On examination the water was found 
contaminated with sulphates of lime and magnesia, with 
iron.” 
Surely this fact justifies my quotation of the note from 
“ L’Officine!” 
N.B. The note was not inserted with a view to diversion 
from the original question at issue, nor as a mere technical 
objection. And here allow me to quote an old saw: — 
“ An ounce of experience is worth a ton of theory.” 
I happen to be inheritor in the fourth generation of that 
long-lived complaint, asthma, and have had, during the last 
few weeks, to contend with an unusually severe attack of the 
complaint. 
The usual remedies having failed to appease the symptoms, 
I was induced to try the comp. tr. benzoin, and first adopted 
Mr. Haselden’s suggestion, taking it upon sugar, in order to 
obviate the irritating effect of the tincture upon the fauces, 
but found the benzoic acid, resin, etc. quite too much, causing- 
me to gasp for breath. 
I have tried decoction of linseed, and also mucilage of tra- 
gacanth, but found no vehicle to compare with new milk,, 
with which the tincture blends admirably. 
The effect of the remedy has been to cut short the attack, 
relieving the violent paroxysm of coughing, and the scarcely 
less unpleasant symptom, crepitation; thus securing comfort 
by day, and nights of undisturbed repose. 
The jolly friar, to whatever order he belonged—whether 
black, white, or grey—who invented the compound, deserves 
to be held in honourable remembrance; and I believe the- 
old remedy might be more generally adopted with the best, 
results. 
R. Goodwin Mumbray. 
Richmond, S.W., January 30 th, 1872. 
[*** This discussion is digressing so far from the original 
subject that we are unable to follow it further.—E d. Pharm. 
Journ.] 
The Position oe Widows under the Pharmacy 
Act. 
Sir.—“Nemo mortalium omnibus lioris sapit ” is as true 
now as ever. I was in error as to one portion of my remarks 
at the close of Mr. Siebold’s lecture, reported in your Jour¬ 
nal, and referring to the above. A widow may continue her 
husband’s business under proper management. I ought to- 
have known better, as I carefully studied the Act on its be¬ 
coming law. The clause, however, referring to that subject 
had escaped my recollection, and a wrong impression had 
been produced on my mind by a conversation which lately 
occurred in my hearing. I honestly confess I was wrong on 
that one.point, and express my regret. 
J. T. Slugg. 
242, Stretford Road, Manchester. 
A. P. S. —We are unable to give a form for chlor-alum^ 
the name would imply that it is a solution of hydro-chlorate 
of alumina. 
“ Vanilla.” —Formulas for vanilla-flavouring will be found 
in Yol. I. of the present series, pp. 878, 1001. 
J. Bienvenu. —We find no reference to indigo carmine 
in Trousseau’s ‘ Clinical Medicine,’ the last work published 
by the Sydenham Society. 
S. R. —About half a drachm of some resin, such as benzoin 
or common resin and powdered sugar, will make the pills 
tolerably small. Should the resin be objected to, liquorice 
powder and simple syrup will form a mass without much 
difficulty, but will make the pills larger. See also Professor 
Parrish’s remarks on p. 634. 
A. G. P.—Bisulphite of magnesia is prepared by super¬ 
saturating magnesia with sulphurous acid. 
“ Spectrum,” —A more powerful source of light and heafc 
than in the’ ordinary lantern is required ; the position of the 
lenses is different, and one or two good prisms are necessary. 
T. Jones. —We are not aware, but recommend you to apply 
at the Colonial Office. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Professor Fliickiger, Mr. C. Davis, Mr. J. Bienvenu, Mr. C- 
Francis, Mr. S. T. Severs, Mr. T. Jones, Mr. M. C. Cooke, 
Mr. J. W. Gill, P. Y., A. P. S., “Associate,” “ Spero,” - 
“ Pharmaceutist.” 
“An Apprentice” has not complied with the regulation as 
to anonymous communications. 
