January 28, 1871.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
613 
BRISTOL PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION. 
On Friday, the 13th instant, the Third Monthly Lec¬ 
ture of the Session was delivered at the Philosophical 
Institution, by Herr Leipner. The subject was “ The 
Pharmacist in Germany.” 
The lecturer drew a hasty sketch of the history of 
pharmacy from its birth in the dim ages, burdened and 
half-smothered with the myths of alchemy, through the 
time of its childhood, bolstered and protected by the 
operations of guilds and municipalities, to the dawning 
of the present century, when the period of its maturity as 
a living, independent branch of science was reached. 
The social position of the pharmacist dining these 
times he showed to have been pretty much as might 
have been expected from the varying amount of credit 
with which the art was practised. The enthusiast, the 
quack and the tradesman, each in turn, claimed him 
for his own; but, in proportion as his art had struggled 
through the disadvantages that at different periods sur¬ 
rounded it, and he had become the qualified practitioner of 
a liberal calling, his own status in society had advanced. 
In drawing his present position, and the circumstances 
that now surrounded him, the lecturer found it necessary 
to give an outline of the educational system of the Ger¬ 
mans. It appeared that every child of Germany was by 
law compelled to be educated in one of three grades of 
school, either in the first or elementary school, the course 
of study in which embraced only the elementary subjects ; 
or in the second, the ‘ ‘ real’ ’ school, which, in addition to tin) 
above, included French, English, chemistry, physics, alge¬ 
bra, mathematics, Latin, drawing, and more history, natu¬ 
ral history, geography and arithmetic than taught in the 
elementary schools; or in the third, the gymnasium, 
which gives a purely classical education. From the 
sixth to the tenth year all children attend an elementary 
school, after which they may enter either a real school 
or a gymnasium. 
The class from which the pharmacist most usually 
sprang generally affected the “ real ” school; hence, in 
commencing his special studies, the young pharmacist 
started with an already acquired knowledge of the ele¬ 
ments of natural science and chemistry. At this period 
of his career he entered a pharmaceutical college, where 
he devoted himself to the sciences especially required in 
his future duties for a period of two to three years, and 
from which he was required to emerge by the process of 
an examination creditably passed. He then, for a defi¬ 
nite time, entered the shop of some established pharma¬ 
cist ; after which he was considered qualified to become 
a master pharmacist upon his own account. 
The number of establishments in a district was, by the 
municipal law of that district, limited ; but the pharma¬ 
cist was not allowed to take extreme advantage of this 
apparent monopoly, for the prices for dispensed medicines, 
and to a great extent for drugs also, were regulated by 
the authorities. The restrictions, therefore, upon perfect 
freedom of trade, which were so generally swept away at 
the beginning of the present century, were thus seen not 
to have been removed from the pharmacist, who always 
was, and still is, regarded as one of the servants of the 
State. 
In a money point of view, perhaps, his remuneration 
might be deemed to be inadequate to his responsibilities ; 
but he undoubtedly received more consideration from 
society than his comrade in England, and this, the lec¬ 
turer thought, was mainly due to his higher scientific 
attainments. 
I he following were a few of the many opinions quoted 
by the lecturer: — 
Professor Wackenrodcr, of Jena, thus defines the posi¬ 
tion of an apothecary (1851), “ The German apothecaries 
ai< j indirect S01 ' v ants of the State, therefore unsalaried 
and independent, who, under State supervision, by spe¬ 
cial permission practise an art, but enjoy the same right 
of property as every other citizen of the State.” 
Dr. Carl Muller, Professor at Halle, says, “ In the 
present condition of German pharmacy one might well 
consider apothecaries as half State-institutions, the phar¬ 
macist himself, however, as a servant of the State, occu¬ 
pying an independent position, being a servant at his 
own risk, who does not cost the State anything, but who, 
nevertheless, gives to the State what can be required of 
a servant of the State.” 
Again, Buchner writes, “The objects of pharmacies 
prove that they are not free trades, but medical institu¬ 
tions, which have to subserve the general weal, and 
therefore cannot be managed ad libitum , but according 
to definite and general Government Institutions. The 
pharmacist cannot, therefore, be classed among the free 
tradespeople, nor among artisans or manufacturers or 
merchants, but in his functions occupies a position by 
the side of the physician among the functionaries of the 
public weal. In the free trades the egotistic principle is 
the ruling one. The tradesman always cares directly for 
himself and his own advantage; according to natural 
right he knows no other duties than those of every citi¬ 
zen of the State. The farmer may cultivate his field or 
let it lie fallow, just as he pleases or his sense of the ad¬ 
vantages may dictate; the mechanic, the manufacturer 
produces his goods according to his own ideas, and directs 
his efforts into the channel of free-trade speculations. 
In like manner the merchant may open or shuf his busi¬ 
ness, give up keeping any merchandise he pleases, or 
keep any article in various qualities, and sell it at differ¬ 
ent prices, as demand and luxury may dictate. The free 
tradesman therefore cares. for others only indirectly, be¬ 
ing directly only mindful of his own advantage. The 
servant of the State, however, the medical man, the 
pharmacist, in short, every one serving the State, cares 
directly for the nation, and the State, indirectly only for 
himself and his family; for he must always act as the 
State and the public good may dictate, must sacrifice his 
comforts, private advantages, nay, even his life, for the 
public welfare. He receives from the State definite in¬ 
structions, and must solemnly subscribe to such instruc¬ 
tions.” 
|) mailings of JMcnMc SMeties. 
LINNEAN SOCIETY. 
January 19th, Mr. Daniel Hanbtjry, F.R.S., F.L.S., 
read some “Historical Notes on the Radix Galanga of 
Pharmacy.” The drug known as Galangal has been an 
object of trade for many centuries between Europe and 
the East. It is a stimulant and pungent aromatic of the 
nature of ginger, which it might be used to replace ; but 
the many virtues ascribed to it by the ancients must be 
ignored. It was apparently unknown to the Greeks and 
Romans; its introduction into Europe was due to the 
Arabians, in whose writings it is frequently mentioned, 
being an ingredient of the compound medicines then in 
use. This is as early as the tenth and eleventh centuries ; 
in the fifteenth century it was already in common use in 
Europe. In 1563, it was first pointed out that there arc 
two kinds of Galangal, the smaller kind or Radix Galangm 
mi/ 1 oris, obtained from China, and the larger kind from 
Java. The latter, the Alpinia Galanga , Willd., is not 
known in Europe; the former, named by Dr. Hance 
Alpinia officinarum , is alone seen in European commerce. 
It is used, to a considerable extent, in the East as a sub¬ 
stitute for ginger. Considerable quantities are annually 
sold in London, but entirely for shipment to the Conti¬ 
nent, a large quantity being consumed in Russia. It is 
used by brewers, and 'also for the purpose of giving an 
aromatic flavour to vinegar. By the Tartars it is used 
as a tea, and in some places as a cattle medicine. During 
last year 2300 cwt. were exported from China. 
