The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-04-04 00:00:00

OUR CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS.

Referring to the Chemists and Druggists Bills which
came before the Rouse of Commons on Wednesday, the
Telegraph says :—There can scarcely be one of our
readers fortunate enough never to have scanned a
doctor's prescription—a document couched in illegible
characters of dog Latin which are in themselves
sufficient to disturb the mind of a nervous patient.
Excepting the one semi-familiar item of "aqua pure,"
any drug specified by these cabalistic signs may be a
poison or its antidote; and in the perusal a sense of
helplessness falls upon the recipient of this supposed
passport to health. The recommendation impressed
upon children to abut their eyes, open their mouths,
and take what is given them, is exactly that which
children of mature years are expected to obey when
they apply for medical advice. All this is bad enough ;
but a yet more cruel trial awaits the nerves
of the valetudinarian in search of health ; he
has to send his prescription to some chemist
or druggist in order to get it made up. Whether the
shopman who takes the mixture in hand knows one
drug from another—whether he can read the doctor's
handwriting or understand the doctor's Latin, or is able
to act upon his knowledge even supposing he possesses
it—is a matter on which the purchaser is totally unin-
formed. Yet the error of using one ingredient for
another, of adding a grain more or less, or of altering
the relative proportions of the constituents, may make
the difference, not only between health and sickness,
but between life and death. At present, no qualifica-
tion whatever is required for the sale of poisonous
drugs, and the most ignorant of blockheads, or the most
disreputable of traders, may open a shop as a vendor of
medicines. The mystery is that the public have been
so long content to entrust their safety to the mercy of
dispensers of drugs of whose competency they have no
evidence whatever. It is said that if any man could
realise the dangers which surround him at every
step, he would never summon up courage to leave
his bed; and we quite admit that the peril arising
from the existence of uncertificated chemists may
easily be exaggerated. As a class, the practisers
of pharmacy are an eminently deserving body;
and the instances in which members of the trade
fail to perform their duty are extremely few. But in
almost every other civilised country the right of dis-
pensing medicines is only permitted to regularly-
qualified persons; and, as Dr. Brady observed in the
course of the debate, it is extraordinary that in
England alone the anomaly of allowing medicines to be
sold by others than experts should have endured till
now.

At last, however, it poems probable that this
anomalous state of things will be reformed. Through-
out the discussion, no sp atm ventured to defend the
existing system, bat everybody admitted the necessity
of an alteration. That vendors of drugs should be duly
registered, and that all persons authorised to make up
prescriptions should undergo some kind of examination,
were assumed as axioms throughout the debate ; the
only difference in opinion manifested was as to the
means by which this reform could best be initiated.
Two bills were before the House, one of which had the
sanction of Sir Fitzroy Kelly's name, the other that of
Sir John Shelley's. In principle both bills were alike;
but the manner in which that principle was to be
enforced constituted the divergence between them.
Each of the legislators was, in fact, the sponsor of a
rival organisation: the Pharmaceutical Society of Great
Britain being supported by the member for Suffolk;
the United :Society of Chemists and Druggists claiming
the advocacy of the member for Westminster.
Parliament exercised a wise discretion, then, in
referring the two Bills imbmitted to it to a select com-
mittee; for, as Sir George Grey pointed out, such
a body alone is competent to deal with the various
intricate considerations involved.
_

Due safety is the main object of any legislative
interference; yet, in places too thinly populated to
support a high-cleated establishment, it may become •
very practical question whether it is better to accept
drugs at the hands of an inferior dispenser, or to go
without any drugs at all. Such difficulties are only to
be surmounted by • practieal and, at the same time,
broad treatment of the subject, and the impartial spirit
in which, with scarcely an exception, the general topic
was discussed on either side of the House leads us to
hope that at last a satisfactory reform may be carried
out by the labours of the select committee.

A meeting of the creditors of Messrs. Attwooda,
Spooner, and Co.'s Bark WAS held at Birmingham on
Thursday, when an offer was received from the Birming-
ham Joint Stook Bank to take the assets, and pay the
creditors at the rate of lie. 3d. in the pound. The offer
was unanimously adopted.
COMMIITAL or Die. PIUTCHARD.—A.bundant traces
of antimony having been found in the body of Mrs.
Pritchard, Dr. Pritchard has been committed for trial
on a charge of murder. It appears that suspicions
were first communicated .to the authorities by an
anonymous letter. When Dr. Paterson ref u=ed to
certify the death of Mrs. Taylor, the mother of Mrs.
Pritchard, he accompanied his refusal with a letter
addresaed to the registrar, which was calculated to
attract attention and excite inquiry. It Is stated,
however, that the registrar hu either thoughtlessly
destroyed this communication or lost sight of it. The
body of Mrs. Taylor has been exhumed. It appears
that Mrs.Pritehard was taken ill some four or five weeka
. . . . .

ago with • complaint which was said by her husband to —On Saturday morning, about half-past four o'clock, a
be gastric fever. Her mother, Mrs. Michael Taylor, policeconstable was passing through King-street, when
came from home to wait upon her, and of course resided he was attracted by the smell of tire to Solomon's
in Dr. Pritchard's house. About three weeks ago Mrs. lodging-house, 129, King-street, West Plymouth.
Taylor was one evening suddenly seized with violent Rousing the inmates, who are very numerous and of
illness, and despite the efforts of a medioal gentleman, the poorest olav, he forced his way into a small upper
whose aid was called in, died in the course of a few room, whence stifling smoke proceeded. Several pails
hours. Her body Wee removed to Edinburgh, where it of water were thrown in, and when at last the police-
was interred. As for Mrs. Pritchard, she appeared to men and lodgers could enter they found stretched upon
be recovering, and had so far regained her strength as the bed the corpses of four children, slightly scorched in
to be able to sit up in the drawing-room. At the end of places, but evidently suffocated daring sleep. The
the week, however, she bad a relapse. She Was door and contents of a cupboard in one corner of the
attended by the same doctor whose services had been room were on fire and theme the death-denting smoke
engaged for her mother. But in this case also medical had come. The tire was noon put out.
skill proved of no avail, and death supervened somewhat THE REVINOR.—The revenue returns for the quarter
suddenly on Saturday. On Monday Dr. Pritchard and for the financial year were made public on Friday
conveyed his wife's remains to Edinburgh, although we night. The result must be regarded as satisfactoty.
believe it was not intended that the interment should The Customs and the property tax, which were both
take place till Thursday. Meanwhile the case had been reduced last year, show a deficit on the whole year—
brought under the notice of the authorities, and Dr. the former of £660,000, the latter of £1,126,000.—8ut
Pritchard was apprehended. Dr. Pritchard is a roan in the Customs are rapidly recovering their former position;
his prime, well known in Glasgow, both as a medical indeed there is a small surplus on the quarter just
practitioner and as a casual lecturer on literary and ended; and all the other items, except the mis-
scientific subjects. Ile is an Englishman by birth, and oellaneous, show an Increase. The Excise has increased
in early life served for some time in the navy, by which to the enormous extent of £1,351,000 over the amount
means he had the opportunity of visiting distant Lode. oft last year. The result of the whole is that there is
He married and settled in Glasgow several years ego, an increase on the lee, quarter of i 1.813,082, and on the
and he has five children by the lady just deceased, the whole year of £101,473.
eldest being about thirteen years of age. A servant Tax IRON TRADE Diaruyx.—The Star, in a sum-
girl also, who it is said has bad illicit intercourse with mary view, says the meeting of the workmen and
Dr. Pritchard, has been arrested on suspicion of crow masters on Wednesday has ended abortively. The
plioity in the affair. A rumour to which publiety has masters insisted as a ewe qua non that the men should
been given is, that a heavy insurance had been effected go to work at the reduced rate of wages, and that then
on the life of Mrs. Pritchard, that she was farther to the differences between them should be referred to
inherit a sum of money on the decease of her mother, arbitration. To this the men declined to agree. They
and that Dr. Pritchard would have the ministration of could not go to work at the wages the South Stafford-
that money daring the lifetime of his wife. The first shire men had accepted, and the quarrel seems now as
part of this statement is untrue, and the hitter part far from being healed ss ever. The masters will now
inamorata. Mrs. Pritchard's life was not insured.. On probably introduce men from other districts to North
the decease of Mrs. Taylor, the life-rentof a sum of £2,500 Staffordshire. and thus get their works opened again.
fell to her daughter, Mrs. Pritchard, and in the event of Meantime, the London trades' delegates met onThursday,
the death of Mrs. Pritchard, her husband, and as and passed resolutions approving of the conduct of the
curator for the children, obtains that life-met till they North Staffordshire men, and promising them support.
reach their majority. The post-mortem examination of The ironmasters met at Stafford at noon on Friday, and
the remains of Mrs. Taylor, did not lead to the dis- the men at three o'cleek at Stoke, to divine the
eovery of any appreciable and natural cause of death, suggestion of Lord Lichfield that., pending arbitrafion
The vital parts are to be subjected to chemical analpia. upon the disputed points, the masters of North Stafford-
It is whispered that the line of defenee likely to he shire shall open their works—wages to he drawn on
adopted by Dr. Pritchard will be that his wife died by account, and to be settled subsequently. The Iron Trade
her own hand - in other won* committed suicide. Circular states that at a preliminary meeting of the
IMPORTANT TO ALL WHO SING.—From S. Pearsall, masters at Birmingham On Wednesday, it MIS decided
Esq., Vicar Choral of Lichfield Cathedral.—" A lady of that no alteration should be made in the prices. New.
distinction, having pointed out to me the qualities of castle telegraphs state that the men in the North are
Dr. Locock's Puloionia Wafers, I was induced to make dissatisfied with the refusal of the Staffordshire delegates
• trial of a box, and from this trial lam happy to give to accept the proposed arbitration, and that the works
lEy testimonial in their favour. I find by allowing a la the North of Ragland werereopened on Thursday night.
hw of the wafers—taken in the course of the day—to The lock-oat in the Durham and Northumberland iron
id . artily dissolve in the month, my voice becomes works tarthinettecl on Thursday, .eicoerding to the
right and clear, and the tens full and distinct. They arrangement that had been come to between masters
, decidedly the most eillothiout of say I ever used." mind men &few' day. before. Both parties have thus
. Locook's Pulmonio Wafers give instant relief and a effectually serrated themselves from all connection with
lipid cure of asthma, consumption, coughs, and all dis- their respective comrades in the Staffordshire district.
lirderii of the breath amid holm All throat Itffestices We regret to say that the same amount of good sense
Ire immediately relieved by allowing one ocoasioaraily to does not appear to prevail is the South. Lord Lich-
dissolve in the month. To singers and public speaker, field's suggestion that wagaselloald be paid to the men
they are invaluable ter eisaring and strengthening*, on account, while the proper amount was wattled by
Voice. They have a plethent taste. Pries Is. lid., arbitration, though agreed to by the masters in North
. Bd., fin. 13d, sad 111., 111111101. lield by all inedicine Staffordshire, was wtheimotudy refused by the men, and
the dispute resmiqpig.tir. from terertheetioe as ever. -
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