EDITORIAL. 
89 
it,  and  who  is  the  only  person  able  to  judge  of  the  contents  after  leaving 
the  factory  in  England.  If,  therefore,  any  such  bottle  contains  a  sub- 
stance different  from  what  the  label  calls  for,  the  fault  rests  with  the 
manufacturer. 
The  samples  received  by  our  chemist  were  from  the  well  known  firms 
of  Mander,  Weaver  &  Mander,  of  Wolverhampton,  and  Atkinson  & 
Biggar,  of  London.  It  was  the  label  of  the  former  of  these  which  was 
on  the  drug  dispensed  in  Chester,  as  was  the  case  also  in  a  town  on  the 
Missouri  river  where  persons  were  poisoned,  but  saved  by  the  timely  ad- 
ministration of  the  antidote.  The  external  appearance  of  the  samples 
was  that  of  good  calomel,  but  in  the  instance  of  that  sold  at  Chester  and 
at  the  Missouri  town  referred  to,  the  substance  was  found  to  be  contami- 
nated with  corrosive  sublimate  to  the  extent  of  12.75  per  cent.  There 
was  no  trace  of  the  poison  in  the  other  samples,  bearing  the  label  of  the 
same  firm,  but  one  of  three  bottles  from  Atkinson  &  Biggar  contained 
corrosive  sublimate,  while  no  trace  of  poison  could  be  found  in  calomel  of 
American  manufacture. 
If  our  physicians  still  persist  in  using  English  calomel  in  preference  to 
American,  manufactured  by  responsible  parties  whose  interest  and  repu- 
tation would  be  at  stake  were  they  to  commit  such  fatal  blunders  as 
above  related,  they  ought  to  be  careful  to  examine  every  bottle  before 
they  use  it,  for  they  never  can  be  sure  which  bottle  will  contain  the 
dangerous  admixture.  The  easiest  method  to  detect  the  presence*bf  cor- 
rosive sublimate  in  calomel  is  the  following  :  Stir  a  small  quantity  of  the 
calomel  with  cold  distilled  water  for  a  few  minutes,  filter  and  add  to  the 
filtrate  a  little  of  a  very  dilute  solution  of  iodide  of  potassium  ;  the  pre- 
sence of  corrosive  sublimate  will  be  shown  immediately  by  a  bright  red 
precipitate  ;  the  liquid  filtered  from  pure  calomel  will  not  be  changed. — 
Missouri  Republican,  St.  Louis,  Nov.  19,  1865. 
Sunday  Closing  in  Boston.— Our  Boston  confreres  have  arrived  at  the 
same  conclusion  that  we  have  ;  that  necessity  knows  no  law,  and  when  men 
get  sick  and  need  aid  they  don't  stop  to  inquire  what  day  of  the  week  it 
is,  but  send  to  the  apothecary  and  expect  to  be  served  with  medicine. 
An  acute  cholic  or  an  attack  of  neuralgia  will,  for  the  time,  rapidly  dispel 
sectarian  prejudices  from  patients  of  all  sects. 
Massachusetts  College  of  Pharmacy. — At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees,  held  Oct.  1st,  a  committee  was  chosen  to  confer  with  the 
State  Constable  in  regard  to  his  late  order  closing  the  apothecaries'  stores 
on  Sunday.  The  committee  attended  to  their  duty,  and  at  the  regular 
meeting  of  the  board,  Nov.  1st,  made  a  report  of  their  iloings,  which  was 
accepted,  and  ordered  to  be  placed  on  file  ;  after  which  the  following 
resolutions  were  offered  and  adopted  :  — 
Resolved,  That  we  believe  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath  as  a  day  of 
rest  from  labor  to  be  a  Divine  institution,  appointed  by  God  for  the  good 
of  man  ;  that  it  is  alike  binding  upon  us  by  the  laws  of  God,  the  laws  of 
man  and  the  good  of  society  ;  that  for  these  reasons  it  is  both  our  duty 
and  inclination  to  observe  it  strictly,  so  far  as  is  practicable  to  the  neces- 
sities of  society  as  at  present  organized. 
Resolved,  That  by  reason  of  the  necessity  for  dispensing  of  medicines, 
and  the  furnishing  of  many  other  articles,  to  those  whose  necessities  ab- 
solutely require  them  of  us  on  the  Sabbath,  we  have  been  obliged  to  con- 
form to  the  custom  of  keeping  our  stores  open  at  all  times,  as  well  Sun- 
days as  in  the  night,  to  be  ready  to  dispense  these  articles  of  necessity. 
