■Zune 29, 1S72.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
1063 
The following statement indicates the result of the 
-operations upon 40,000-000 ounces of standard gold. 
oz. oz. 
Amount of initial loss.40-360 
Amount of gold recovered 
from ground-up crucibles, 
borax, etc. 
Amount of copper and base 
metal proved by assay to 
have been eliminated as 
chloride. 
Loss *107 
It will be seen that the loss on toughening 40,000 
ounces was only one-tenth of an ounce, and the pro¬ 
cess may now be considered to have fairly taken its 
jplace as an operation of minting. 
The accuracy of the automatic weighing machines, in 
-which each piece of gold and silver is weighed before it 
le issued, has, during the large coinages of the year, been 
severely tested, and, owing to the rapid execution of the 
work in the rolling and adjusting rooms, and the in¬ 
creased liability to error consequent upon it, additional 
wcare has been necessary in the weighing-room to prevent 
the issue of coins not within the remedy of weight pre¬ 
scribed by law. It is necessary in weighing coins to use 
a still smaller remedy than that which the law allows; 
and it may serve to give some idea of the delicate nature 
of the -work performed by these machines if it be stated 
that the 100th part of a grain is sufficient to cause a 
•sensible deflection of the beam, and that the weight 
which denotes whether a sovereign is or is not within 
the remedy is represented by a piece of wire of fine gold, 
•4H355 of an inch in length, and 0-018 of an inch in 
• diameter, and weighing 0-17 of a grain. 
On the completion of the last gold coinage, -which 
amounted to £6,500,000, it was found that the aggregate 
weight of the pieces corresponded precisely with the 
standard weight prescribed by law. Such exactitude it 
is believed, has never been attained before on so large a 
coinage; but it should be remarked that so close an 
agreement with the standard weight depended upon 
-conditions which cannot always be secured. 
During the year 1871, the staff has been increased by 
the appointment of “balance mechanician,” to under¬ 
take the repairs and adjustant of scales and weights; 
work hitherto performed by private firms. 
The abolition of the office of non-resident assayers, and 
the return to the ancient system under which all bars 
when allowed and melted in readiness for coinage, and 
coins selected from all the coined work, were assayed 
within the mint itself, is reported to have been attended 
with most satisfactory results, it having rendered possible 
the exercise of a more direct and efficient control than 
heretofore over many details upon which the accuracy of 
coining in a great measure depended, and materially 
.contributed to a more rapid execution of the coinage. 
"But in order to provide for a portion of the duties for¬ 
merly performed by the non-resident assayers, namely 
that of determining questions that might arise between 
the Master of the Mint and importers of bullion for 
coinage as to the corectness of assay reports, a Consult¬ 
ing Assayer to the Mint has been appointed in the per¬ 
son of Dr. John Percy, F.R.S. In the new assay office 
the volumetrical method of assaying silver has been in¬ 
troduced, and it has been found that the method is 
peculiarly well adapted for the verification of the com¬ 
position of silver alloys which vary little in fineness. 
The most important which have taken place during 
•the year 1871 in the coinages of European countries, has 
been the introduction of a new coinage of gold into the 
currency of Germany, as a preliminary step to the 
■option of gold as the single standard of value. It is 
satisfactory to note the steps taken by the German 
Government, namely, the introduction of a gold standard, 
and the establishment of a uniform coinage based on the 
decimal system, throughout the Empire; but it is to be 
regretted that a coinage has been adopted which in one 
important particular at least is open to serious objection, 
and may give rise to some difficulty. In the discussions 
which have taken place during late years, it has been 
shown that there are several gold coins in Europe and 
the United States of America, either already issued, or 
proposed to be issued, which contain a nearly identical 
quantity of pure gold, namely,— 
Half-eagle or 5-dollar piece (United States) 7*52 grins. 
Sovereign (England).7*32 
25-Franc piece (proposed for France, and the 
States associated with her in the Monetary 
Convention of 1865.). 7*26 
In addition to these the Spanish Government has pro¬ 
posed to coin a piece of 25 pesetas, of equal value -with 
the 25-franc piece. To these coins, however, recent 
legislation in Germany has added the 20-mark piece, con¬ 
taining 7‘ 16 grms. of pure gold, and equal in English money 
to not more than nineteen shillings and sevenpence, the 
issue of which creates a further divergence from that 
uniformity which is so much to be desired, and forms an 
additional obstacle to the adoption of an international 
gold coin. 
In the die department amongst the new designs must 
be noticed the sovereign bearing the reverse of St. George 
and the Dragon, which, having been authorized by Order 
in Council, has been issued concurrently with those of 
the design already in use during the present reign. The 
Mint has also been called upon to furnish a medal to be 
awarded annually to the best shot in the infantry of the 
army, which will shortly be issued. 
In concluding the report, allusion is made to the pro¬ 
posed change of site for the Mint. It is stated that the 
works of the Mint are in no way of a nature to create a 
nuisance to a neighbourhood, no refinery being now at¬ 
tached to the department. Only refined metals are 
melted, in the fusion of which no acid is employed, and 
any fear that the processes carried on might be injurious 
to health are said to be without foundation. 
Poisoning by Water Hemlock. 
On Monday afternoon the coroner, Mr. Tatlock, held 
an inquest at the Turf Tavern, Chester, on the bodies of 
two boys, inmates of the Workhouse, named George 
Dobson and Albert Kinsey, who met their deaths on 
Sunday by eating what they supposed to be wild celery, 
but which was in reality water hemlock. From the 
evidence it appeared that the schoolmaster took the 
boys out for a walk on the Roodee after morning service, 
and, having proceeded with them as far as the railway- 
arches which span the river Dee, told them they might 
amuse themselves till they were called, and then re¬ 
turned to the Workhouse. The boy Dobson, who had 
been in the same place on the previous Tuesday eating 
the roots of the plant, and who had suffered most 
severely in consequence, persuaded the other boy to go 
down to the edge of the river to gather some of the 
“wild celery,” which they did, and having filled their 
pockets returned to the yard of the Workhouse, where 
they freely indulged. The roots, according to the evi¬ 
dence of Dr. Britain, have the taste of soft cocoanuts, 
are quite palatable, but are most dire in their effects. 
Shortly after eating them the boys became extremely ill. 
The doctor was sent for, and he at once administered an 
emetic of mustard and hot water, which took effect on 
all except the two deceased Jboys, to whom it was im¬ 
possible to administer any in consequence of their 
suffering from severe convulsions, and their teeth being 
tightly clenched. He, however, applied turpentine ex¬ 
ternally, but without avail, and the boys died most agoniz¬ 
ing deaths. The jury returned a verdict of died from 
the effects of eating water hemlock .—Liverpool Daily 
| Dost. 
, 15-507 
. 27-746 
- 40-253 
