68 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST. 
December, 1882. 
burg,* and Montpellier. Later, Louis Phillippe issued an 
“ Ordonnance du Roi du Septembre 27, 1840,” which connected 
the pharmaceutical schools with the universities, and gave 
them the same rights as the other departments of the univer- 
sities (for example : Ecole de medecine, Ecole de droit, &c.). 
The above-mentioned “Ecole superieure de pharmacie de 
Paris,” in the Rue de l’Arbalete, is no longer suffi- 
cient for the present requirements of the science and for 
the great number of students. f A fine new building has 
herefore been erected on ground which formerly was a part 
of the Jardin du Luxembourg. This new school, on the corner 
of the Avenue de l’Observatoire and Rue Michelet, is by far 
the largest pharmaceutical institute in the world, and will 
cost between four and five millions of francs. The two 
amphitheatres, where the lectures are to be held, can each 
contain five hundred auditors, and the large building, where 
the laboratories are collected in three stories, is about 250 
paces long ; all the other parts of the school being in propor- 
tion to these rooms, it is easy to get an idea of the large scale 
on which this school is built. A small part of the new school 
is already used, but the whole institute will not be finished 
before the spring, 1881. 
Besides these three “ Ecoles superieures de pharmacie” in 
Paris, Montpellier, and Nancy, Fiance has also three so-called 
“ Facultes mixtes de medecine et de pharmacie” in Lille, Lyons, 
and Bordeaux. These six schools are higher than the prepara- 
tory pharmaceutical schools (“ les ecoles pr&paratoires de 
mddecine et de pharmacie”), which are again divided into 
“ Ecoles de plein exercice de medecine et de pharmacie” (in 
Marseilles and Nantes) and “ Ecoles preparatories secondaires.” 
At the present time one of the last-mentioned schools is found 
in each of the following sixteen cities : — Alger, Amiens, Angers, 
Arras, Besangon, Caen, Clermont, Dijon, Grenoble, Limoges, 
Poitiers, Reims, Rennes, Rouen, Toulouse, and Tours. 
There are two classes of pharmacists in France, but accord- 
ing to a decree of 31st August, 1878, there is no other difference 
between the education of “les pharmaciens de premiere 
classe” and “les pharmaciens de seconde classe,” 
than that the first must be “ bacheliers” — i.e., have passed 
the whole classical school — while the second need only 
to have passed “la classe de quatrieme.” J There is in addi- 
tion a higher diploma for the pharmacists of the first-class. 
This diploma is called “le diplome superieur de pharmacien 
de premiere classe” and gives the right to compete for the 
professorships in the pharmaceutical sciences at the “ Faculty 
mixtes de medecine et de pharmacie.” 
According to the “decret du Juillet 12, 1878, relatif aux 
conditions a remplir pour obtenir le diplome de pharmacien 
de premiere classe,” which, as above mentioned, is now also 
applicable to the pharmacists of the second class, the candi- 
date must prove that he has passed the required examinations 
in the classical school. Then he must stay three years in a 
pharmacy before he passes his first pharmaceutical examina- 
tion (“un examen de validation de stage ”), which corresponds 
to the German “ Gehuifenpriifung.” This examination is 
ordered by a decree of 30th December, 1878, and is held at the 
pharmaceutical schools by a professor and two pharmacists of 
the first class; it embraces (1) a “galenical” or chemical pre- 
paration according to the pharmacopoeia ; (2) the preparation 
*After the war 1S70-71 this school was transferred to Nancy. The old 
French pharmaceutical school in Strassburg is the same, which now, under 
the direction of Professor Fliickiger, has the title, “ Das pharmaceutisch* 
Institut der Universitat zu Strassburg.” 
t There are now nearly six hundred pharmaceutical students at the Paris 
school. 
{ According to the ‘ ‘ decret” and the “ arrOte” of 19th J une, 1880, the French 
classical schools [“les lycees”] consist of the following classes : — 
Division eUmentaire : 
(1) Classe prbparatoire. 
(2) Classe de huiti6me [the lowest age of the scholar is nine years]. 
(3) Classe de septibme [ten years]. 
Division de grammaire : 
(4) Classe de sixi6me [eleven years. Here the pupil commences to learn 
Latin, ten hours a week]. 
(5) Classe de cinqui6me [twelve years ; ten hours of Latin a week]. 
(6) Classe de quatrieme [thirteen years ; six hours of Latin and six hours 
of Greek a week. It is the final examination of this class which is 
demanded in order to be a pharmacist of the second class]. 
Division sup&rieure : 
(7) Classe de troisibme [fourteen years]. 
(8) Classe de seconde [fifteen years]. 
® { Clause de philosophic } E-xto*. years]. 
It is the final examination of this last class which is demanded in order to 
be a pharmacist of the first-class and it gives the rightto the titles of respec- 
tively “ bachelier 6s lettres” or “bachelier 6s sciences.” 
of a remedy after a prescription ; (3) the determination of ten 
compound remedies and of thirty plants or parts of plants, 
belonging to the materia medica; and (4) the answering of 
questions upon different pharmaceutical operations. 
Now the student leaves the pharmacy and spends three 
years in a school of pharmacy ; if he intends to be a 
pharmacist of the first class, he is obliged to pursue his 
studies at one of the six higher pharmaceutical schools. At 
the end of each year he passes an examination ; the 
first includes physics, chemistry, toxicology, and pharmacy; 
the second embraces botany, zoology, materia medica, 
hydrology, and mineralogy ; the third consists of pharmaceu- 
tical and chemical preparations. At the first examination the 
candidate must make a chemical analysis, and at the 
second a microscopical preparation . At the third examination 
he is given four days to make the required preparations under 
the survey of a professor ; the oral test af this last examina- 
tion is held in two sittings. 
“Le diplome superieur de pharmacien de premiere classe” can 
be given to the pharmacists of the first class after the defence 
of a thesis and some new and very severe examinations. 
Pharmaceutical study in France, at least in the six higher 
schools, and especially in the Parisian school, must be regarded 
as having attained as high a state of development as any in 
Europe. I shall not here tire the reader with a complete re- 
view of these studies, but only refer to the programmes of the 
respective schools. 
Here I shall end these short remarks on the present state of 
pharmaceutical study. It is not for me to make the application 
of these notes to English pharmacy, since I know too little of 
its needs. My desire has been only to give a short report of 
what I have seen and learned of the important educational 
foundation of our profession. I could have wished to make 
these communications at least as complete as in the original 
Danish edition, but a journal is not the right place for such 
more comprehensive researches, and therefore I must beg my 
English colleagues to receive my notes as they now lie before 
them, and I shall be very happy if, in this abbreviated form, 
their interest has been preserved. 
FIRE AT MESSRS. HEMMONS, LAWS AND CO.’S 
About half-past two on the morning of the 21st December a 
very serious fire occurred on the premises occupied by Messrs. 
Hemmons, Laws and Co., wholesale chemists and chemical 
manufacturers, Russell-street. It appeared that the employes 
were working up till half-past ten o’clock on Wednesday 
night, and when the managers were leaving for the night the 
place appeared to be perfectly safe, there being not the 
slightest indication that any portion of the goods was on fire. 
Shortly after two o’clock, however, one of the men connected 
with the fire brigade station stated that he had seen smoke 
emanating from the building, and consequently a man was at 
once ordered to make inquiries and ascertain from what 
building the smoke was proceeding. He returned in a short 
time and gave the alarm, “ Place on fire.” The building 
being close to the station Mr. Hoad and his men were quickly 
on the scene, and to their great surprise on reaching the back 
of the premises they discovered, judging from the glare 
through the windows, that the upper story was in flames. 
Shortly after their arrival the windows began to break owing 
to the great heat, and the flames wildly rushed forth. Two 
or three streams of water were brought to bear on the back, 
while some of the men then proceeded to the front, and again 
it was evident that this division of the building was also on 
fire, as the same indications as those observable at the back were 
evident. Streams of water were at once brought to bear upon 
the front, and in a very short space of time from the outbreak of 
the fire the West End, Carlton Brewery, Albion, and Haw- 
thorn brigades had arrived, and with this additional assistance 
Mr. Hoad was able to keep the flames from spreading to the 
adjoining houses. The flames, however, shortly made their 
way through the roof, which fell in with a terrible crash in 
about ten minutes from the commencement of the blaze. 
The men connected with the various brigades worked with 
great spirit during the night, but it was almost impossible to 
save anything, so rapidly did the flames spread. Owing to 
the valuable nature of the goods, which consisted of drugs, 
medicines, and other constituents only to be found in such an 
establishment, the damage will be enormous ; it is estimated 
from £15,000 to £20,000. The stock is covered by insurance 
to the extent of £12,000. 
