POISONOUS  COMPOSITION  OF  MOTHER  OF  PEARL,  ETC.  29 
cian's  prescription,  and  this  appears  to  be  closely  adhered  to,  as  few  cases 
of  poisoning  occur.  On  inquiring  what  cognizance  the  law  took  of  errors 
on  the  part  of  apothecaries,  my  informant  knew  of  no  cases  of  prosecution 
for  that  cause.  There  is  in  Rome  an  association  of  pharmaceutists,  a  sort 
of  joint-stock  company,  embracing  fifty  eight  members,  which  carries  on 
a  wholesale  drug  and  importing  business,  for  the  supply  of  the  members 
and  others,  any  profits  in  the  form  of  dividends  accrueing  to  the  members. 
There  is  no  chemical  manufacturing  establishment  in  Rome,  all  chemicals 
being  imported  except  such  as  are  made  by  individuals  for  their  own 
supply.  There  is  no  stamp  duty  on  proprietary  medicines,  the  only  duty 
.  they  pay  when  imported  being  customs.  Physicians  are  prohibited  by 
law  from  practising  pharmacy  or  keeping  shops.  There  is  no  unity  of 
action  among  the  pharmaceutists  of  Rome  for  professional  or  scientific 
improvement,  and  no  combination  of  any  kind  except  the  joint-stock 
company  before  noticed.  Clerks  receive  but  small  salaries,  Few  over  300 
dollars  per  annum,  and,  as  near  as  a  very  limited  inquiry  would  go,  the 
prices  charged  for  medicines  are  moderate.  Citrate  of  magnesia  and  car- 
bonic acid  water  are  in  general  use,  and  the  pharmaceutists  sell  many 
fancy  articles  not  strictly  within  the  line  of  Pharmacy.         W.  P.,  Jr. 
ON  THE  POISONOUS  COMPOSITION  OF  THE  "MOTHER  OF 
PEARL "  ADDRESS  OR  VISITING  CARD. 
Munich,  Bavaria,  Nov.  24th,  1867,  ] 
Dr.  G.  C.  Wittsteins,  Analytical  Chemical  Laboratory,  j 
To  the  Editor  of  the  Am.  Journal  of  Pharmacy. 
Esteemed  Sir  : — A  novelty  in  way  of  a  visiting  card  appeared  in 
the  States  during  the  early  part  of  the  present  year,  (1867,)  which  from 
its  resemblance  to  Mother  of  Pearl,  by  its  crystallized  surface,  was  much 
admired,  and  was  largely  used.  This  same  curiosity  has  of  late  been  in- 
troduced in  this  city,  and  I  am  informed  by  a  dealer  that  the  demand 
is  greater  than  the  supply.  Several  days  ago  one  of  these  crystallized  cards 
was  brought  to  the  laboratory  by  the  Medical  Director  of  the  Sanitary 
Department  of  Munich,  requesting  Prof.  Wittstein  to  give  his  opinion  in 
relation  to  the  composition  of  the  crystallized  surface.  The  professor, 
after  applying  the  necessary  tests,  pronounced  it  a  soluble  salt  of  lead. 
A  quantitative  examination  which  I  made  of  such  a  card,  2|  inches 
wide,  and  4  inches  long,  weighing  33|  grains,  yielded  as  its  crystallized 
coating  6-6015  grains  of  Acetate  of  Lead.  The  consideration  which 
prompted  me  in  addressing  you  on  this  subject,  it  not  being,  strictly 
speaking,  of  Pharmaceutical  interest,  was  to  call  attention  to  a  matter  of 
more  consequence  than  may  at  first  sight  appear.  The  public  not  being 
acquainted  with  the  poisonous  properties  of  these  cards,  will  not  be  on 
their  guard  in  preventing  their  being  chewed  or  eaten  by  small  children, 
