SALE  OF   POISONS  IN  INDIANA. 
305 
some  of  our  druggists  were  not  even  aware  of  the  existence  of  the 
law.  The  law  does  no  injury,  but  it  cannot  be  said  to  do  any 
great  amount  of  good. 
3d.  All  the  conservative  action  among  druggists  themselves  is 
what  arises  fiom  their  own  sense  of  what  is  right  and  proper. 
There  is  no  understanding  among  them  as  to  such  sales  that  I  can 
hear  of. 
4th.  Grocers  and  shopkeepers  rarely,  if  ever,  retail  arsenic  or 
any  other  of  the  poisons  specified  in  this  law.  In  some  of  the 
small  towns  the  storekeeper  sometimes  keeps  a  little  paregoric 
with  some  of  the  drugs  in  common  use,  such  as  rhubarb,  but  it  is 
not  usually  the  case.  Perhaps  more  oxalic  acid  is  sold  than  any 
other  dangerous  poison,  but  this  is  chiefly  used  by  the  shoemakers 
and  other  manufacturers  who  are  aware  of  its  power.  No  instances 
of  poisoning  by  it  have  for  several  years  come  to  my  knowledge 
in  this  State. 
I  am  yours  respectfully, 
Edward  H.  Parker. 
SALE  OF  POISONS  IN  INDIANA. 
Richmond,  5th  mo.  3d,  1853. 
To  the  Editor  of  the  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy: 
Esteemed  Friend, — On  the  perusal  of  the  last  number  of  the 
Journal,  I  am  reminded,  by  the  publication  of  S.  P.  Peck's  letter 
therein,  of  the  request  to  furnish  information  relative  to  the  sale  of 
poisons  in  the  various  States.  In  complying  on  behalf  of  this  sec- 
tion 1  can  briefly  say,  that,  in  Indiana,  neither  the  recently  revised 
statutes  nor  the  older  ones,  so  far  as  I  have  any  knowledge  of 
them,  make  any  provision  for  the  sale  of  poisons. 
In  this  place,  (Richmond,)  with  a  population  of  3000  to  4000 
persons,  there  are  four  professed  druggists;  but  one  of  whom  re- 
fuses to  sell  patent  medicines  ;  and  that  one  alone  keeps  a  record 
of  the  sales  of  poisons,  naming  the  purchaser,  the  quantity  he  ob- 
tains, the  stated  use  of  the  poison,  the  date  of  the  purchase,  and 
marking  the  outer  wrapper  Poison. 
I  believe  the  sale  of  arsenic,  &c.  is  wholly  confined  to  the  drug 
stores  in  town  ;  and  whether  it  is  kept  by  other  dealers  in  the 
smaller  towns  in  the  State,  I  am  unable  to  say  at  present 
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