It is welcome news indeed that the Shanghai Municipal Council has decided to take steps requiring the adequate labelling, and bottling. or placing in other suitably labelled containffs, Of poisonous substances enumerated in a "Poisons Schedule." 'The municipal notification warns offenders against its. stipulations that they will be prosecuted. The necessity for some such action has been apparent for a very' Tong time past, and the only regret is that it was not taken long ago. 'Recent occurrences seem to have stirred the Public Health Depart-_ ment to take action and the Council is to be warmly commended for putting the depart ment's recommendations into effect. It is fully realized that' because of the conditions Which the Council has to operate the effecting, of some long-awaited reforms must necessarily be attended with dimeulty, but in this case it would" appear that the stipulations pro~ posed would have the sanction of Chinese Taw as well as that of other nations. According. ly, upon the recommendation of the Health Committee, the Council has issued a Municipal Notification giving public nace. thet poisons. enumerated in" the published "Poisons Schedule:" except when supplied as part of prescribed medicine, must be issued in a con~ Tainer distinctly labelled " with the word Poison in English and Chinese printed in red fof on a red background, with the name of the Srilele, and with the name and address of the Seller and, if a liquid issued in a glass bottle capacity of 100 uld ounces or tess, the Container must be Muted vertically with riby grooves, This step should at any rate reduce the possibility of persons accidentally Killing. themselves toa minimum. Tt will not, of course, prevent the person who intends to commit Sulelde from doing s0. but any legislation which Feduees the changes of accidental death cannot but be for good.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.