Poison foi the Asking A succession of recent deaths, mostly
suicidal, conse- quent on overdoses of one or other of the barbituric acid drugs, such as veronal, dial, lumina' and medinal, has pro- voked some anxiety and much talk both in medical and in lay circles. All the drugs in the barbituric group are included in the first schedule of the Poisons and Pharmacy Act, and, therefore, may legally be sold by chemists Only to individuals personally known to them, or intro- duced by known persons, the " poison book " being duly signed in either case. In practice, chemists make light of these formalities ; and last week a journalist reported that in half. an hour he was able to buy, in Central London, without a doctor's prescription and without being personally known to any of the eight chemists visited, " enough of these poisons to kill seven persons." 'What is needed is stricter administration of the .existing laws, coupled with the observance of a higher standard of professional responsibility by pharma- cists, rather than fresh legislation, but there is clearly room for. much more rigorous inspection to secure that the law is.-actually observed.
Previous page
