THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
961 
[May 25, 1373, 
The printed report given liim on leaving was of a very 
liigli character; but after two years with me and average 
allowance of three hours a day for study, I much question 
whether he could now pass the preliminary—partly owing to 
a bad system of school training, and partly, perhaps to care¬ 
lessness and indifference on his part about the matter. My 
other apprentice has also had equal, if not higher advantages, 
but with not much better results. 
The deficiency in school education seems to be, that the 
mental faculties are not properly called into play. Hence, 
although they can remember a good deal that has been com¬ 
mitted to memory, they cannot write six lines correctly upon 
any given subject from their own composition. 
It is as true now as it ever was that there is no royal road 
to learning; it is clearly patent to all who will open their 
eyes to see that, without patient toil and labour, no great 
progress can be made in any branch of knowledge or of art. 
But the youth who desires great things, aims at great things, 
and patiently strives after gi’eat things, humanly speaking, is 
almost independent of circumstances, and is sure to succeed; 
whilst, on the other hand, those who prefer spending the 
greater portion of their time in idleness and frivolity, cannot 
expect to make way; and they do not. 
The truthful experience of a tolerably active life is this, 
that comparatively few of our young men care to give them¬ 
selves the trouble to acquire those habits of thoughtfulness 
and patient perseverance without which a man had far better 
adopt some other sphere of labour than that of a chemist 
and druggist. 
One Wno Has Known the Drug Trade 
More Than Thirty Years. 
The Alleged Poisoning at Newton. 
Sir,—In your issue of May 11th a reference was made on 
the case of poisoning at Newton in which my name is brought 
into question, and it is said the woman took the powder in castor 
oil and was dead in half an hour after. This is quite in¬ 
correct, as she had not taken castor oil at all, and it is a ques¬ 
tion if she had any of the kousso. The powder was ordered 
to be taken in the usual way, to be followed with a dose of 
castor oil the following morning. H. Brunt. 
Hyde , Hay 13£A, 1872. 
[*** The report of the case was taken from a Manchester 
paper, but we do not see our correspondent’s conduct i3 at 
all called in question, since the death was proved by medical 
and other evidence to have been caused by strychnia.— 
Ed. PnARM. Journ.] 
TnE Preliminary Examination. 
Sir,—In your last issue a correspondent calls himself “ One 
who failed on April 8th.” Allow me to state that his pro¬ 
position, if practised, will bo attended with good results. I 
am not surprised in the least that the Board of Examiners 
are dissatisfied with the results of the Preliminary examina¬ 
tions when there is too little time allowed to answer the 
twenty questions asked. Nine minutes per question is not 
sufficient when there are four translations and a piece of 
composition included in the questions. 
Give us a fair thing and we will be satisfied. What do 
we want with Drapers’ Measurements? as in the 11th 
question :—“ How much cloth do we require for a cloak that 
has in it four yards of seven quarters wide of lining, the cloth 
being three quarters wide?” I am not aware that one out 
of the 21 young men who sat at Manchester answered that 
question, nor was there any candidate who had answered his 
questions before the time appointed to give up his papers. 
Another who Bailed on April the 8th. 
A Warning. 
Sir,—Permit me through the medium of the Journal to 
caution the London chemists against a “new dodge ” as 
practised upon me, and I doubt not upon many others in this 
locality. 
On the evening of Sunday, the 21st of April, a very 
plausible, and decently dressed young man entered my shop, 
and stated that he had come to London from Liverpool in 
order to obtain a situation in a London house, but had been 
quite unsuccessful, and was at that moment homeless and ' 
penniless, as his landlord had refused to admit him on 
account of arrears of rent. Upon my expressing some sur¬ 
prise that amidst the many advertisements in the Journal ho- 
had not found one to suit him, he replied that he was in¬ 
variably objected to on account of his having come from the 
country. I, however, relieved his immediate necessities, and 
told him that I would write for him to a gentleman a little- 
way out of town, whom I knew to be in want of an assistant, 
and if he called on Wednesday I would let him know the- 
result. In answer to my letter, my friend at once telegraphed 
me to send him down, but as I did not take his address, and 
had told him not to call until Wednesday, I let the matter 
rest knowing that mv friend would be in town on that day. 
Wednesday came, and so did my friend, to whom I introduced 
this very plausible and interesting individual, who at once 
accepted the situation, and gave us the address of a chemist 
in Liverpool to whom we were to apply for his character. 
Pending the reply from Liverpool, my friend took him to show 
him the way to the railway station, giving him a good meal 
as they went along. By-and-by back comes my plausible 
protege saying that he had left my friend at the station, who 
not having any change had directed him to apply to me for 
any money he might want previous to his going to his new 
situation. This I at once refused to do, as my friend had not 
said anything of the kind to me, but I again gave him some¬ 
thing to keep him afloat until the reply should come from 
Liverpool, and directed him to call again, upon which he left, 
looking rather dejected. In due time an answer arrived from 
Liverpool saying that he was utterly uuknown to the gentle¬ 
man to whom he directed us to write, and it is doubtless 
unnecessary for me to say that he never called again in order 
to know the result of our application for his reference. 
Should this individual attempt anything of the kind upon 
any of your readers, I hope they will do as I shall do if ho 
ever calls upon me again—show him the door. 
James Richardson. 
448, JLingfland Hoad, May 1st, 1872. 
Dr. George Archbold. —Your letter was not considered fit 
for publication. 
“ Nux Vomica.” —The provisions of the Pharmacy Act do 
not apply to the drug in question; but its well-known pro¬ 
perties should induce the chemist to caution the person to 
whom it is supplied, and it would be advisable to register the 
sale. 
A. J. Hivett. —Your question is only susceptible of an 
answer similar to that which would explain why sugar is 
sweet. 
A. Strachan. —Your letter has been handed to the secretary. 
TV. C. H. —Inquiries on the point shall be made, and the 
result communicated to you. 
G. C. —Because the quantity of phosphate of lime ordered 
in Parrish’s formula is twice that of the phosphate of iron. 
“Amateur.” —A suitable work for consultation on the 
subject would be Dr. Reimann’s work on ‘ Aniline and its. 
Derivatives,’ a translation of which, by Mr. Crookes, has been 
published by Messrs. Longmans. 
H. Carr. —(1), Eut.acese; (2), Canellacem; (3), Anacar- 
diacece; (-4 to 6), Burseraccse or Amyridacea). 
t T. II. will find several recipes for cements in Beasley’s 
‘Druggists’ Receipt Book.’ 
A. Jones .— You will find the method of preparation de¬ 
scribed in most works on chemistry. 
‘'Student.” — The formula for Parrish’s syrup of the 
phosphates is given in the first volume of the present series, 
p. 857. 
IV. S. Bryant. —(1.) Y e3. (2.) We are unable to inform 
you. 
J. K P.— (1.) Y es. (2.) We believe about three hours. 
“A Student” (London). — You should apply to the 
Secretary. 
“A Victim who signs himself ‘ Beware /’ ” writes to say 
that a person is going the round taking in people with an 
article called “Fire-proof Lustrine.” 
“ Cecil ” is referred to the rule a3 to anonymous communi¬ 
cations. 
Communications, Letters, etc., have been received from 
Mr. H. Pocklington, Mr. Heald, Mr. Lewin, Mr. Noekold, 
Mr. E. W. Howe, Mr. W. F. Smith, Mr. J. Davidson, Mr. 
G. Hindle, “ One who would gladly be a Member,” Interro¬ 
gative,” “ Minor Triumvir,” J. B. 
