BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL CONFERENCE. 
161 
SHOP ARRANGEMENTS. 
It lias been suggested by one friend that all poisons should be kept in a separate 
room. 
By several others, that they should be kept in a poison-cupboard, having a lock and 
key. 
By another, that poisonous liquids in the shop and dispensing department should 
be kept in opaque white glass bottles, as a contrast to the dark-coloured tinctui’es on 
our shelves. 
By another, that all poisons, liquids or solids, should be kept in bottles registered 
by our fellow-citizen Mr. Merrikin, and called “ Merrikin’s caution bottle.” They 
are covered with pointed excrescences (except where labelled), reminding by the sense 
of touch that poison is being dealt with. 
Again, it has been suggested that on every bottle containing poison in our shops or 
dispensing departments, the maximum dose of the contents should be distinctly marked 
on the bottle. 
Another, that shop bottles containing poison should be labelled in Old English, in 
contrast to the Roman character in common use. 
Another, that the labels on bottles containing poison in our shops or dispensing de¬ 
partments should be so placed or shaped that the whole of the label can be seen at a 
glance, instead of curling round the bottle in the usual way. 
One more suggestion has been made under this head, as an amendment to the last, 
viz. that all shop or store bottles should be labelled in the way last described, but 
having the name of the base of the preparation at the top, and in larger type than the 
portion describing the nature of the preparation, which should be placed under it, as 
in the specimen on the table. 
We have next to give you the various suggestions that have been made, coming 
under the head of— 
DISPENSING. 
In this department your Committee feel there i^cause for the most anxious delibera¬ 
tion. They gladly acknowledge the great care and attention bestowed by their bi’ethren 
generally upon the arrangements of the dispensing department, and feel that they have 
little of a novel character to bring before them; but it is their duty to present the 
following suggestions,—premising first, that in all instances a distinct department should 
be set aside for dispensing, and as far as practicable it should be such as will exclude 
senseless gossips or others who may cause to the dispenser abstraction of mind. 
Under the head of “ Dispensing ” we have the following suggestions. The principles 
of some of them are, no doubt, generally adopted. 
It has been suggested that wdierever practicable it should be an invariable rule, that 
every prescription be checked by a second person before it is sent out, and that the 
weighing or measuring dangerous poisons be witnessed by him. 
Also that liniments, lotions, and poisonous preparations of all kinds, should inva¬ 
riably be dispensed in bottles of a peculiar shape or construction. The following have 
been mentioned as suitable. 
Bottles similar in shape to soda-water bottles, that will not stand. 
That mixtures be dispensed in ovals, and poisonous liquids in perfect squares. 
That all medicines for external application be dispensed in blue bottles with yellow 
labels for directions and red printed “ Poison ” labels. 
That labels on bottles of medicine to be taken internally be printed in black, but for 
external use in red ink. 
That all poisonous liquids be dispensed in Savory’s well-known poison bottles with 
narrow necks, so that only drops or a very small stream will issue at a time, intending 
to remind the dispenser or administrator that he is dealing with something strong. 
Then w r e have the York Glass Company’s ingenious modification of Savory’s bottle, 
and Gilbertson’s wedge-shaped poison bottle, that will not stand on end. 
Also Bird’s poison corks, attached to a star-shaped wooden head or cap, the sense of 
touch being thus appealed to. 
Then we have Thonger’s rough labels, with the same intent, and Thompson’s capped 
bottles with a lock and key. 
