The Bane and the antidote; or, poisoning and its suppression.

  • Wilson, Walter.
Date:
1856
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Bane and the antidote; or, poisoning and its suppression. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    5. Deaths from accidental poisoning*, arising from mistakes on sale, would seldom occur, and the vender would not be liable to dispense a Poison instead of an aperient. 6. Assuming two-thirds of the present number of chymists to obtain Licenses, the amount realized would not be far short of £10,000—an amount probably sufficient to cover the working expenses of the Act, inasmuch as the officers of the Inland Revenue department might be employed in giving effect to its operation, 7. A public good would be realized by simple means. The consumer would pay the cost, as the seller would increase the price of the article sold, on account of having to pay for his liicense. Why should John Jones, the grocer, be compelled to pay for an annual License to sell tea by retail, or Widow Smith to vend tobacco, while David Bolus, who lives on the opposite side of the street, with his sign emblazoned with mortar and pestle, and “ has no connection with any other house,” sells Poison to all comers, and is exempt ? If it is right that a License should be granted to the one to vend a luxury, it cannot be wrong to License the other to sell a Poison.* The dark shades of the past, unerringly indicate the events of the pregnant future. Ere another year shall revolve upon the axis of time, thousands of unsuspecting persons will feel the grim grip of death, and out of those, hundreds who are now ‘‘ dreaming of ♦ In the III. Henry 8, (1511,) was passed, an Act concerning Phesicions and Surgeons, which set forth, “ That the science and cunning of Phisick (to the perfect knowledge whereof, be requisite, both great learning, and ripe experience,) was exercised, by a great multitude of ignorant persons, of whom the greater part have no manner of insight in the same, nor in any other kind of learning; some also can know no letters on the book: that common artificers, smiths, weavers, and women, boldly and accustomably take upon them great cures, and things of great difficulty, who partly use sorcery, apply such medicines as be very noious, to the high displeasure of God, grevious hurt, damage, and destruction of many of the king’s liege people, most especially them that cannot discerne the uncunning from the cunning;” and enacted that no person was to act as “ Phesicon,” or Surgeon, in London or the Suburbs, until he was licensed by the Bishop of London, or the Dean of St. Paul’s.
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