EDITORIAL. 
18T 
way  of  exit.  Finding  I  must  pass  through  the  flame  I  took  the  longest  possi- 
ble run,  closed  my  mouth  and  eyes  and  jumped  through  it,  supposing  I  should  not 
be  burned.  In  the  excitement  of  trying  to  save  books,  etc.,  T  was  not  at  first 
aware  that  I  was  burned,  but  the  bystanders,  and  a  numbness  of  my  hands  and 
face  soon  after  made  me  aware  of  the  fact,  and  I  got  home  to  my  room,  where  I 
have  been  confined  to  the  present  time  with  a  good  deal  of  suffering.  The  face  was 
rather  superficially  burned,  and  is  now  so  nearly  well  that  I  trust  in  a  week  to 
be  able  to  leave  the  house,  with  possibly  only  the  deformity  (besides  scars)  of 
eversion  of  one  eyelid  ; — the  hands,  however,  do  not  get  off  so  well,  nor  get  on 
so  rapidly— the  backs  of  both  hands  were  deeply  and  badly  burned,  though  it 
is  still  hoped  the  tendons  escaped,  so  that  you  will  see  that  for  a  bad  burn,  and 
perhaps  a  narrow  escape  with  life,  I  am  likely  to  get  off  with  surprisingly  little 
deformity." 
After  alluding  to  the  abundant  sympathy  and  kindness  of  his  friends  he  re- 
marks, "  My  landlord  rebuilt  the  house  at  once  for  my  use,  and  the  mechanics 
who  had  just  finished  my  apparatus  and  fixtures  have  them  already  replaced. 
I  had  an  insurance,  which  though  it  does  not  cover  my  losses  by  some  seven  or 
eight  hundred  dollars,  was  promptly  paid,  and  helps  much  in  the  reorganization. 
Everything  goes  on  more  rapidly  of  course  than  in  the  original  outfit,  since  the 
mechanics  know  what  is  to  be  done,  and  get  on  easily  by  means  of  my  chamber 
consultations  ;  my  eyes,  which  though  uninjured  were  closed  for  five  weeks,  are 
now  open  and  enable  me  to  make  drafts,  etc.,  and  I  hope  confidently  from  all 
these  fortunate  circumstances,  that  by  the  second  week  in  March  I  shall  be 
again  under  way  with  renewed  energy  and  determination  of  purpose." 
Our  readers  will  now  be  aware  that  Dr.  Squibb,  though  thus  disastrous- 
ly checked  in  the  very  inception  of  his  enterprize,  is  not  discouraged  in 
his  determination  to  proceed  with  the  manufacture  of  pure  Pharmaceutical 
chemicals.  We  heartily  wish  him  success  as  a  just  reward  for  the  liberal 
open  manner  in  which,  during  the  past  few  years,  he  has  contributed  his 
experience  for  the  benefit  of  our  profession. 
Quinby  vs.  Eckstein — Alleged  poisoning  by  Belladonna — Verdict. — 
There  are  circumstances  connected  with  this  case  particularly  interesting  to 
pharmaceutists,  and  we  would  be  glad  to  have  given  our  readers  an  abstract 
of  the  evidence  and  the  charge  of  Judge  Spencer  to  the  Jury,  but  our  lim- 
ited space  wholly  forbids  it.  The  following  is  an  outline  taken  from  the 
Judge's  charge  as  published.  The  plaintiff,  George  W.  Quinby,  (a 
preacher,)  alleges  that  he  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  clerk  of  the  defendant, 
F.  Eckstein,  Jr.,  who  is  a  druggist  of  good  repute  in  the  city  of  Cincinnati, 
a  prescription  written  by  Dr.  Mighels,  for  extract  of  dandelion,  instead  of 
which  the  plaintiff  alleges  he  received  belladonna,  which  was  taken,  and 
caused  him  personal  suffering  and  loss  of  the  use  of  his  limbs  and  reason 
for  a  considerable  space  of  time,  was  months  deprived  of  the  power  of  tran- 
sacting business,  and  put  to  expense  in  medical  attendance,  for  all  of  which 
he  claims  damages  in  the  sum  of  $10,000.  The  defendant  admits  that  his 
profession  is  that  of  a  druggist,  and  that  as  such  he  puts  up  prescriptions, 
but  in  all  other  respects  denies  the  averments  of  the  petition. 
The  Judge  then  lays  down  the  rule  of  action  applicable  to  the  case  as 
follows : 
