178 
Precautions  in  Dispensing  Poisons. 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pharm 
\      April,  1881. 
I  prepare  it  without  heating,  and  find  the  f3vi  of  dilute  acid  suf- 
ficient in  warm  weather,  but  in  winter  the  larger  quantity  is  required 
to  maintain  the  solution.  This  solution  contains  exactly  10  grains  in 
each  f^i,  while  Lent^s  is  not  so  strong,  in  fact  the  formula  referred  to 
does  not  state  tlie  exact  streno^th. 
I  shall  always  believe,  unless  the  contrary  is  shown,  that  I  was  the 
first  to  make  use  of  so  concentrated  a  solution  of  quinia  for  any  pur- 
2)0se,  and  I  liave  given  tlie  formula  to  a  number  of  the  stewards  of 
the  army,  who  have,  without  exception,  employed  it  with  success. 
S.  W.  Keyxolds,  Hospital  Steward  U.  S  Army. 
PRECAUTIONS  IN  DISPENSING  POISONS,  Etc. 
By  Robert  F.  Fairthorne,  Ph.G. 
Tlie  caution  necessary  in  dispensing  poisons  can  scarcely  be  too 
great,  not  only  on  account  of  the  protection  which  the  public  expects 
from  us  as  pharmacists,  but  on  account,  also,  of  that  which  is  due  to 
our  own  interests.  When  we  take  into  consideration  the  fact  that  a 
fellow-mortal  may  be  deprived  of  life,  or  rendered  an  invalid  for 
years,  through  some  dangerous  article  being  taken  by  mistake  for  some 
innocent  substance,  through  not  being  properly  marked  or  labeled,  it 
becomes  us  to  consider  well  the  best  means  for  insuring  safety.  Every 
safeguard  should  be  employed. 
When  dry  articles  of  a  poisonous  character  are  dispensed,  not  only 
should  they  be  labeled,  but  ^vrapped  uj)  in  at  least  two  papers,  both  of 
which  should  have  printed  labels  of  the  name  of  the  article  on  it,  and 
the  word  poison  in  bold  letters.  In  addition  to  this  the  inner  wrap- 
per should  have  the  name  of  the  article  and  the  word  poison  ivritten  on 
it.  By  this  plan,  even  if  the  labels  should  be  lost  or  removed,  there 
would  still  be  a  means  for  identifying  the  drug  and  life,  perhaps, 
saved. 
This,  too,  might  prove  to  be  of  value  as  evidence  in  poisoning 
cases,  and  it  might  be  well  if  such  a  custom  was  universally  adopted. 
Ill  dispensing  prescriptions  containing  poisonous  articles,  it  will  not 
always  be  advisable  for  the  pharmacist  to  mark  poison  on  the  bottle ; 
a  label  Avitli  the  word  caution  on  it  can,  however,  and  should  always 
be  pasted  on  the  bottle  or  package.  The  physician  frequently  orders 
such  articles  as  arsenic,  aconite  and  corrosive  sublimate,  in  appropriate 
doses,  and  if  the  mixtures  containing  them  were  labeled  poison  many 
