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THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[April 6, 1872. 
system in the iron and other trades, we made another attempt. 
The result this time was very different: the gentleman who 
previously thought that 9.30 p.m. was early enough to close, 
seeing that he was contending not only against the spirit of 
the age, but, also (what to him was of far greater consequence), 
his own constitution, not only signed our petition, but—all 
thanks to him—brought such inlluence and zeal to bear as 
to make our effort a perfect success. He has lately com¬ 
municated to me the fact that the three months immediately 
following the concession have, in a pecuniary point of view, 
been the most successful he has had since his commencement 
in business. 
Surely this one fact is worth more than all the unsupported 
assertions to the contrary by the opponents of early closing. 
George Samuel Highmoor. 
Hunslet, March 30th, 1872. 
Pharmacy in the Laboratory. 
Sir,— Allow me to string together a few thoughts on this 
subject, which occurred to me on reading Mr. Ellwood’s letter 
in our Journal of 23rd ult. The first thing which struck me 
was the very limited capabilities which that gentleman seems 
to credit us with when he in effect asks how many pharma¬ 
cists there are who have the necessary skill and experience to 
manufacture their own sp. ether, nit., sp. ammon. arom., etc. 
Surely, Mr. Ellwood does not point out these'^preparations as 
presenting peculiar difficulties, and requiring such consummate 
skill in their production, as only wholesale druggists and 
those having expensively fitted laboratories can successfully 
combat with; for allow me to inform him that, when I com¬ 
menced business and had no laboratory at all, but merely a 
back counter, combined with enthusiasm and a gas furnace, 
these are two preparations which I always made, if not with 
positive profit commercially, certainly with much gratification 
to myself, and, in the case of the first mentioned especially, 
of a much superior quality to that usually sent out by the 
wholesale druggist, for it seems to me that this is one of the 
most unsatisfactory preparations as regards strength and 
uniformity that the pharmacist can buy. Let me ask Mr. 
Ellwood how often he has met with the bought product an¬ 
swering the tests of the pharmacopoeia, or that will show any 
separation of ether at all when treated with CaCl 2 , as there 
directed ? With regard to the remaining preparations he men¬ 
tions, viz. lin. aconit. bellacl., liquid extracts, confections, ex¬ 
pressed juices, etc., let me assure him they can all be prepared 
with positive profit, as well as of superior quality to those 
purchased. This is particularly the case with conf. sennse, 
ext. coloc. co., ext. cinchon. flav. liquid., ext. ergotae liquid., 
resin, podophyl., and a number of others; and I maintain that 
every pharmacist with a fair dispensing business, employing 
one or two assistants, and perhaps an apprentice, is able, or 
should be, to prepare all the galenical preparations of the 
pharmacopoeia; and I can assure them, from a personal expe¬ 
rience of six years, it would be much to their advantage to do 
so, for who is likely to bestow most care and attention on 
their preparations,—the man who is anxious to make himself a 
reputation with the physician and his customers, or the man 
who merely strives to produce at the lowest possible cost and 
sell cheaper than his neighbour ? 
The fitting up of a laboratory need not be a very expensive 
affair, nor need it take up a very large space; in my case a 
back kitchen does duty, fitted with one of Coffey’s “ still and 
condensing apparatus,” with which, although by no means 
the best adapted for the purpose, I find little difficulty in pre¬ 
paring all the galenical preparations of the pharmacopoeia. 
Add to this an iron mortar and pestle of good size, press, mill, 
and a large stone mortar with wooden pestle for bruising fresh 
herbs, roots, etc., and little else will be required to successfully 
carry on the manufacture of preparations for home consump¬ 
tion ; and to my mind it is scarcely possible to conceive any 
more delightful recreation from the drudgery of shop, than 
superintending and carrying on the manipulations required 
for the production of the various preparations used in medi¬ 
cine. 
I was exceedingly pleased to read the expressions of our 
worthy brother Mr. Groves upon this subject, and most 
heartily endorse the majority of them, but regret that I feel 
bound to differ from him in thinking “ the distilling of aro- 
malic waters mere waste of time and trouble.” With the 
majority of them, the superiority of the distilled over the un¬ 
distilled admits of |no doubt; especially is this the case with 
aq. cinnam., anisi, and foeniculi, and the patient who at one 
time has his medicine prepared with the distilled product, and 
at another with the undistilled, will not fail to notice a very 
decided difference. With regard to chemicals, the case stands- 
differently. There is no need for the pharmacist tfo prepare 
these, as they are all easily tested as to purity and correctness, 
and should be before being taken into stock. 
I will conclude by earnestly recommending all pharmacists 
to make, as far as possible, their own preparations, and they 
will soon find out, like myself, that “ it pays.” 
Alfred E. Tanner. 
128, Prescot Head, Fairjleld, Liverpool. 
Sir,—I feel myself quite unable to agree with Mr. Ellwood’s 
letter in your issue of the 23rd ult. The hours during which a 
chemist is engaged in business are so long that with a little 
judicious management, it would be odd indeed if he could not 
find time for some practical work, my own experience tells 
me that such might always be the case. Moreover, practical 
laboratory work would be to a man having adequate know¬ 
ledge a very pleasant relief to the dreary monotony of the 
shop. What too, would I ask, is the use of the laboratory at 
the Bloomsbury institution if the students never follow up 
in after life the knowledge they there acquire ? Every one 
knows how soon facts are forgotten, unless there is something 
to keep them impressed on the mind, hence I fear that if our 
journeymen leave the School of Pharmacy, go into business, 
and follow Mr. Ellwood’s advice, they would soon find that the 
time and money they had expended in qualifying for the 
examinations would be utterly wasted. 
. Mr. Ellwood assumes that with a large business, practical 
working may be carried out with commercial advantage, but 
my experience in this direction, extending over some thirteen 
years, has indicated to me that most of the pharmacopoeia, 
preparations can be made, and not only made, but often at a 
less price, never higher, than that for which they are to bo 
obtained from the wholesale house. 
There is moreover this advantage, that the supply can ho 
accurately adjusted to the demand, just so much can bo 
made as experience has pointed out will be consumed 
before deterioration of the product takes place. Nor is the 
use of expensive appai’atus at all either necessary or desirable. 
I always make (to take those preparations singled out by 
Mr. Edwood) my own sp. aeth. nit., ap. am. ar., linim. 
belladon., succus. tarax., ext. cinchon. liq., etc., and I 
have no hesitation in saying that, though the means- 
adopted are the simplest, yet the preparations themselves 
are in every respect equal to those made elsewhere. 
Nor is this all that is to be said in favour of the argument,, 
for, uniformity in product is more likely to be secured by this 
means than by any other, and (without wishing for one 
moment to disparage the preparations made by the wholesale- 
houses) the chemist is assured beyond the shadow of a doubt 
that his preparations are what they are intended to be. 
N either should the fact be lost sight of that all the different- 
pharmaceutical operations of distillation, percolation, filtra¬ 
tion, expression, etc., together with an acquaintance with many 
drugs and chemicals which would hardly ever come under 
notice in the ordinary way of dispensing and retail, are kept 
before the mind, and conduce equally to the benefit of 
master, assistants, and apprentices. 
I therefore for my part hope that chemists, especially the 
rising generation, will not be led away by erroneous argu¬ 
ments, but at least give the matter a fair practical trial, and. 
so discover whether “making” or “ buying ” best suits their 
individual case. 
J. H. Baldock. 
South Norwood. April 2nd, 1872. 
J. Pinch. —In answer to your communication, stating that 
the monthly part of the Journal had not reached you on the 
4th, we beg to say, for the information of yourself and others, 
that, in consequence of the intervention of the Easter holi¬ 
days, some little delay occurred in the binding. 
“ Pharmaceutical Chemist .”—The formula forwarded by 
you can hardly be looked upon as a “ prescription ” in the 
ordinary sense of the term. See an answer to a similar 
question, ante, p. 660. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Mr. J. E. Bradshaw, Mr. R. W. Giles, Mr. Rimmington, Mr. 
Hustwick, Mr. Baildon, Mr. Brown, Mr. J. Babtie, Mr. 
Bennett, Mr. Pocklington, Mr. J. Finch, Mr. Staples, X.,, 
“ Edward,” l< Henbane Dwining.” 
