760 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[March 16,1872. 
tion "but a very respectable man came to ask for some 
for his horse, which was taken ill on the road. 
The Bench asked him if he would plead guilty to hav¬ 
ing committed the offence, or have the witnesses called, 
and the defendant then pleaded guilty. He was fined 
20s. and costs in the first case, and Gel., without costs, in 
the second case. 
The Suicide ey a “Vermin Killer.” 
An adjourned inquest was held at Oldham on Thurs¬ 
day to inquire respecting the death of Elizabeth Barrow, 
referred to previously on pp. 718 and 740. 
Dr. A. T. Thomson, who had made a post-mortem exa¬ 
mination of the body, described the appearance it pre¬ 
sented, which he said was such as would result from 
poisoning by phosphorus. It was a peculiarity that in 
poisoning by phosphorus the symptoms did not manifest 
themselves until after a considerable period; in this case 
thirty hours elapsed. In answer to a question which he 
had put to the deceased as to why she had taken the 
vermin killer, she said merely to make herself ill to 
obtain sympathy. 
The coroner briefly commented upon the evidence, and 
observed that it was quite apparent death was the result 
of taking vermin-destroying paste containing phos¬ 
phorus, an article which he strongly urged ought to be 
added to the list of poisons scheduled in the Pharmacy 
Act. The chief point for the jury to consider would be 
the state of mind the deceased was in when she took the 
poison; there was nothing in the evidence to show she 
was in an unsound state of mind, and the medical evi¬ 
dence tended to show the act was wilful, but not intended 
to cause death. Taking that view of the case, it was a 
strong argument why phosphorus ought to be classified 
as a .poison, as the deceased, if she only intended to 
create sympathy by making herself temporarily ill, could 
not be aware of the subtlety of the poison she had 
taken. A juror observed that a poison of such a dan¬ 
gerous character, to which there was no antidote, and 
which might be in the system for so many days without 
being found out, ought certainly to be only sold under 
restricted regulations. 
The jury returned a verdict to the effect “that death 
was the result of poisoning with phosphorus, taken by 
the deceased with the intent of creating sympathy, but 
not for the purpose of poisoning herself.” 
A resolution was afterwards unanimously passed by 
the jury, which the coroner was requested to forward 
to the Secretary of the Pharmaceutical Society, recom¬ 
mending that vermin killers containing phosphorus 
should be included in the list of poisons, the sale of 
which is regulated by the Pharmacy Act. 
BOOKS RECEIVED. 
Dr. Pereira’s Elements of Materia Medica and 
Therapeutics ; abridged and adapted for the use of 
Medical and Pharmaceutical Practitioners and Stu¬ 
dents, and comprising all the Medicines of the British 
Pharmacopoeia, with such others as are frequently 
ordered in Prescriptions or required by the Physicians. 
Edited by Robert Bentley, M.R.C.S., E.L.S., and 
Theophilus Redwood, Ph.D., F.C.S. London: 
Longmans, Green and Co. 1872. 
yf ■ 
The London Medical Guide, containing a Complete 
Directory of the Names, Addresses, Qualifications, Ap¬ 
pointments, etc., of all Qualified Medical Practitioners 
residing in London and the Suburbs, together with 
other Information. London: Kelly and Co. 1872. 
Camspitatt. 
No 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 . 
Preliminary Examinations. 
Sir,—In the Journal for last week, I find the following re¬ 
solution was carried by the Board of Examiners of the Phar¬ 
maceutical Society:— 
“ That the Preliminary examinations be held in Londons 
and the Country at the same hour, simultaneously, and that 
twelve o’clock (noon) be the time fixed.” 
Eor my own part, I am perfectly willing to fall in with 
any arrangement which may be considered necessary for- 
uniformity, but I do think the convenience of an unpaid 
body of gentlemen, giving their time and attention for the- 
benefit of the Society, is entitled to consideration. The hour 
of twelve, noon, appears to me a most inconvenient time for 
the majority, and I confess I cannot see that any irregularity 
can arise from the local secretaries arranging the time most 
convenient to themselves, provided the examination takes- 
place on the same day, and the papers are forwarded by the- 
first post after the examination. 
49, Grand Parade, Brighton, James W. Gwatkin, 
March 11th, 1872. Bocal Sec. for Brighton. 
Poisoning by Salts of Sorrel. 
Sir,—Yesterday morning a sad accident took place at Plain- 
palais. Mr. Gros, foreman to Mr. Busset, builder, being in 
the Chemin des Sources, wishing to take a purgative, had 
bought the night before a dose of Epsom salts (or as it is 
called here, English salts) at the shop of Mr. X, grocer, in 
the Route de Carouge. By an inconceivable error, salts of 
sorrel was sold to him instead of Epsom salts. Mr. Gros 
took the supposed purgative at 6 o’clock in the morning, and 
at half-past 7 he was dead. 
R. T. Harland. 
2, Place des Bergues, Geneva, 10 th March. 
“ Manipulator .”—The formula for the preparation of syr. 
ferri phosph. co. (Parrish’s Chemical Food) will be found at 
p. 857 of the first volume of the present series of the Phar¬ 
maceutical Journal. 
G. C. M .—According to the nature of the crystals required,, 
they might be best obtained from chemical manufacturers or 
dealers in chemicals. 
F. C. S .—Candidates for admission into the Chemical 
Society are proposed according to a form of recommendation, 
which may be obtained from the Secretaries. The recom¬ 
mendation must be signed by five Fellows, to three at least 
of whom the candidate must be personally known; and this- 
certificate is read and suspended in the Society’s rooms for 
three ordinary meetings before proceeding to the election 
ballot. 
“ A Begistered Student of the Society ” and M. P. S. have- 
not complied with the regulations respecting anonymous- 
communications. 
B. T. PLarland .—The communication which you refer to as- 
having been forwarded on the “ 25th ult.,” has not yet arrived. 
AT. Y —We would advise you to try the effect of strongly 
agitating the chloroform with the greater part of the water 
to be added to the mixture. 
The following journals have been received:—The ‘British* 
Medical Journal,’ Mar. 9; the ‘Medical Times and Gazette, r 
Mar. 9; the ‘ Lancet,’ Mar. 9; the ‘ Medical Press and Cir¬ 
cular,’ Mar. 13; ‘Nature,’ Mar. 9; the ‘ Chemical News,’ Mar.. 
9; ‘ English Mechanic,’ Mar. 8 ; ‘ Gardeners’ Chronicle/' 
Mar. 9; the ‘Grocer,’ Mar. 9; the ‘Journal of the Society 
of Arts,’ Mar. 9; the ‘Madras Monthly Journal of Medical 
Science’ for February; the ‘Leavenworth Medical Herald 
and Journal of Pharmacy’ for February; the ‘ Practitioner’ 
for March; the ‘Doctor’ for March; the ‘Journal of the 
London Institution ’ for March. 
Lecture on Water, delivered before the American In¬ 
stitute of the City of New York. By C. F. Chandler, 
Ph.D. Albany: 1871. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Professor Fliickiger, Mr. M. C. Cooke, Mr. Bancroft, Mr. 
W. R. Fox, Mr. E. A. Webb, W. W., « Chemicus.” 
