THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2880, 9 May 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1878.

A gbocer was summoned at the E.M.; Court this morning for a breach of " The ] Sale of Poisons Act, 1871," by retailing j a bottle of chlorodyne without a license, i As many other business people—dealers in mining requisites, forinstance—sell poison, and thereby unwittingly make themselves amenable to the law, a few words from us on the provisions of the said Act will not be out of place. The Act provides that any person desirous of selling, dispensing or compounding poisons shall make, application to a Registrar appointed under the Act, either personally or by registered letter, for permission to do so; and a vendor may be registered without paying any fee or reward to the Registrar. Mr Barstow, B.M. of Auckland, holds that office for this district*. A registered vendor is required to keep a book giving the date of sale of the poison, name and signature of purchaser, name and intended use of poison, etc.; the book to be always open^ for the inspection of the police. It is further provided that ho vendor shall sell poison to any unknown person unless introduced by some one known to the seller. The vendor is also required to observe a number of minor regulations, and any person neglecting to register, or committing any breach of the provisions of the Act, is liable to a penalty v not exceeding £5 for the first offence, and not exceeding £10 for the second, or any subsequent offence. The poisons under the Act include arsenic, . chlorodyne, prussic acid, cantharides, compounds for destruction of vermin, digitalis, nitric and carbolic acids, cyanide of potassium and other metallic cyanides, and several other common poisons not infrequently retailed by unlicensed vendors. The provisions of the Act are so strict, and the number of regulations that are required to be kept- so many, that it is hardly worth while for any grocer to sell poisons from the small quantities they retail. To sellers of mining requisites such as cyanide of potassium, citric acid, Ac., a strict compliance with the provisions of the Act will be necessary. The case heard and determined this morning was intended as a warning to others, and no penalty was inflicted ; but grocers and other dealers in medicines who are not registered -as vendors of poisons would do well to consult the Act, and make themselves acquainted with its provisions. According to the last published register, there are only some half dozen persons in the district who are legally authorised to deal in poisons. k .