The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-14 00:00:00

THE SALE OF POISONS.

Among the statutes which received the Royal Assent on
the day of the prorogation was one to regulate the sale of
poisons, and to alter and extend the Pharmacy Act, 1852.
From and after the 31st December next persons selling or
compounding poisons, or assuming the title of chemists
and druggists, must be registered unless they are pharma-
ceutical chemists, and must conform to such regulations as
to the keeping, dispensing, and selling of such poisons
as may from time to time be prescribed by the Pharma-
ceutical Society, with the consent of the Privy Council.
Certain articles mentioned in a schedule annexed to the
Act are stated to be poisons, and other articles may be
declared to be within the category. Chemists and drug-
gists within the meaning of the Act to consist of all
persons who at any time before its passing had carried on
in Great Britain the business of a chemist and druggist,
in the keeping of open shop ; and also of all assistants
and associates who, before the I wising of the Act, were
registered under the Pharmacy Act, and also all persons
as may be registered under the present Act. With the
view of protecting the puLlic, it is now provided that
any person who at the time of the passing of the Act was
of full age, and can produce to the registrar of the
Pharmaceutical Society by the 31st of December next,
certificates as set forth in the schedule that lie had been
for a period of not less than three years actually engaged
and employed in the dispensing and compounding
of prescriptions as an assistant to a pharmaceutical
chemist, or to a chemist or druggist as defined
by the Act, is, on passing such a modified examination
as the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society, with the
consent of the Privy Council, may declare to be sufficient
evidence of his skill and competency to conduct the busi-
ness of a chemist and druggist, to be registered as a chemist
and druggist under this Act. Those entitled to be regis-
tered at the passing of the Act are to be registered with-
out the payment of a fee. The examiners under the
Pharmacy Act are to be the examiners under the present
one, and the registrar under the Pharmacy Act to act
under this statute. The Council of the Pharmaceutical
Society are to make orders for regulating the register
to be kept. Every registrar of deaths in Great Britain is
required to give notice of the death of a chemist. The
evidence of qualification of persons to be registered is to
be given to the registrar, and any appeal from his decision

to be to the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society. An
annual register is to be kept. Restrictions as to the sale
of poisons to be subject to penalties. No poisons are to be
sold either by wholesale or retail unless labelled,
and poisons are not to be sold to any person
unknown to the seller unless introduced by some
person known to him, and before the delivery
an entry is to be made in a book, and the signature
of the purchaser attached, under a penalty of £5 for the
first offence. Persons registered under " The Medical
Act" are not to be registered under this Act. The Adul-
teration of Food Act is to extend to medicines. From the
passing of the Act all powers vested in the Secretary of
State by the Pharmacy Act are to vest in the Privy Coun-
cil, and power is given to the Privy Council to erase the
names of persons from the register. The statute, which is
not to extend to Ireland, is to be cited as " The Pharmacy
Act, 1868."