May 11, 1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
917 
clrochloric acids. The whole is concentrated and tho¬ 
roughly mixed with an equal volume of chloroform by 
agitation, and allowed to stand. The chloroform which 
.separates contains nearly the whole of the strychnine (or 
most of the other alkaloids) present in the contents of 
the stomach. The chloroform solution is mixed with a 
little hydrochloric acid, and evaporated nearly to dry¬ 
ness. The residue is then dissolved in water, and placed 
to dialyse. To still further isolate the strychnine from 
impurities, the dialysed liquor is evaporated nearly to 
dryness, and mixed with a little caustic potash and chlo¬ 
roform, when the latter dissolves the strychnine, which 
is obtained in a state of purity on evaporating the chlo¬ 
roform. A very nice modification of the application of 
the bichromate of potash test, proposed by Otto, con¬ 
sists in adding to the strychnine a cold saturated solu¬ 
tion of the bichromate, when a yellow crystalline preci¬ 
pitate is produced. The excess of bichromate is then 
washed carefully away, and concentrated sulphuric acid 
is produced, which has a far greater permanence than 
that obtained by the usual method. 
Evidence was also given by a little boy that, about 
the time the deceased’s husband was known to be in 
Hyde, on the same evening the woman died, a man 
dressed in similar clothes to those the husband had on 
met him in the street, and sent him to the shop of Mr. 
Oldfield, druggist, for three vermin powders. 
Henry Oldfield said he was a chemist and druggist, 
and resided at Hyde. He manufactured vermin de¬ 
stroyers—a powder. Each powder contained about a 
grain and a half of strychnine. The other portions are 
composed chiefly of starch powder and blue colour. He 
was in the shop all the evening when the witness said 
he bought these packets, but ho had no recollection of 
seeing him. Every packet containing the vermin killer 
was labelled “ poison ” in three or four places, and they 
were charged threepence each. 
The jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against 
the husband, and the coroner committed him for trial 
at the Chester assizes. 
On the following Monday, the prisoner was brought 
up before the magistrates. The evidence was substan¬ 
tially the same as that given before the coroner. 
Mr. Oldfield stated in addition that he formerly regis¬ 
tered the sale of these powders ; but, in consequence of 
a difference of opinion as to whether it was necessary or 
not, he gave over doing so, and was not registering them 
on the 12th of April, lie did now, however, register 
them. 
The prisoner was committed for trial on a charge of 
wilful murder. 
The following correspondence on the above subject has 
during the week appeared in the Manchester Courier :— 
Sir,—I believe our law has imposed certain important 
restrictions on the sale of poisons. If that be so, has 
there not been an evasion or disregard of its provisions 
in connection with the death of Mrs. Hickling, of Newton? 
Your report of the adjourned inquest stated that “ evi¬ 
dence was called to prove that about two hours before 
the woman’s death the husband was in Hyde, and sent 
■a lad to purchase three vermin powders at a chemist’s 
shop, for which he paid ninepence. Each of those 
powders contained a grain and a half of strychnine.” I 
think you will agree with me that a very important 
question is involved in the correctness or otherwise of 
my impression, and I should like to be satisfied on the 
.subject. I trust you will accept that desire as sufficient 
apology for troubling you.—Yours, etc., 
Justice. 
Manchester , April 20th. 
to say that by the “ Sale of Poisons Act” a number of 
articles specified as “poisons” and enumerated in a 
schedule are not allowed to be sold except under certain 
conditions. This schedule is divided into tw r o parts; the 
articles in the first part, in w T hich strychnia is included, 
being of a more dangerous nature, are not to be sold 
unless the sale be registered in a book kept for that pur¬ 
pose, and the entry signed by the purchaser, who must 
either be knowm to the seller or introduced by some one 
known to him, who must hi that case also sign the book. 
The articles in the second part of the schedule being of 
a less dangerous nature do not require registration, but 
must be labelled with the name of the article, the word 
“poison,” and the name and address of the vendor. Now r 
in this second part of the schedule w~e find “vermin 
killers (every compound containing a ‘ poison,’ and sold 
for the destruction of vermin).” I conceive, therefore, 
that if the druggist who sold the vermin powder in the 
case mentioned put his name and address on each packet, 
he has neither evaded nor disregarded the provisions of 
the Act.—Yours, etc., 
AY. Wilkinson. 
263, Cheetham Hill , Manchester , April 30th. 
Sir,—I thank Mr. Wilkinson for the information he 
has kindly given on the subject of the sale of poisons; 
but he omits mention of the very question which I con¬ 
sidered of most importance, although I know r I did not 
specify it. I have the impression that the sale is pro¬ 
hibited to children, whilst in the case alluded to it was 
sold to a lad wlio received a halfpenny for his trouble, 
and therefore a mere child or little more.—Yours, etc., 
Justice. 
May 2nd , 1872. 
Six’,—It did not occur to me that the question of your 
correspondent “Justice” had special reference to the 
age of the pei’son to w r hom the poison was sold, or I w'ould 
have replied to it in my letter yesterday. The Sale of 
Poisons Act does not contain any restrictions as to the 
age of the persons to whom the article is sold. An Act 
relating to the sale of ai’senic, passed some yeai-s ago, 
does prohibit the sale of that article to persons not 
of full age ; but in the recent Act to regulate the sale of 
poisons age is not mentioned; the prohibition in the use 
of arsenic, how'ever, still continues in force. If your 
correspondent will favour me with a call, I shall be glad 
to show r him copies of both Acts. I may add that I have 
leai’ned that the packets of vermin killer in question were 
pi’operly labelled with the name and address of the 
druggist, and the word “ Poison” in prominent letters.— 
Yours, etc., 
W. Wilkinson. 
263, Cheetliam Hill , Manchester , May 3rd, 1872. 
Poisoning by Carbolic Acid. 
An inquest was held at Rothei’ham, on Friday, May 
3rd, to inquire into the circumstances attending the 
death of Eliza Pye, a child five years of age. 
Eliza Adams, who had adopted the child wlien its 
father died, said that the deceased child and another, 
whilst playing, had drunk some liquid from a bottle that 
she had obtained, as a disinfectant, from the Board of 
Health premises. She did not know until afterwards 
that the disinfectant was carbolic acid, and was not told 
that it w r as poison at the time it wais given to her. She 
fetched it in an ordinary ginger-beer bottle. 
The coroner expressed an opinion that a label should 
be placed on vessels containing these disinfectants, show r - 
ing that they w 7 ere poison, or that the persons to whom 
it was given should be cautioned as to its dangerous 
nature. He did not see why any distinction should be 
made between druggists and those who dispensed poisons 
as disinfectants at the Board of Health. The former 
Sir,—In reply to your correspondent “ Justice,” I wish 
