CHEMISTS-PAINS AND PENALTIES. 
G45 
by animal charcoal, filtered, concentrated and tested with sulphuric acid and 
chromate of potash, which produced the characteristic crimson and deep red 
colour. Strong nitric acid also imparted a deep red colour to the liquid. 
These tests appearing sufficiently indicative of the presence of strychnine, no 
others were applied. I am, Mr. Editor, yours respectfully, 
E. Hollier, Pharmaceutical Chemist. 
Dudley , May 15, 1865. 
CHEMISTS—PAINS AND PENALTIES. 
TO THE EDITORS OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Gentlemen,—The proceedings of the Medical Council seem rather to indicate 
a disposition on their part to lay chemists under severe and impracticable re¬ 
strictions in conducting their ordinary business as it has always been con¬ 
ducted from its earliest origin. I think there are very grave reasons why such 
restrictions, pains, and penalties should be resisted to the very utmost by every 
class and order of chemists. I believe the members of the Medical Council are 
not actuated by that mean, jealous hostility to our fraternity which does un¬ 
doubtedly exist in some lower sections of the medical profession, under the 
paltry idea that we are rivals in occupation, but that it arises in a great measure 
from erroneous views of the real position in which we stand towards them and 
the public. But from whatever cause arising, or from whatever quarter pro¬ 
ceeding, it is unquestionably the duty of all classes of chemists to resist such 
restrictions, pains, and penalties to the last extremity, and for the following 
obvious reasons:— 
Firstly. Such legislation is quite foreign to the nature and objects of either of 
the Bills now before the House of Commons ; so much so, in fact, that it was 
the threat (many years ago) to lay us under these very degrading penalties that 
originated the Pharmaceutical Society, one of its principal objects being to pro¬ 
tect ourselves from all such oppressive legislation. 
Secondly. It is quite unnecessary for the object in view by the Medical Coun¬ 
cil, which, of course, is to prevent chemists practising as medical men. No 
doubt many chemists do trench too far upon the duties of the medical profes¬ 
sion, but these cases, in comparison to the whole body, are but few, and the 
numbers really acting as medical practitioners to any extent are exceedingly 
few ; the responsibilities and difficulties are already so great in the way of this, 
that further restrictions are quite uncalled-for, and to impose pains and penal¬ 
ties upon the whole body on account of the m a /practices of a few would be most 
tyrannical, oppressive, and unjust. 
Thirdly. It is quite impracticable, without utterly destroying the proper and 
legitimate business of the chemist altogether. It may be that some few here 
and there can exist without even suggesting a black draught, a chalk mixture, 
an anodyne draught, an emetic, or a dose of Gregory’s mixture, but in the im¬ 
mense majority of cases chemists are absolutely obliged to answer a thousand 
questions from all classes of customers, from the peer to the peasant, which re¬ 
sult in their obtaining such medicines as named, and many others, without the 
interposition of a medical man ; nor would one of these cases in one hundred, if 
all information was absolutely refused by the chemist, result in any application 
to a medical man. Their own judgment would be used, medical books would 
be consulted, or some one else, not being a chemist under pains and penalties, 
would be applied to for advice and information. In my own case, which I 
doubt not is the case of thousands, though living in a highly respectable popu¬ 
lation, and for my own interest avoiding all trenching upon the medical profes- 
