182 
EDITORIAL. 
before  the  Pharmaceutical  Society  when  the  matter  was  investigated. 
Some  may  consider  it  strong  presumptive  evidence  of  innocence  on  the 
part  of  Mr.  H.  that  he  did  not  himself  doubt  his  having  dispensed  the 
prescription  correctly  so  far  as  to  examine  the  medicine  by  taste  and 
smell,  but  in  our  opinion  he  should  have  done  so  in  any  case,  if  only  to 
convince  the  patient  that  he  was  sure  all  was  right.  If  he  had  done  so 
in  this  instance  he  would  instantly  have  detected  the  aconite,  and  the  life 
of  Mr.  Thompson  might  in  all  probability  have  been  saved  by  emetics,  or, 
as  he  had  asked,  by  the  pump  and  auxiliary  treatment,  a  physician  being 
on  the  spot.  After  nearly  forty  years' experience  at  the  dispensing  coun- 
ter, we  are  more  and  more  impressed  with  the  truth  that  the  price  of 
safety  in  dispensing  is  unceasing  vigilance  on  the  part  of  the  dispenser, 
and  that  none  of  us  are  invulnerable  to  a  mis-step. 
As  regards  the  testimony  of  the  principal  medical  witness,  we  are  not 
surprised  that  it  should  be  set  aside  by  the  Coroner's  Jury  in  their  ver- 
dict. He  was  with  the  patient  at  the  drug  store,  where  he  could  have 
examined  the  medicine  and  got  at  the  truth  ;  but  it  does  not  appear  that 
he  did  so,  or  that  he  even  suspected  the  probability  of  an  error,  and  the 
man  died  in  his  presence  without  an  effort  to  save  him,  although  the  suf- 
ferer had  pointed  out  the  way  in  a  manner  calculated  to  arouse  his  sus- 
picion of  poison.  His  wager,  that  no  chemist  could  extract  aconite  from 
a  mixture,  was  in  character.  It  is  an  unjust  reflection  on  chemistry,  and 
is  untrue.  Aconitia  can  also  be  detected  by  tests,  which,  though  appli- 
cable to  some  other  bodies,  are,  when  taken  in  connection  with  the  physi- 
ological test,  strongly  characteristic  and  not  to  be  set  aside. 
As  regards  the  action  of  the  Society  in  the  premises  the  testimony  was 
all  on  one  side,  and  the  resolutions  naturally  flow  from  the  testimony.  If 
the  meeting  was  called  to  protect  a  fellow-member  from  the  imputative 
action  of  a  coroner's  jury  it  was  in  character ;  but  if  it  was  intended  to 
investigate  the  truth  of  the  verdict  (and  this  should  have  been  its  object) 
it  seems  to  be  proper  that  the  testimony  should  have  included  that  of 
Mr.  Hedges,  the  only  person  beside  the  chemist  who  could  be  expected 
to  know  what  was  in  the  mixture. 
We  cannot  let  this  matter  pass  without  saying  that  it  is  no  part  of  a 
coroner's  jury  to  condemn  or  defend  an  individual  situated  as  Mr.  Hedges, 
but  only  to  endeavor  to  get  at  the  true  cause  of  death. 
The  List  of  Members  and  Graduates  of  the  Philadelphia  College 
OF  Pharmacy,  printed  in  the  pamphlet  accompanying  the  January  num- 
ber, has  been  found  to  be  imperfect,  several  names  having  been  acci- 
dentally omitted.  This  is  greatly  regretted  by  the  Committee  having  the 
matter  in  charge,  especially  as  several  prominent  early  members  are 
among  the  omissions.  The  Editor  has  been  requested  to  state  that  a 
thorough  revision  of  the  records  of  the  College  will  be  made  as  early  as 
practicable,  and  a  revised  list  published. 
