BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL CONFERENCE. 
167 
“ SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING ACCIDENTAL POISONING. 
“ The Members of the British Pharmaceutical Conference have liacl under delibera¬ 
tion the subject of the prevention of accidental poisoning. The result has been to con¬ 
vince them that most qualified dispensers of medicine already adopt precautions to 
this end, and they consider that the comparative rareness of mistakes shows that such 
safeguards arc generally attended with success. It being desirable however that 
some approach to uniformity of practice should exist, the following suggestions are 
offered:— 
“ 1. It is recommended that all who are, or expect to be, engaged in the practice of 
pharmacy, should take advantage of existing facilities for acquiring a good theoretical 
as well as practical knowledge of their business, as being the best foundation that can 
be laid for future safety, as well as usefulness, in their calling. 
“ 2. It is desirable that, where practicable, a separate and suitable part of the shop 
of a chemist and druggist should be set apart for the dispensing of prescriptions. 
“ 3. In the dispensing department, or other suitable place, there should be a reper- 
torium toxiporum , or ‘ poison cupboard,’ under lock and key, in which should be 
kept all the concentrated and virulent poisons. An additional protection of similar 
character consists in securing the stopper of a bottle by tying over or other means. 
“ 4. It is advantageous that labels on shop bottles should be visible at a glance; the 
words being, for instance, in two short lines, on a square label, rather than in one line 
on a long curved label. 
“5. 'Where practicable, every prescription should be checked by a second person 
before it leaves the shop. 
“ 6. It is expedient that liniments, lotions, and poisonous preparations for external 
use, should be sent out in such a form as to be easily distinguished, by touch as well 
as sight, from medicines intended for internal administration. 
“ 7. Every specially dangerous substance sold by the chemist and druggist, should, 
in addition to its name, be distinctly labelled ‘ Poison;’ except in the case of medicines 
dispensed from a prescription, where the statement of the use or dose may be con¬ 
sidered to be sufficient precaution. A label having the word ‘ Poison ’ in white let¬ 
ters on a black ground is well adapted for the above purpose.” 
Dr. Attfield, in rising to move the reception of the Report, alluded to the care 
with which facts had been collated, the practical value of the conclusions, the explicit 
manner in which it had been drawn up, and the important series of suggestions it had 
elicited. He proposed “ That the Report of the Committee appointed by the Con¬ 
ference to consider the means best calculated to prevent the recurrence of accidental 
poisoning be received, and that the best thanks of the meeting be accorded to the re¬ 
porters, Messrs. King, Marsh, Kent, and Merrikin.” 
Mr. Matthews seconded the resolution. It was carried unanimously. 
“ON THE CALABAR BEAN. BY J. EDWARDS, PH.D., F.C.S. 
[Abstract.] 
“ The author illustrated the chemical reactions of this poisonous substance, and 
showed an alcoholic extract which, he said, contained two distinct active principles, 
both soluble in ether, and both miscible with, but not clearly dissolved by chloroform. 
He also exhibited Dr. Frazer’s tincture of Calabar Bean, made by percolation of two 
ounces of the white kernel with two fluid ounces of rectified spirit. The dose of this 
tincture is five minims, equal to three grains of the bean, and may be increased to 
fifteen minims. Dr. Edwards then showed a watery enndsion of the extract, and per¬ 
formed reactions with reagents similar to those used in testing for strychnia. The 
general facts relating to the bean had been already published in a paper and report 
contained in the ‘Pharmaceutical Journal’ for September.” 
“ THE MORPHIA SALTS OF COMMERCE. BY MR. W. E. HEATHFIELD. 
[Abstract.~] 
“The inquiries of the author had been directed to the amount of moisture existing 
in these salts, and also to the question as to whether codeia was present in them. 
“ Three samples of liydroclilorate from different manufacturers had been examined, 
and found to contain respectively 5 - 8 and 9’8 per cent, of water, estimated by drying 
