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BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL CONFERENCE. 
land, in which the name of the drug, as “ RHEUM,” was given in large letters, and 
the preparation, as “ Tinct.” or “ Syrup,” was placed beneath it. Abbreviations were 
a fertile source of error, and they were avoided very much by this plan. 
Mr. T. B. Groves suggested that the label might be repeated, so that the essential 
name would be seen from either side; thus—Tr. Opii; 
Opii Tr. 
Some members said that this appeared likely to create error. 
Mr. Merrikin queried whether the shop bottles used in compounding a prescrip¬ 
tion might not be left upon the counter until it was finished, and then be reviewed by 
the dispenser. 
The general expression was, however, opposed to this plan. 
The President called attention to the importance that the contents of shop bottles 
should be checked before they were used. In his establishment, a junior assistant 
filled the bottles that required it each morning, entered them in a book, and this entry 
was signed by a senior assistant after having examined the correctness of the filling. 
Mr. D. B. II anbury and Mr. Abraham spoke to using a somewhat similar system. 
In the discussion upon bottles and labels, Mr. Matthews urged that any special 
bottle would be liable to be put to other purposes, especially amongst the poor, and 
hence the value of the precaution would be lost. 
Mr. T. B. Groves would go still further in his objections, and say, that some of 
these precautions were mischievous, especially those which appealed to the sense of 
touch, instead of requiring that a patient should use more caution in other respects. 
In reply to this, it was shown that nearly every establishment adopted some pre¬ 
caution or other in dispensing medicines for external use, but what was wanted was 
some uniformity of practice in this respect. 
Mr. Schacht was anxious to avoid any method which would compel a duplicate set 
of bottles being kept for liniments, etc. He had been in the habit of covering an or¬ 
dinary bottle with blue paper when dispensing preparations for external use. 
Mr. Reynolds thought that a slight modification of Mr. Schacht’s plan would meet 
most of the difficulties of the case; thus, a ribbon of rough and coloured paper placed 
spirally round a bottle of any shape would answer the same purpose, and, he thought, 
present many advantages. It would permit the appearance and quantity of the con¬ 
tents to be seen, would catch the eye in any position, and appeal to the sense of touch 
equally, whilst it could be applied to any bottle, and be removed easily if required. It 
might be applied in a moment. 
The President, Mr. Abraham, Mr. Merrikin, Mr. Wade, and others, approved 
of paper round the bottle as a safeguard. 
Mr. Robbins thought that a label printed in red ink upon the York Glass Com¬ 
pany’s special bottle, was a good protection against mistake. 
The President recommended the meeting to bear in mind the reason given by the 
late Jacob Bell to Lord Wensleydale for objecting to some of the Poison Bills that had 
been introduced, viz. that “ we did not wish to have a weak fence round a pond that 
was dangerous.” 
The result of the discussion of the Report was, that the meeting agreed to a series 
of suggestions which were ordered to be printed, and a copy placed in the hands of 
every member before the next sitting. 
A communication was read from Mr. W. J. Halliday, of Manchester, in relation to 
prosecutions directed against chemists for the consequences of errors made by them 
or their assistants, and suggesting that a fund should be established, under suitable 
management, to defray the expenses of such legal actions. 
The whole of the opinions expressed in the meeting were to the effect that the ob¬ 
jections to taking such a course were an insuperable obstacle, and that it could not be 
adopted. 
(End of Third JDafs Meeting.) 
EOURTH SITTING. 
Mondag, September 19 th, 9’30 a.m. 
The following suggestions, arising out of the discussion on the Accidental Poison¬ 
ing Report, were submitted to and accepted by the meeting :— 
