318 
LIVERPOOL CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
Berzelius did his schooling, who at the end of that time is unable to discriminate between 
rhubarb powder and opium powder, or between arsenic and farinaceous matters. Pro¬ 
fessor Taylor’s first suggestion is, “ that none but qualified persons, educated to the 
trade of druggists, should be allowed to vend by retail drugs or medicines capable of 
acting as poisons.” This is most excellent; the only question at issue is the amount of 
education fairly to be demanded of a tradesman ; one, for instauce, who has to supply a 
low, unhealthy, dirty neighbourhood of a town with drugs. Can you expect a highly 
educated man to settle there and deter others ? The case of small towns, villages, and 
poor neighbourhoods must be met. The second suggestion is to prohibit grocers and 
other trades selling poisonous drugs; but this, to be of any use, ought to prohibit their 
selling any medicines at all, if they know not their nature, appearances, and doses. 
Number three restricts the sale of certain specified poisons to Pharmaceutical Chemists 
and apothecaries, and speaks of a “proper examination” for other persons acting as 
druggists. Number four forbids boys and girls who cannot read or write, selling poisons. 
Five forbids dispensing or selling poisonous drugs by any youth under eighteen years 
of age, nor then, unless he have been one year under a Pharmaceutical Chemist or 
apothecary, or have been examined. Now here is a case of singular ignorance of what 
is at all feasible. Youths almost invariably go to business at fifteen years of age, which 
is on the whole a wise plan. If for three years they be not allowed to sell any poison, 
or even for one year, I should like to know how they can learn the trade. Six relates 
to keeping similar-looking drugs apart. Seven, to restrain the sale of deadly poisons. 
Eight, to forbid sales of poison to any under twenty years of age, and only with a wit¬ 
ness. This again is simply absurd, if intended to apply to a great variety of poisons 
that will instantly suggest themselves to your minds. Nine, all poisonous drugs to be 
labelled. This all respectable men do, perhaps very few druggists omit it; but added 
to the label is to be the date of sale. This might perhaps be done for a few r weeks after 
the passing of the Act,—not, I fear, longer; its uselessness in 999 cases in 1000 would 
soon lead to its disuse. Ten relates to storing and labelling large quantities of noxious 
substances, which would principally oppress our wholesale brethren. The inspection of 
all depositories, whether they be kept by surgeons and apothecaries having open stores, 
in hospitals, dispensaries, druggists’ shops, wholesale houses, or manufactories, is the 
only way I see of making any regulation for storing poisons, really effectual. 
I cannot better bring these remarks to a close than by reading the following extract 
from the report of the medical officer of the Privy Council:—“Dr. Taylor concludes his 
report with suggestions which deserve to have much weight, as to the reforms which are 
desirable in the conduct of pharmaceutical business. His fundamental opinion, that 
poisons, and medicines likely to act as poisons, ought not to be sold in retail except by pro¬ 
perly educated persons, and under some other reasonable restrictions as regards both seller 
and purchaser, is an opinion which I submit for consideration as one in which I entirely 
concur. And it seems to me that this object might be attained without giving the drug 
trade any reasonable ground of complaint, and without inconveniencing the public as 
regards the purchasability of non-poisonous drugs. Facilities might be given to drug¬ 
gists to divide themselves into an upper and a lower class. At first such a division 
might be made by an enactment constituting into an upper class all who had previously 
passed an examination as Pharmaceutical Chemists or as apothecaries ; perhaps with the 
further addition of all who at the time of the making of the enactment should be in 
bond fide practice as druggists on their own account, provided their trade as druggists 
were conducted separately from all other trade ; and, subsequently to the first constitu¬ 
tion of this upper class, admission into it might be obtained on examination before some 
appointed authority or authorities. To persons of this class (but with express exclusion 
of general shopkeepers) the office of selling poisons might be restricted. As the pur¬ 
chasability of poisons by the public might at the same time be made effectually subject 
to the rule which now ineffectually relates to the purchase of arsenic;—that no such sale 
shall be made except with full registration of the buyer’s name and residence, and of 
the time, quantity, and proposed purpose of his buying; nor, even thus, to any person 
unknown to the seller, unless in the presence of a witness acquainted with both seller 
and buyer. But whether or not provisions like these may seem to the Legislature fit 
and proper for enactment, I must submit that, with or without such enactments, one 
particular act of legislation is urgently wanted in the matter,—an act, namely, which, 
either by its own language, or by empowering some department of the Government to 
