224 
Obituary. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t      April,  1889. 
arts,  and  was  also  utilized  for  the  manufacture  of  chloroform,  for  which 
purpose  the  derivative  of  distillation  of  wood  is  a  far  cheaper  source  than 
alcohol.  Dr.  G.  Michaelis  having  secured  a  patent  for  the  manufacture  of 
chloroform  from  products  of  dry  distillation  containing  various  ketones 
beside  acetone,  suits  were  commenced  against  manufacturers  using 
the  latter.  On  Thursday,  March  28th,  Judge  Butler,  of  the  United  States 
Circuit  Court,  filed  his  opinion  in  this  chloroform  case  with  the  Clerk  of 
the  Circuit  Court  at  Trenton,  N.  J.  The  case  had  been  before  the  Court  for 
three  years,  during  which  time  Messrs.  Roessler  &  Hasslacher,  of  New 
York,  had  been  restrained  in  the  manufacture  of  chloroform  by  an  injunc- 
tion on  an  infringement  issued  in  favor  of  Michaelis  and  others,  who 
claimed  damages  amounting  to  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  million  of  dollars. 
The  latter  phase  of  the  case  was  for  contempt,  of  which  the  defendants 
have  been  purged  by  the  opinion  just  rendered,  and  the  case  dismissed. 
The  Royal  Academy  of  Sciences  at  Turin  announces  that  in  the  competi- 
tion for  the  seventh  Bressa  prize,  according  to  the  testator's  will,  scientific 
men  and  inventors  of  all  nations  will  be  admitted ;  and  that  the  prize  will 
be  given  to  the  scientific  author  or  inventor,  whatever  be  his  nationality, 
who  during  the  years  1887-90  "according  to  the  judgment  of  the  Eoyal 
Academy  of  Sciences  of  Turin,  shall  have  made  the  most  important  and 
useful  discovery,  or  published  the  most  valuable  work  on  physical  and  ex- 
perimental Science,  Natural  History,  Mathematics,  Chemistry,  Physiology 
and  Pathology,  as  well  as  Geology,  History,  Geography  and  Statistics." 
The  term  will  be  closed  at  the  end  of  December,  1890.  The  value  of  the 
prize  amounts  to  12,000  Italian  Lire.  The  prize  will  in  no  case  be  given  to 
any  of  the  National  Members  of  the  Academy  of  Turin,  resident  or  non- 
resident. The  announcement  is  signed  by  the  President  of  the  Eoyal 
Academy,  A.  Genocchi,  and  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Committee,  A.  Naccari. 
OBITUARY. 
William  James  Martin  died  in  Cincinnati,  February  7th,  aged  49  years. 
He  had  been  engaged  in  business  in  Cincinnati  for  a  series  of  years,  and 
was  an  active  and  efficient  member  and  a  former  treasurer  and  president 
of  the  College  of  Pharmacy  of  that  city. 
Br.  William  Weightman,  Jr.,  died  in  Philadelphia,  February  11,  aged  43 
years.  He  had  studied  medicine,  but  for  a  number  of  years  was  actively 
connected  with  the  firm  of  Powers  &  Weightman. 
John  Williams  died  in  London,  March  3,  aged  65  years.  He  served  his 
apprenticeship  with  the  late  Thomas  Morson,  was  one  of  the  earliest  students 
of  the  School  of  Pharmacy  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society  of  Great  Britain, 
and  passed  the  examinations  with  honor  in  1844.  With  Mr.  Hopkin  he 
established  the  firm  of  Hopkin  and  Williams,  which  was  carried  on  for 
nearly  forty  years.  In  1870  he  became  a  member  of  the  Council  of  the 
Pharmaceutical  Society,  and  served  for  several  years  as  treasurer  and  as 
president.  He  has  also  been  president  of  the  British  Pharmaceutical  Con- 
ference. Mr.  Williams  was  the  author  of  numerous  valuable  papers  on  sub- 
jects connected  with  pharmacy  and  pharmaceutical  chemistry,  many  of 
which  were  republished  in  this  Journal,  either  in  extenso  or  as  abstracts. 
