700 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [February 24, 187?. 
much regretting that Mr. Agnew’s feelings have been out- I 
raged, I must affirm it to have been due more to abnormal j 
sensitiveness (probably the result of extreme Continental de- | 
ference) than to any rough usage by me. If there was any j 
“principle ” involved in his letter, I confess I overlooked it in ! 
the overwhelming presence of the “ person.” 
Like Mr. Agnew, my. “sincere aim and hope” is the 
advancement of pharmacy, and the recognition of those who 
practise it as educated gentlemen; but I look for the fulfil¬ 
ment of my hopes by very different means. Mr. Agnew’s 
knowledge of English pharmacists must indeed be limited if 
he considers “professional studies” incompatible with “trade | 
marks, drudgery and shop.” Until the establishment by him 
and his confreres of their proposed Arcadia, I fear these must 
continue to be necessities, about which we must “hear” a 
good deal. 
Mr. Agnew’s letters so irresistibly call up to my mind the j 
famous reproof of the Ettrick Shepherd as an appropriate 
reply that, despite the risk of being again styled abusive, I 
cannot forbear to quote it:—“Why dinna ye lairn to speak 
largh an’ low, trusten mair to sense an’ less to soun’ ? Ye’cl 
find yer benefit in it.” 
Feb. 19th, 1872. A Manchester Pharmacist. 
Early Closing. 
Sir,—For some years I have had a standing advertisement 
in a local paper as follows:— 
“ Mr. 1\ May hew, pharmaceutical chemist, respectfully 
announces that his pharmacy is open from 8 a.m. to 7 P.M. 
during the six winter months. After 7, attendance is given 
only in cases of necessity.” 
At first there was some difficulty, but it gradually dimi¬ 
nished, and the after-time applications are now almost none. 
I would suggest to others this solution of the early-closing 
difficulty, feeling sure the public are not persistently un¬ 
reasonable, and that a little independence tends to enhance 
the value of services not too highly appreciated. 
The time during the six summer months is from 8 to 8. 
Glastonbury, 19 tli Feb. 1872. T. Mayhew. 
The Law relating to Juries. 
Sir,—As the Attorney-General is about to lay before Par¬ 
liament a Bill to amend the law relating to juries, cannot 
some steps be taken to secure the exemption of all chemists 
and druggists from serving? At present, the law exempts 
pharmaceutical chemists only; but as the duties and respon¬ 
sibilities of a chemist and druggist are the same as those of a 
pharmaceutical chemist, the question naturally arises, and 
has been frequently asked, why should not the exemption be 
extended to all on the Register ? 
Stratforcl-on-Avon, Feb. 19th, 1872. W. F. S. 
Poison Regulations at Bolton. 
We are requested by the Honorary Secretary of the Bolton 
Chemists and Druggists’ Association to publish the follow¬ 
ing;— 
The Bolton Association of Chemists and Druggists have 
succeeded in obtaining the repeal of a most stringent and in¬ 
definite clause in the local Improvement Act of 1854, which 
was as follows:— 
“ And be it enacted, That if any chemist, druggist or other i 
person in Bolton sell any arsenic or prussic acid or any other j 
virulent poison to any person, except in the presence of a 
witness, and do not at the time of such sale correctly enter in 
a book the names and addresses of such person and witness, 
and the nature and quantity of the poison purchased, and the 
alleged purpose for which it is intended to be used, every 
person so offending shall for every such offence be liable to a 
penalty not exceeding £5, and the burden of proving that 
this provision has been complied with shall rest on the person 
charged with such offence.” • 
The association arranged a deputation to the Parliamen¬ 
tary Committee of the Corporation, and forcibly explained 
the position of the chemists in Bolton as singular in being 
subject to such a clause, urging its repeal on the ground that 
the Pharmacy Act of 1868 sufficiently protects the public 
against accident and incompetency, maintaining that the ! 
members in that town ought only to be placed under the 
same restrictions and regulations in reference to the sale of 
poisons as the trade in general. It is satisfactory to find 
that their efforts have been successful, the Town Clerk having- 
been instructed to procure the repeal of the clause in ques¬ 
tion, through the Borough Improvement Act now before- 
Parliament. 
Difficulties in Dispensing. 
Sir.—Your correspondent, “Dispenser,” should have had 
no difficulty in preparing the prescription mentioned in his 
letter 1 , neither is there any necessity for altering or amending 
the formula, as will be found if he follows the enclosed direc¬ 
tions. 
For 20 pills. 
Opii Pur. gr. 2J. (By this I understand pure opium,, 
and not purified opium, i. e. ext. opii.) 
Plumbi Acet. gr. 5. 
Ext. Ergot. Liquid, gutt. (not minims) 60. 
Pulv. Ergotoe, gr. 40. 
Mix well together in the usual manner, then add from 8 to- 
10 grs. P. Tragac. Co. and a very small quantity of stiff Traga- 
canth paste. 
I find this to be eminently satisfactory, producing a pill 
very easy to roll out, and preserving its shape as long as it is 
likely to be kept. 
As regards the second formula, there is nothing unusual 
about those pills, except their very small size, which will be- 
no difficulty to an experienced dispenser. H. 
“Inquirer.” —(1.) No. (2.) It is not possible to make- 
the draught bright with the ingredients named. 
A. F. S. (Birmingham) is thanked for his communication.. 
It is not desirable to publish it. 
A. F. S. (Greenock).—We do not know of any standard 
size for the pills mentioned. 
W. L. —The preparation for which a formula is asked is 
somewhat extra-pharmaceutical. See some information on 
the subject in Vol. I. of the present series, p. 1043. 
“Fair Flay.” —Your prescription should make a clear 
mixture unless the tinct. ferri perch lor. hold some basic 
oxychloride in solution. If so, on the addition of the quiniai- 
sulph. a portion of oxide would be thrown down. This 
would account for the mouldy appearance you mention. 
Birchclijfe. —We do not know of such a process. 
31. F. S. and A. Wright. —No one but a registered chemist 
and druggist can legally sell a preparation known to contain 
a poison mentioned in the schedule. 
“ Qucesivi.” —It will be impossible to make this mixture- 
assume a sightly appearance; the alkaloid quinia is sure to 
get caked into a resinous mass when pi-ecipitated by the aro¬ 
matic spirit of ammonia. We recommend you to rub the 
citrate of quinia together, dilute freely with water, then add 
the iodide of potassium, and lastly the aromatic spirit of 
ammonia. 
J. C. H .—The article mentioned is a proprietary prepara¬ 
tion, and consequently we are unable to supply the formula. 
A. F. S. (Greenock). — It would be correct to measure in 
the first case twenty, and in the second forty-eight minims. 
“ Chas.” —Tinct. cinchonae and tinct. cinchonae co. should 
be as recently prepared as possible, and filtered as the Phar¬ 
macopoeia directs. Dec. cinchonae flav. and inf. cinchonae 
flav., which are merely ordered to be strained, should be 
shaken before using them. 
“ 3Ienelaus.” —Judging from what is paid to indoor- 
assistants, we should think from £80 to £100. 
J. Tully. —The preparation has been the subject of several 
papers published in this Journal, and we think that similar 
suggestions have already been made. See the eleventh 
volume of the second series, pp. 122, 333, 335, 420. 
JD. F .—We are unable to perceive in what way the use of 
the label forwarded could be affected by the law of patents. 
As to the copyright of the name used, we should recommend 
you to take legal advice. 
G. G. G .—The ‘ Wine Merchant’s Companion and But¬ 
ler’s Manual,’ London, 1825. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Mr. J. Tully, Mr. W. B. Orton, Mr. G. Druce, E. R. C.,. 
D. E., W. T., X. Y., “ Ignoramus,” “ Inquirer,” “ Hora. 
Somni.” 
