810 
MISCELLANEA. 
Generally, strychnine is only kept in very small quantities, while bismuth is kept in 
large bottles. All bottles containing drugs ought to be distinctly labelled. An inex¬ 
perienced person ought to know the difference between bismuth and strychnine by the 
weight, the one being much heavier than the other. 
Evidence was adduced to show that there had been no tampering with the medicine 
after it left Mr. Spencer’s surgery. The coroner then explained to the jury the question 
they had to decide ; and the jury, after consulting a short time, returned a verdict that 
the “Deceased died from Strychnine, administered by Mr. Spencer with gross neglect.” 
Upon the delivery of the verdict. Chief Constable Mitchell, who had been present 
during the proceedings, took Mr. Spencer into custody on the charge of manslaughter. 
He was shortly afterwards admitted to bail, himself in £500 and two sureties in £250 
each. The case will be tried at the next assizes. 
MISCELLAK-EA. 
Safety from Accidental Poisoning.—Mr. William Dyer, of Halifax, in a com¬ 
munication published in the ‘ Halifax Guardian,’ recommends the following plan for the 
safe keeping of dangerious remedies:—“The plan I have adopted for a considerable 
length of time, in my establishment, and found to operate as a perfect safeguard, is as 
follows :—In my shop I have a cupboard, or closet, in which all delicate chemicals, or 
preparations, and the most dangerous articles, are stored ; and inside this cupboard I 
have another smaller special poison closet, with a locked door (the key being kept in a 
convenient place close by), in which are kept the most deadly articles, such as before 
mentioned, some of which, for further protection, are in bottles with glass caps fitted 
over the stoppers. The effect of this arrangement is, that before any one of these 
articles is reached, the dispenser must go some distance from his counter, open the first 
closet door, then get the key of the inner one from its accustomed place, unlock the 
second door, and when he has selected the bottle he requires, in the case of several of 
the articles, he must remove the glass cap before getting at the drug. It will easily be 
seen that this arrangement makes it next to impossible to get the strychnine bottle for 
the bismuth one, or to make any similar mistake; indeed, had it been in force at 
Uppingham, no such fatal blunder could have occurred, and it would have equally pre¬ 
vented the melancholy accident which occurred a few years ago in a large dispensing 
establishment in Liverpool.” 
■Varieties in Ink.—Gold ink is made by” grinding upon a porphywy slab, with a 
muller, gold leaves with white honey, till they become reduced to the finest possible 
division. The paste is then collected upon the edge of a knife or spatula, put into a 
large glass, and diffused through water. The gold by gravity soon falls to the bottom, 
while the honey dissolves in the water, which must be decanted off. The sediment is 
to be repeatedly washed till entirely freed from the honey. The powder, when dr}”, is 
very brilliant, and when to be used as an ink, may be mixed up with a little gum-water. 
After the writing becomes dry, it should be burnished with a wolf’s tooth.—Silver ink 
is prepared in the same manner .—Indelible Ink. A very good ink, capable of resisting 
chlorine, oxalic acid, and oblution wit h a hair pencil or sponge, may be made by mixing 
some of the ink made by the preceding prescription, with a little genuine China ink. 
It writes well. Many other formula have been given for indelible inks, but they are all 
inferior in simplicity and usefulness to the one now prescribed. Solution of nitrate of 
silver thickened with gum, and written with upon linen or cotton cloth, previously im¬ 
bued with a solution of soda, and dried, is the ordinary permanent ink of the shops. 
Before the clothes are washed, the writing should be exposed to the sunbeam, or to 
bright daylight, which blackens and fixes the oxide of silver. It is easily discharged 
by chlorine and ammonia. A good permanent ink may be madb by mixing a strong 
solution of chloride of platinum with a little potash, sugar, and gum to thicken. The 
writing made therewith ^should be passed over with a hot smoothing iron, to fix it. 
Nitrate of silver, 1 to 2 dr.; water, | cz.; dissolve, add as much of the strongest am¬ 
monia w'ater as will dissolve the precipitate formed on its first addition, then further add 
