DISTILLATION BY STEAM. 
647 
pounder were united in one man, and are willing to compensate us for tlie volun¬ 
tary and hearty relinquishment of counter practice, by allowing drugs to be 
compounded by those legally qualified to do so,—in other words, to give up 
dispensing,—then, and not till then, may we expect the higher and lower 
branches of the medical profession, the doctor and the druggist, to work 
together with respect and profit—to the benefits of doctor, druggist, and last, 
not least, of the public. At present, the druggist gets from the doctor the 
same reply practically as the doctor formerly got from Ben Jonson, who, 
when it was remonstrated that the man must live, surlily replied, “lie didn’t 
see much necessity for that.” 
But until then, and unless a quid pro quo can be obtained, is it not the present 
duty of the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society to see the saddle fits before it 
is fastened ? I am, Gentlemen, yours obediently, 
Henry Clayton. 
'Eastbourne , May 20, 1865. 
“ The Chemists and Druggists. —Sir,—One cannot but approve the motion to intro¬ 
duce the clause in the Chemists and Druggists Bill, to exclude all members of the Phar¬ 
maceutical Society from the practice of medicine ; but ought not the Medical Council to 
be equally careful to prevent all medical practitioners from dispensing medicines over 
their own counters, a practice alike prejudicial to the interests of doctor and druggist? 
Might it not be made compulsory that no general practitioner dispense his own medi¬ 
cines when residing within three miles of a registered chemist and druggist, except in 
cases of emergency? Contrary to the opinion of some, I maintain the possibility cf 
enforcing both these regulations, provided a recognized fine be attached to a transgres¬ 
sion of the statute. Let every medical man communicate to the Central Council all 
cases evidencing counter practice that may come to his knowledge, the fact being duly 
substantiated by witness, and the report made within a month of the transaction. No 
general practitioner would have to wait long before some deluded patient would come 
confessing that he had had advice from Chemist So-and-so, had taken so much physic, 
and was no better: this "would at once furnish a case in point. No druggist would hold 
out long against fines rigorously enforced, even if disposed to ignore the requirements of 
the Bill obtained for the protection of his own class. The case of a medical man con¬ 
tinuing his own dispensing, without the necessity arising from distance, would soon be¬ 
come known, and could at once receive due pressure from the executive of our Medical 
Council. . “I am, etc., Percy Leslie, M.D. 
“ Eastbourne , April 2dth, 1865.” 
DISTILLATION BY STEAM. 
TO THE EDITORS OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 
Gentlemen,—I should be much obliged if you or any of your readers, having 
practical experience in a similar case, would give me some advice in the follow¬ 
ing circumstances:— 
I wish to apply a still used for distilling plain water, and having a capacity 
of about twenty-five gallons, for working a smaller arrangement suitable for 
distilling about two gallons of cinnamon or other sapid waters ; but before having 
the secondary apparatus made, I should be glad to take the opinion of some one 
who has already tried the experiment. My idea is to place the ingredients 
upon perforated trays in a copper cylinder connected with a condensing ap¬ 
paratus, and to cause the steam from the still first mentioned to pass through. 
The question is, whether the ingredients would be likely to cause condensation 
to an inconvenient extent within the cylinder, and I should be glad to commu¬ 
nicate with any one whose experience would assist me. My places provide 
sufficiently against condensation from the sides, etc., of the cylinder; but 
