740 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[March 9, 1872. 
of pure white arsenic. The registers of the sale of 
poison in all the chemists’ shops within ten miles of this 
place have been searched (including the town of Hull), 
and no entry has been discovered of the sale of arsenic 
to any one connected with the family in question. 
“ My object in addressing you is to point out how in¬ 
efficient the present regulations for the sale of arsenic 
are to protect the lives of the public unless there is some 
official supervision to see that th’ey are carried out. If 
the precautions in the Act, 14 and 15 Victoria, cap. 13, 
were strictly observed by all chemists and druggists, no 
person could obtain so small a quantity of pure arsenic 
as -|lb. He would be obliged to have it adulterated 
with soot or indigo, and then there would not be any 
probability of such an alarming accident occurring as 
fifteen persons being brought to the verge of death by 
using arsenic in mistake for ground rice. Had these 
persons died, we should have had many suggestions for 
some police supervision of the sale of poisons. I hope 
some may be forthcoming now, and may attract the 
attention of some one in authority. 
“ I may add, that in my capacity as a magistrate I 
have thoroughly investigated the circumstances with 
the police, and there can be doubt that the poisoning 
was accidental; that is to say, there is not the slightest 
ground for suspecting any guilty purpose.” 
The Suicide by a “Vermin Killer.” 
At an adjourned inquest at Oldham, on the body of 
Elizabeth Barrow, who committed suicide by taking 
some of Steiner’s vermin paste containing phosphorus, 
as reported on p. 718, the coroner intimated that he had 
been in correspondence with the Secretary of the Phar¬ 
maceutical Society in reference to his remarks on this 
case, and it appeared that he had been in error in what 
he said as to phosphorus being included in the poison 
schedule of the Pharmacy Act. He therefore took the 
earliest opportunity of correcting this mistake, into 
which he had been led by the list produced by the 
witness Harrison. 
MEETINGS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. 
Monday . Medical Society, at 8 p.m. 
March 11. London Institution, at 4p.m. —“Elementary 
Music.” By Professor J. Ella. 
Tuesday . Loyal Medical and Chirurgical Society, at 
March 12. 8.30 p.m. 
Loyal Institution, at 3 p.m. —“On the Ner¬ 
vous and Circulating Systems.” By Dr. 
Rutherford. 
Wednesday. ..Society of Arts, at 8 p.m. —“The British 
March 13. Trade with France during the last Ten 
Years.” By Professor Leone Levi. 
London Institution, at 7 p.m. —Conversa¬ 
zione : “ Gleanings in Syria and Palestine.” 
By Captain R. F. Burton. 
Thursday . Loyal Society, at 8.30 p.m. 
March 14. Loyal Institution, at 3 p.m. —“ The Chemistry 
of Alkalies and Alkali Manufacture.” By 
Professor Odling. 
Friday . Loyal Institution, at 9 p.m. —“The Alphabet 
March 15. and its Origin.” By Mr. J. Evans. 
The following journals have been received:—The ‘British 
Medical Journal,’ Mar. 2; the ‘Medical Times and Gazette,’ 
Mar. 2; the ‘Lancet,’ Mar. 2 ; the ‘ Medical Press and j Cir¬ 
cular,’ Mar. 6; Nature,’ Mar. 2 ; the ‘ Chemical News,’ Mar. 
2: ‘English Mechanic,’ Mar. 1; ‘Gardeners’ Chronicle,’ 
Mar. 2; the ‘Grocer,’ Mar. 2; the ‘Journal of the Society 
of Arts,’ Mar. 2; the ‘ Canadian Pharmaceutical Journal ’ 
for February; the ‘ Journal of Applied Science’ for March ; 
the ‘New York Medical Record,’ Feb. 15; Longmans and 
Co.’s ‘ Notes on Books ’ for Feb. 29; the ‘ Florist and Pomo- 
logist ’ for March; the ‘ Doctor ’ for March; the ‘ Journal of 
the London Institution ’ for March; ‘ Food, Water and Air ’ 
for March; ‘Journal de Pliarmacie et de Chimie’ for Fe¬ 
bruary. 
Carosptaxt. 
*** Wo notice can be taken of anonymous communica¬ 
tions. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authenti¬ 
cated by the name and address of the writer ; not necessarily 
for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith. 
Pharmaceutical Examinations. 
Sir,—Allow me to draw the attention of the readers of 
your Journal to the report of the examinations held re¬ 
spectively in England and Wales and Scotland, as ♦published, 
in the issue of February 10th. 
The percentages of rejections are as follows:— 
England and Wales. Scotland. 
Major . . 29 - 8 ... 0 
Minor . . 37‘0 . . . 3617 
Preliminary 350 . . . 16T2 
Modified . 368 . . . 2590 
Or, taking the average of all four in each,— 
346 . . . 19-54 
We are, therefore, either most lamentably inferior to our 
northern friends in point of intellect, or there must be some 
little difference between the stringency of the examinations 
as conducted by the two boards. If I am wrong in assuming 
the latter to be the case, I shall feel much obliged to any 
gentleman who will correct me; but if right, this is surely 
a matter deserving the immediate attention of the Council. 
London, February 29 th. Edward H. Storey. 
[*** The great disparity in the numbers of candidates 
who came before the two boards during the year may be 
considered as a fair reason for not comparing the percentages 
of rejections. Supposing one more candidate had presented 
himself for the Major in Scotland, and that that one had failed, 
the percentage of rejections would have been 25, that is, nearly 
equal to the English failures.— Ed. Pharm. Journ.] 
Dr. Dose (Furreedpore) is thanked for a communication! 
respecting indrajab which he has forwarded, but it is un¬ 
suited for publication in this Journal. 
31. P. S. —Apply to Messrs. Barr and Sugden, Covent 
Garden, stating the purpose for which the seeds are required. 
W. Groodrick. —We are unable to supply you with the in¬ 
formation asked for. Probably you have mistaken the ques¬ 
tion. 
“Mora Somni .” —The preparations you refer to are vir¬ 
tually the same and of the same strength. 
“Inquirer.” —The following formula for iodide of quinine 
is from Beasley’s ‘Pocket Formulary:’—Add, by drops, a 
solution of 24 parts of iodide of potassium in 8 of water to a 
strong solution of 20 parts of bisulphate of quinine. Wash the 
precipitate quickly and dry it in the shade.” 
J. K. —The address you ask for is 43,.University Street,. 
London, W.C. 
“ A Neio Apprentice.” —The information shall be forwarded 
to you through the post, upon forwarding your address to 
17, Bloomsbury Square, London. 
“Apprentice .”— We cannot comply with your request by 
prescribing for the cure of worms, otherwise than by recom¬ 
mending you to consult a medical man. 
Gr. W. Stephens. —The restrictions of the Pharmacy Act 
apply only to the sale of the articles specified in the schedule- 
appended to it; neither of the articles mentioned by you are 
included therein. 
“ A Country Chemist.” —The law requires that the sale of 
“ every compound containing any poison within the meaning 
of the ‘ Pharmacy Act, 1868,’ when prepared or sold for the 
destruction of vermin” shall be subject to the regulations 
applying to the first part of Schedule A. of that Act. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Messrs. M‘Mastcrs, Hodgson and: Co.; Messrs. Domeier and 
Co., Mr. R. C. Tichborne, Mr. W. L. Scott, Mr. R. M. Atkin¬ 
son, Mr. H. Poc-klington. 
