23 SEPTEMBER 1871, Page 3

Mr. Rayner, an Islington chemist, was summoned this day week

before Mr. Cooke for selling a pennyworth of oxalic acid, —a very poisonous drug, —w ith a label describing it as "citrate of magnesia," which is a harmless effervescent. It was oxalic acid that was de- manded and received, but with this dangerously false inscription. Mr. Rayner only defended himself by the remark that the labels often did get mixed at the printer's, and a bundle of oxalic-acid labels might by accident contain one of " citrate of magnesia." In other words, it was taken out of a bundle and put on the packet without examination. Mr. Rayner received a very good general character as a careful and accurate druggist, but was quite rightly fined £5 by Mr. Cooke. No practice more cynical than that of relying tranquilly and blindly on the accuracy of a printer's -sorting for the labelling of poisons, can be imagined. No trades- man would so rely on the accuracy of the classification of the departments of his till as to give sovereigns iu change instead of shillings without looking at them ; and yet that is not a matter of life and death, as this is.