GIG 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[May 11, 1872. 
of the country, and are not copied into a hook, hut 
written upon the label of each mixture, lotion, or box of 
pills. This involves labels, and consequently pill-boxes 
of a much larger size than those used in this country. 
The prescription is usually retained until the amount 
incurred by the patient has been paid, meanwhile serving 
as a sort of memorandum, each repetition of the medi¬ 
cine being marked upon it; it is then handed over to the 
owner, a receipt in full of all demands. The hours of 
working are very long, pharmacies generally opening at 
six in the morning and not closing before nine or ten at 
night. They are open all Sundays and holidays in most 
places. 
The law requiring two years of study is relaxed in the 
case of foreigners coming from other countries to Brazil, 
and who bring with them an accredited diploma, or other 
proof of qualification from the school, college, or uni¬ 
versity, where they have resided. In this case an ex¬ 
amination like our modified one, is made ; it is called an 
examination of competency ; and it is divided in two 
parts, thcoi’etical and practical. The first is made partly 
by written questions, partly viva voce , and if the ex¬ 
aminers are satisfied with the answers, the candidate 
goes on to the practical one, where he is required to 
make one or two analyses, prepare from memory one or 
more pharmaceutical preparations or formula, detect the 
presence of some adulterations in one or more substances, 
and recognize those in the collection of Materia Medica, 
and finally dispense one or more prescriptions. If this 
is also satisfactory, his diploma is endorsed, and he may 
also begin business when and where he may please in 
the empire. 
The charges for medicine varies much with the locality ; 
the average would perhaps be about double those charged 
in a first-class pharmacy in England. 
Patent medicines and specialities are very largely used; 
many of those approved by the academies of medicine in 
Paris and elsewhere being prescribed by the physicians, 
such as, for instance, the pills of Vallet or Blancard or other 
accredited preparation. One excellent regulation exists, 
no patent medicine is allowed to be advertised in the 
newspapers, unless the formula has been submitted to 
and approved by the Imperial School of Medicine. This 
law is evaded in some of the smaller towns, but it is 
rigorously observed in the principal cities. 
The Pharmacopoeia recognized in Brazil is the formula 
of Dr. Chernoviz, a compilation from most European 
Pharmacopoeias, but chiefly from the French codex. 
Samples of the extract of beef alluded to, made by Dr. 
Ubatuba were shown, and the preparation was found to 
be very 'good indeed, the flavour of the beef being 
admirably preserved. 
Oils and other products made by Messrs. Leao and 
Alves were shown and found well made, and several other 
preparations w r hich Mr. Hallawell brought for inspection 
were examined with interest. 
A ^vote ot thanks to the Hon. Secretary, moved by 
Dr. Symes, seconded by Mr. Davies, terminated the pro¬ 
ceedings. 
IJrmtimwts of jinraMc Satieties. 
CHEMICAL SOCIETY. 
Thursday, May 2nd, 1872. Dr. Frankland, F.R.S., 
President, in the chair. 
When the minutes of the previous meeting had been 
read and confirmed, the President called on Mr. E. Riley 
to deliver his lecture “ On the Manufacture of Iron and 
Steel.” The lecturer in his discourse treated principally 
of the elements associated with iron in the pig, and the 
part they play in the subsequent conversion of the pig 
into wrought iron and steel. After describing the com¬ 
position ot the principal varieties of pig, he considered 
the eflect of the presence of the elements carbon, sulphur, 
phosphorus and silicon in various proportions, remarking- 
that the carbon, and perhaps the silicon, do not seem to- 
be chemically combined with the iron in the pig, but 
simply to be diffused through the mass. In conclusion 
the author described the process of puddling by machinery, 
with especial reference to Mr. Dank’s machine. 
This able and exhaustive memoir was copiously illus¬ 
trated by analyses. 
After an animated discussion the meeting adjourned 
until Thursday, 16th May. 
Eight communications were announced for the next 
meeting. 
Iprlranuntitrjt an!) Unto fweeMntjs. 
HOUSE OF COMMONS. 
Monday , May 8 th. 
Public Health Bills. 
The Committees on the Public Health Bill, and the 
Public Health and Local Government Bill were deferred 
till Monday next. In reply, however, to a question put 
by Lord R. Montagu, on Tuesday night, 
Mr. Gladstone said that the Public Health Bill would 
not be taken at the first order on the Monday after the 
holidays, as it was the custom to take Supply on that 
night. 
Wednesday , May 8th. 
Juries Bill. 
The second reading of the Juries Bill was put off till 
Monday next. 
Alleged Poisoning by a Vermin Killer Containing- 
Strychnine. 
An adjourned inquest was held on Saturday, April 
24, at Newton Moor, Manchester, to inquire into the cir¬ 
cumstances attending the death of a married woman named 
Hickling. It appeared that on the 12th ult. the deceased 
feeling unwell, her husband, at her request, procured for 
her a worm-powder from Mr. Brunt, druggist. After^he 
had taken the medicine, with castor-oil, she was seized 
with tetanic convulsions and died in half an hour. 
The husband afterwards went to the Manchester Infir¬ 
mary, where deceased had been an out-patient, and 
applied for a certificate of death, saying that his wife, 
while sitting up in bed, had suddenly become faint and 
died. An inquiry having been instituted, and a post¬ 
mortem examination ordered to be made by Dr. Beecrott, 
that gentleman was convinced that the death had re¬ 
sulted from poison. The contents of the stomach and 
liver were, therefore, placed in sealed jars, and sent to 
Professor Crace-Calvert for analysis. 
Professor Frederick Crace-Calvert said he received 
the jars mentioned, and examined the contents. He- 
analysed a portion of the contents of a glass bottle con¬ 
taining kousso, and found it genuine. It contained no 
strychnine. Ho tested for strychnine, but it did not 
contain any. He then opened the jar containing the 
stomach and its contents, and analysed them specially 
for strychnine, of which he found (for strychnine) a 
large quantity. The evidences of strychnine were un¬ 
mistakable. What he found in the stomach was quite 
sufficient to account for death. Professor Calvert here 
said he thought it would be an advantage, as this poison 
was used very frequently, and as it was very difficult to 
detect, if he stated the means he had employed in its 
detection in this case, as it might be of advantage to 
medical men. It was a method he had himself dis¬ 
covered, and he had adopted it several times before with 
success. The process consists in boiling the contents of 
the stomach with a small quantity of sulphuric and hy- 
