April 20, 1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
855 
cough, and her father, a shoemaker, of 14, Leslie Street, 
Mile End Road, procured her a mixture from the porter 
at the London Hospital. He gave her three doses be¬ 
tween Thursday night and Saturday afternoon, and at 
7 o’clock in the evening she died. Mr. Robert Edward 
■Swyer, M.D., on making a post-mortem examination, 
found that death had been caused by narcotic poisoning. 
Having tested a portion of the cough mixture in ques¬ 
tion, he was decidedly of opinion that it was a most im¬ 
proper medicine for a young child, and that a teaspoon¬ 
ful would he sufficient to cause death. In the course of 
the hearing, it transpired that the mixture was obtained 
without the knowledge of the doctors, as was often the 
•case. The jury said that this reflected great discredit 
on the management of an excellent institution; and they 
were of opinion that the death of the deceased lay at the 
door of the porter. The coroner said no jury would 
convict the latter of manslaughter, hut he was convinced 
that great blame was to he attached to him, and that the 
hospital authorities ought at once to put a stop to so 
dangerous a practice. The wonder was that such a 
system of wholesale illegal physicking had not before 
mow brought about disastrous results. The jury agreed 
that the deceased died from the effects of narcotic poison 
administered to her inadvertently; and requested the 
coroner to write to the authorities of the London Hos¬ 
pital to inform them of the circumstances under which 
the deceased came by her death. The coroner intimated 
that he wouldjcarry out the wish.— Times. 
A Series oe Chemical Labels for use in Labora¬ 
tories, etc. Published by Mottershead and Co., Man¬ 
chester. 
meeting of the American Pharmaceutical Association. 
Our own Conference was founded to a great extent upon 
j the model of this Association, and the general operation 
i of the two bodies is therefore very similar. Meeting in 
a different town each year, the last convention of Ame¬ 
rican pharmaceutists was held at St. Louis. It was 
attended by an able representative of our own Society; 
and those who were present at the pharmaceutical meet¬ 
ing in November will recollect the eloquent tribute paid 
by Mr. Brady to the excellence and abundance of the 
work accomplished by our Transatlantic brethren. A 
glance through the present volume amply justifies this 
verdict. 
The reports issued by different committees working 
through the year are a striking feature of this Associa¬ 
tion. The first of these is a report on the progress of 
pharmacy, giving an abstract of those papers, published 
either at home or abroad, which have any reference to 
matters of pharmaceutical interest. It takes the place, 
therefore, of our own * Year-book of Pharmacy.’ The 
abstracts here given are somewhat short, but fairly em¬ 
brace all the important work of the year. The report 
on adulterations also serves a most useful purpose, by 
keeping pharmaceutists acquainted with the sophistica¬ 
tions likely to occur, and thereby helping to maintain a 
certain standard of excellence in the drugs and chemicals 
employed. 
The voluntary papers which were read at the meeting 
are all of a high order of merit, and exhibit much experi¬ 
mental research and sound scientific knowledge. These 
proceedings constitute a valuable addition to the litera¬ 
ture of pharmaceutical science, and we heartily con¬ 
gratulate the members of the American Association on 
the skill and energy with which they have pursued their 
labours. 
The progress of Chemistry in Great Britain is much 
facilitated by the enterprise of a few r manufacturers and 
dealers, who arc always prompt in making or importing 
the chemicals or apparatus discovered or devised by pio¬ 
neers in the science, or required for educational purposes 
by its teachers and students. The book of labels before 
us, all adhesive and easily detached, is apparently in¬ 
tended for the use of analysts and pupils in general 
practical chemistry, who wish to label their test-bottles 
in accordance with the unitary nomenclature of modern 
chemistry; and such workers will thank Messrs. Motters¬ 
head for the handy set of labels now issued. For learners 
in that branch of applied chemistry which is followed by 
medical practitioners and pharmacists, the series is not so 
useful. There will apparently be no difficulty in. in¬ 
troducing the unitary notation and nomenclature into 
pharmacy and medicine by simply regarding and speak¬ 
ing of the old salts of potash, soda, etc., as those of 
potassium, sodium, etc.; and from the remarks of Dr. 
Quain at the last meeting of the Medical Council, there 
can be no doubt this course will be adopted in the next 
■edition of the British Pharmacopoeia. No inconvenience 
to prescriber, dispenser, or pupil will result from the 
employment of such a name as sulphate of magnesium 
instead of ‘ sulphate of magnesia,’ but the variety of the 
unitary nomenclature adopted in Messrs. Mottershead’s 
series of labels gives ‘ magnesium sulphate’ for this sub¬ 
stance, and similar names for other salts, as ‘ potassium 
nitrate,’ ‘ sodium carbonate,’ ‘ copper sulphate.’ Both 
classes of names are varieties of unitary nomenclature, 
but that which is adopted by Messrs. Mottershead does 
not accord with the language and practice of medical 
men and chemists and druggists, w r hile the other to 
which we have adverted does so most completely. 
Proceedings of the American Pharmaceutical As¬ 
sociation. 1871. Sherman and Co., Philadelphia. 
This substantial volume of six hundred octavo pages 
is a record of the proceedings at the nineteenth annual 
MEETINGS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. 
Monday . Medical Society, at 8 p.m. 
April 22. Society of Arts, at 8 p.m. — “ Silicates, 
Silicides, Glass and Glass Painting.” By 
Professor Barff (Cantor Lecture). 
London Institution, at 4 p.m. —“ Elementary 
Music.” By Mr.E. J. Hopkins. 
Tuesday . Loyal Institution, at 3 p.m.— “ Statistics 
April 23. and Social Science.” By Dr. Guy. 
Loyal Medical and Chirurgical Society, at 
8.30 p.m. 
Wednesday ...Society of Arts, at 8 p.m. — “Nuts, their 
April. 24 Produce and Uses.” By Mr. P. L. 
Simmonds. 
London Institution, at 12 noon.—Annual 
Meeting. 
Thursday . Loyal Society, at 9 p.m. 
April 25. Loyal Institution, at 3 P.M. —“ Heat and 
Light.” By Dr. Tyndall. 
Friday . Loyal Institution, at 9 p.m. —“ The Modern 
April 26. Greek Language.” By Professor Blackie. 
Quekett Club, at 8 p.m. 
Saturday . Loyal Institution, at 3 P.M.—“ The Star 
April 27. Depths.” By Mr. R. A. Proctor. 
Loyal Botanic Society, at 3.45 P.M. 
The following journals have been received:—The * British 
'edical Journal,’ April 13; the ‘Medical Times and Gazette, 
pril 13 ; the ‘ Lancet,’ April 13 ; the ‘ Medical Press and 
ircular,’ April 17 ; ‘ Nature,’ April 13 ; the ‘ Chemical News % 
pril 13; ‘English Mechanic,’ April 12; ‘Gardeners 
hronicle,’ April 13 ; the * Grocer,’ April 13 ; the ‘ Journal of 
Le Society of Arts,’ April 13; ‘Grocery News, April 13; 
Food, Water and Air’for April; | Archiv for Pharmaci og 
chnisk Chemi med deres Grundvidenskaber, Nov. 187 o 
in. 1872; ‘ Gazette Medicale d’Orient’ for Feb. and March; 
Practitioner’ for April; ‘ American Chemist’ for March ; 
ieitschrift des allgemeinen osferreiclnschen Apotheker 
ereines,’ Nos. 1 to 4 (1872) ; ‘Journal of Materia Medica 
r March; ‘Pharmacist’ for April; ‘ American Journal of 
harmacy’ for April; ‘Druggists’ Circular for April; 
Dhemist and Druggist’ for April 15; ‘Repertoire de 
harmacie’ for March. 
