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- Description:
- Handwritten letter from J.R. Thompson of Sunderland, England to David Birrell concerning the Queen's address at the opening of parliament, and her remarks regarding American Civil War and U.S.-British relations, as well as a question concerning the pricing of pharmaceuticals, dated February 6, 1861: 261 High St. Sunderland My dear Birrell, I received your letter of the 27th of Dec. some days ago, which was forwarded to me from Thirsk, where I no longer reside, having left home, and entered upon business on my own, etc. I also received yours of Oct. 15/ 59 [Oct. 15th, 1859?]. The port of Sunderland is one of the most important on the North Eastern coast of England. It is between 50 and 60 miles north of Thirsk. Yesterday Her Majesty the Queen opened Parliament in person and, as is usual on such occasions, she delivered a speech from the Throne to the members of both houses. In it she alluded to the rupture which has arisen among the states of the North American Union and in reference to which she said "It is impossible for me not to look with great concern upon any events which can effect the happiness and welfare of a people nearly allied to my subjects by descent- and closely connected with them by most intimate and friendly relations." "My heartfelt wish is that these differences may be susceptible of a satisfactory adjustment." Her Majesty also alluded to the "Kind and cordial" reception given to the Prince of Wales during his visit to America, and expresses her "warn appreciation of the loyalty and attachment to her person and Throne manifested by her Canadian and other North American subjects on the occasion of the residence of the Prince of Wales among them." The different states of Europe appear to be in a very unsettled state- as regards their political relationship with other. I believe war is looked upon as possible at any moment. Denmark and Germany don't appear to be on very friendly terms. Italian affairs are not settled, & Hungary looks for concessions from Austria. In your recent letter I should be glad if you would tell me on what principle you make your charges for drugs and medicines in America. Do the prices charged usually bear any definite proportions to the cost price? How do you charge to the public Oleum Jecoris Asilli of [...]? With Kind regards Believe me Yours truly Jno. R. Thompson Feb. 6th 1861
- Date Issued:
- 1861-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Detroit Historical Society
- Description:
- Two handwritten letters, written back to back over two pages of blue paper, the first from T.R. Spence to David Birrell concerning a job for Birrell's son also named David, and the second from the senior David Birrell to his son forwarding the previous letter along concerning the job. The letters read as follows: Detroit, May 4th 1853 Mr. Birrell Dear Sir, I had the pleasure of receiving yours of 25th all in due season and owe an apology for not acknowledging it earlier. I have been very busy reserving goods and have alas been some what at a loss in regard to the time that I can do without David which will account for the delay. It affords me pleasure that my proposal met with your approval and hope it will also be satisfying to David. If it will not interfere too much with your arrangements I would be very glad to obtain him the first of next month (June). When I wrote I did intend to get along if possible until the time you mention and feel unwilling to break up his progress in school. My own health has given out a little, and business is often pretty good in June or by the middle of it - I have some intention also of going East and all these considerations will explain to you my reasons for asking him at an earlier day. I will pay him quarterly or semi-quarterly just as you desire and shall be regular about it. You will please express your preference about it, and authorize me to pay to him as you think proper. Business is very good and I think a reasonable prospect of a gradual improvement. It shall be my effort and desire to render David's situation advantageous and agreeable to himself as well as profitable to me. You will also greatly favor me by pursuing a [?] and open course. In all things I prefer to be honest and open and hope if at any time you or he have any unpleasant feelings that you will mention it. With best wishes I remain yours [?], T.R. Spence Dear David, Your letter of the 4th was as you say waiting for me when we got back from Bristol this morning. We enjoyed our jaunt very much, & were very hospitably entertained. I will get Marge to Ivy & give you all the news sometime this week. I have enclosed you five dollars. You will see from Dr Spence's letter that he wishes you in by the 1st of June next & you had better go, I will write the Doctor tonight that you will come then & that your salary may be paid quarterly, & that you will write him yourself stating the exact day you will be in Detroit which you will please do as soon as you can arrange exactly when you can leave, & tell me in your next if you think you can come to Adrian & spend a day or two before you go to Detroit. I did not sleep any last night so I am very tired, we left Bristol at 1:25 AM this Monday morning. It is very cold, snow on the ground, & while we were away a cow broke into the garden & made sad work of it. Kind love from your affectionate Father, David Birrell
- Date Issued:
- 1853-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Detroit Historical Society
- Description:
- Handwritten letter and envelope sent by Andrew Inglis of London, England to David Birrell, of Windsor, Canada, concerning matters of religion and the effect of the Civil War on the supply of cotton in England. London 31st January 1861 My Dear Birrell, I had much pleasure in receiving your letter, and note[?] all you say. It is, as you remark, a delightful thought "God loves us," for had our salvation depended on our love to God we could and have been saved as all after the fall. But may you and I not be thankful that we have been led by the Spririt to choose the better part which shall not be taken away from us, may we not be thankful that we have had the light that is denied to so many, or rather you so many refuse. My conviction of the necessity of f[….] Christianity is more strengthened within the last two months since I entered my new office. There are in it other four who are all very […], & three of them very immoral. Of course they look upon religion as mere humbug; I want to convince them that it is not, and I see the best way to do it is by the life. I see that if I declare myself to be led by the dictates of the Birth, but at the same time enter heartily into their amusements & idle pleasures, that my Christianity is vain. They respect a man who says 'no' to temptation, but they disrespect a man who is always arguing & never acting. I am precluded from quoting scripture as their [sic] is a Roman Catholic in the office who is constantly doing so, but out of whose mouth at the same time proceeds blessing & cursing; this of course has led them all to think very lightly[?] of the scripture. I hope that my influence amongst them turn[?] out for good. By-the-way you will be glad to hear that I have got another situation. It is in the Secretary's office of one of the London Railways, & I like it very much, it is not such hard work as I had before & rather better pay. I notice your comments upon the political state of America at present, which are very interesting & which have afforded me additional information to what I get in the newspapers. Your explanation of the revolution is a good "get off"- you make out that the Americans could not stand […], because they are a chip off the old block- Thus rolling the blame on the old block after all; however that is done with, what we have to do with is the present. I was in the City today & heard one gentleman say to another "Well are they going to make you a director of the new Cotton Co." so you see we are looking about us to see where we can get cotton independent of the States- India & Africa are both looked to as fields & have been spoken of for many years, but you know we speak about things a long time before we act; but now since we are pushed, we are making an effort. Your mention of B[…] G[…] reminds me of old […], who I am glad to say is again in a good way of living- he is servant to a lame[?] gentleman, which suits him much better than […] at kicking […]. My friends at home are all in their usual, my Father very frail. Mr. Bell is quite well, he has another of his brothers coming to London. London swallows up a great many S[…]. My Uncle's family are likewise well. And I am well and hoping this will find you the same I am My dear Birrell. Yours Affectionately, Andrew Inglis
- Date Issued:
- 1861-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Detroit Historical Society
- Description:
- Handwritten letter sent by Standen Paine of England to David Birrell on March 21, 1860 regarding the sugar-coating of pills by pharmacists and other drug related information. 338 Oxford St. March 21 1860 Dear Birrell, Many thanks for your letter- apologies on your part are quite unnecessary. I must thank you too for the "Druggist" which I have received quite regularly. I have made your postage square again up to next September. You more than outset that expense though in sending me the Druggist- for as near as I can calculate your code of charger I suppose it is 4/6 a year however that will not be ruinous- And now to business with regard to sugar-coating pills I can give no practical information for we never do such a thing with our pills we either silver them or cover them with starch. I will however give you the method mentioned in Mohn and Redwoods Practical Pharmacy. I believe it is the process by which almonds are sugared; and is bound to answer […] : - "Gum and sugar are sometimes used for covering pills- The pills are put into a hemispherical metallic pan which is slightly warmed, and a small quantity of a solution of one part gum in two parts of water (added so as to moisten them) *sprinkled over them, and by moving the pan are covered with a coating of sugar. They are subsequently placed on a […] and exposed in a warm room until they become dry. If a thicker coating be required the process is repeated." Mohn & Redwood *powdered sugar is *observe error with above Things get on very well at the Square. Redwood and Bentley get on well I believe. Br(….) has been very ill laid up for some months and is unable to attend to his duties- He is alright again now. The laboratory is quite full and the lectures well attended- The Society I think is in a prosperous state. The museum has been enlarged by taking in the ground floor of the corner house; and a laboratory capable of accommodating 60 to 100 people is to be built at the top of the house. Mr. Morris left some few months ago and went to live down in Wales. The Hypothesis you mention, we use, but the Syrup of the phosphates if from […] Lime-soda-Zinc and Nickel are the rage now. What sort of a preparation of Syrup Ferri[?] Biphosph do you make, as clean if you make it […]? The difficulty has been to get it clean, but practice has made perfect to a great extent with and have a very nice clean syrup now. There will be some information on the subject in the Journal I believe before long. Do you know anything of the Permanganatis of Potais soda, magnesium and Lime as disinfectants- to act by oxidizing the organic matter? They have been brought out within the last year or so by a "Mr. Condy" we are wholesale agents for it. It is made in two […] at forms one applicable for drains […] and the other called ozonized water used for toilet purposes for lotions as a purifier after smoking and for bad breath VC. You will see it in the Journal advertised. I dare say you know the Ercal Rifle Cooper[?] movement we have had in the country, last week there was a levee at which 2000 volunteer officers were presented to the Queen. In the evening there was a grand bash at Event Garden Theatre Hall at which 1000 were present. We have six volunteers in our house all equipped free of expense by our governor Mr. Hills[?]. I am not in them. I don't think there's any fear of war with France now, but it a very good move. Mr. Brembridge[?] desired me to remember him to you. Trusting you are in good health. Believe me yours very sincerely, Standen Paine
- Date Issued:
- 1860-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Detroit Historical Society
- Description:
- Two page handwritten letter, dated November 26,1858, from J. R. Thompson of Thirsk, England to David Birrell, concerning Birrell's recent trip to Scotland, and the recent news of the 1858 Bradford Sweets Poisoning: Thirsk Nov-26th My dear Birrell Your letter dated 2nd Inst. (?) I duly received and with much pleasure heard of your safe arrival at home. I am very glad you so much enjoyed your trip to Scotland and that you were so fortunate as to meet with agreeable companions on your voyage across the Atlantic. I have no doubt trip would do you much good after your hard study and confinement in London. The plan you adopt in America of learning Prescription Books with the Physicians is quite novel to me, and appears to be rather good. I don't know whether you receive the Pharmeceutical Journal or not- so I may perhaps be excused from a alluding to the subject of the "medal"(?) offered at the close of the session. I was the successful candidate in the class Chemistry and Pharmacy, the medal is beautifully executied by Wyorn(?) of the Royal Mint; there is also a certificate which accomplanies it. Yorkshire, may I say England, has, within the last few weeks, been startled by an awful tragedy which occured at Bradford. The following is a breif history of the event- A confectioner of the nae of Riel (?) was in the habit of making cheap peppermint Lozenges and in order to accomplish his purpose he mixed with the sugar [...] an arhite(?) known in the trade by the name of "deff" (it is sulphate of lime- (?) of Paris). A few weeks ago Reil having occasion to make some of the Lozenges, sent his workman to a druggist who was in the secret for ome of the "deff," but the druggist was ill in bed and the young man who had only been in the establishmen about three weeks did not know anything about it, so he communicated with his master, who wished the person to wait till he could personlly attend, this the confectioner did not wish to do, so the young man was directed to a certain cask in the cellar. Unfortunately, there were two casks, out of one of which he took 12" (?) of a white powder supposing it to be the arhile(?) he required. In due course this with other ingredients was manufactured into between 40 and 50 pounds of Lozenges some of which were sold to the public in the ordinary way, until they began to produce their sad effect. The white powder proved to be arsenic. Between one and two hundred persons were made ill and I believe 10 or 20 lost their lives by this sad mistake, and but for the prompt measures taken by the authorities to prevent more of the Lozenges being sold and warning the people of Bradford and neighborhood from eating any they might have in their possession, the accident would probably have been more serious in its effect. Most of the Lozenges were recovered. Poor Morris of 17 Bloomsburg Sqr. died about six weeks ago. I shall be at all times glad to hear from you and hope that if you have anything of a Pharmeceutical interest you will not omit to acquaint me of it. Wishing you every success in business. Believe me Dear Birrell, Yours Sincerely J. R. Thompson
- Date Issued:
- 1858-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Detroit Historical Society