Report from the Select Committee on Pharmacy bill : together with the proceedings, minutes of evidence and index.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Pharmacy Bill.
Date:
1852
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report from the Select Committee on Pharmacy bill : together with the proceedings, minutes of evidence and index. 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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    2786. Chairman.] Ought they not, in your opinion, to know enough of chemistry and botany, to enable them to distinguish the plants used in medicine? properly, that is all that is required ; they get their drugs, which are prepared with great care, usually from the wholesale druggists. 2787. Do you not think that a chemist ought to have sufficient knowledge, to be able to detect adulterations in drugs?—Yes, I think it is as well that he should be able to do so. 2788. Do you think that he would be competent to do that unless he were educated in scientific chemistry ?—I think that, if he was an attentive careful man, he w ould soon be competent to do that. Perhaps the Committee will allow me to state? that there is now a chemist and druggist practising as a medical man in my own neighbourhood, whose name I will not mention, but who has been nominated to be on the council of the Pharmaceutical Society for the ensuing year ; and I could state to the Committee some instances, which would show that although he is a very respectable man, he has been acting, not only illegally, but dangerously to the public. I have here ten cases which would shew that. 2789. What is the nature of those cases ?—They are all decidedly cases in which he has practised as a medical man. 2790. Is the object with which you desire to introduce these cases to prove that chemists and druggists are in the habit of giving advice ?—To show that they are practising as medical men. 2791. That has already been proved by many witnesses before this Committee? —The first instance which I would mention is the case of a man named Stone, who applied to the gentleman I speak of, saying he was suffering from scarlet fever; the chemist gave him a bottle of medicine, desiring him to come to see him again in two days, which, if he had been suffering under scarlet fever, would have killed him. Stone then went to another chemist, who told him it was itch, but it turned out to be a case of nettle rash. Then there was a man of the name of West, who went to the same person with a cough; he was treated for a fortnight by him until he was almost past assistance; this was edcema, from internal disease ; the epiglottis being affected, occasioned cough. The third case was that of a stable-boy, who was treated for several days; he had inflammation of the lungs, which advanced to the second stage, and thereby the greatest danger was incurred. Proceedings were threatened against the chemist unless the money charged was returned, and the money was returned. In the next case a man had inflammation of the lungs, and was treated during four days. Mr. Shelly, my partner, could not interfere or prescribe, as the man was dying, and hence a life was lost. When this occurred I said, “ The next man who dies in this way I will have a coroner’s inquest upon him,” though that, of course, is an invidious thing to do. The fifth was the case of a young person, the daughter of a coachman, who, after much treatment, was taken to a physician by the chemist’s apprentice. The sixth case was the case of a baker’s wife, who was kept under treatment for three weeks, and became so much exhausted, that when she came to be placed under my treatment I found that she required brandy and opium, and great attention to restore her. 2792. Mr. Wakley.] What was the nature of the treatment to which she had been subjected before ?—She had been physicked violently with salts, and she could not bear it. I did not know that she had been under treatment, and I said, “ Why did you take salts?” As I went away the nurse came and said, “ As you seem serious about it, I had better tell you at once that she has been under the treatment of Mr. So-and-so for three weeks.” 2793. Mr. Ewart.] The person named being a chemist and druggist'—Yes ; and I may state that they visit the patients at their own houses very fre- quently. The next case to which I would refer is the case of Nesbit, who was a railway guard, who sent for a blue pill and a black dose ; the chemist said, “ I will send him something better, which will do him more good.” Afterwards I was called up in the night to this person, who was apparently suffering from the effects of opium. The next case is that of a servant girl, who called for an ounce of salts ; the chemist persuaded the girl to allow him to prescribe, and he charged her six shillings, and afterwards wrote to the mistress to allow him to see the girl again. The next case is the case of a servant of Mr. (Mr. being a patient of mine, residing in the town); she was treated for several days ; the apprentice called twice ; time was lost, and the woman becoming extremely ill, 0.42. c c 2 had G. StilxveU, Esq.
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